Though a small dog, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi is by no means an inactive lap dog who wishes solely to be pampered; indeed, Cardigan owners have dubbed their breed as a big dog in a small package. Though they may not be suited for the inexperienced dog owner, a properly bred and trained Cardigan Welsh Corgi can make an excellent pet, providing a family with endless love, loyalty and entertainment. Since it is a herding breed, it has a great deal of intelligence and a strong will to please its owner; these traits make the Cardigan an ideal candidate for training and even obedience, though you must have a firm and consistent hand to get anywhere with this breed, as they are very strong-willed.
Cardigan Welsh Corgis expect to be made an integral part of the family, constantly interacting with their owners; they are not a dog to be left alone for long periods of time. Often, they bond to one person or a small number of people, their family, and are not particularly welcoming towards strangers. Indeed, this wariness of almost everything outside the family, coupled with their tendency to bark, makes the Cardigan quite a good watchdog. They have an instinctive drive to protect their family and would sacrifice their lives to carry out their role as guardian. This drive can sometimes make them unpleasant, as they will also see unfamiliar animals as threats to their family and can adopt aggressive, dominate behaviors when they meet up with other dogs.
Their intelligence and inborn guarding instinct make them very alert dogs as well, and they have an extremely well developed sense of responsibility. They do quite well around children, but the children must be careful and considerate with the dog. They are not highly social dogs and tend to be territorial; their herding instinct, as mentioned in other places, often comes through and they can start herding their family by nipping at their heels. Since they are such obedient dogs, though, any of these unpleasant behaviors can be avoided with the proper training. They are loads of fun, as they are always trying to think up games to keep their highly active brains entertained. They love interactive games in which the whole family participates; they are high energy dogs (though not overly exuberant) and benefit from frequent romps and even agility training.
Cardigan owners claim that these dogs do very well as pet therapy dogs if trained, as they seem to know what people need and are ready to entertain and shower affection. They are also very expressive dogs, with a great ability to communicate visually with their owners; their highly expressive nature have made them desirable supporting actors in quite a number of Hollywood movies. This loyal, alert, affectionate, intelligent, obedient dog that is willing to please and guard his owners has become quite an honored family companion.
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