Excessive barking in Corgis is often caused by boredom or separation anxiety. The best way to stop your Corgi from barking excessively is to train them to respond to the ‘quiet’ command, give them plenty of exercise, and help them feel safe when you’re gone.
Excessive barking is no fun. It hurts your ears, it upsets your neighbors, and it makes everyone feel more stressed out. Corgis are very vocal dogs by nature, and they like to sing for their owners and tell the world exactly how they’re feeling. Occasional barking isn’t a problem; the same for barking at the door as an alert. The problem is when it becomes excessive.
Now, while Corgis are likely to always be a little noisy and bark, there are ways to curb the excessive noise and help them calm down a bit. It comes in the form of training, as with all good things in the canine world, and also learning more about what’s making them bark. You might be surprised to discover what the source is.
To help you get started, I have six easy tips to stop your Corgi barking excessively.
Key Takeaways:
- Corgis are naturally vocal dogs who like to be heard
- You can never stop a Corgi from barking completely
- Finding the cause of the barking is the best way to determine a solution
- A lack of physical and mental stimulation often causes barkingÂ
- The quiet command could save your eardrumsÂ
Why Are Corgis So Vocal?
Corgis are herding dogs, and they were bred to herd cattle, which means they are more prone to barking than other breeds. Working dogs like them often are, especially since cattle are so much bigger than they are (and more powerful). However, it also comes down to the fact that they’re dogs, and dogs like to bark. It’s natural for them and how they communicate.
What Are The Reasons Corgis Bark?
There are so many reasons why your Corgi might be barking. Below, you will find a quick list to help you understand what your Corgi’s triggers might be so you can help them through it:
- Stress
- Excitement
- Fear
- Separation anxiety
- Boredom (mental and physical)
- Hunger
- Attention
- Aggression
- Playfulness (sometimes, they bark just for fun)
If you’re feeling concerned and you aren’t sure which of these triggers is affecting your Corgi (if any), it is best to consult a dog trainer or a vet. They can help you figure out what’s happening and what your next steps are in getting them to stop barking excessively.
Can You Stop A Corgi From Barking?
You can never stop a Corgi from barking completely. They are naturally vocal, and their background as herding dogs means they’re going to bark when they’re excited about something or in work mode. However, their barking can become very excessive (I’ve been there and my ears never fully recovered), and that’s when it needs to be sorted.
The good news is that you can stop a Corgi from barking excessively. When they’re being too vocal, it’s usually for a reason, and you can help them feel calm enough to stop. All it takes is a little training and a whole lot of patience.
💡Pro tip: Avoid punishing your Corgi for excessive barking. It will only make them feel more stressed and afraid, and it can actually make the situation worse.Â
6 Tips To Stop Excessive Barking
Now that you have a little more information on why Corgis bark and what the triggers might be, these six tips should help you get started. With these, you and your Corgi will be on track to a happier, quieter life in which neither of you is stressing out about your surroundings.
1. Discover The Cause
Before you do anything, you need to discover why your Corgi is barking. What’s triggering them to be so excessively vocal, and why is it doing that? The list of triggers I went through earlier should help, and most of the time it’s simple things like walking through the door or not wanting to be left alone for periods of time.
Sometimes, it might be a rustling leaf outside or a loud sound. In these situations, they have often learned to associate the sound with fear, and this means they are getting stressed out and afraid every time they hear it.
Discovering the cause is what will lead to successful training and putting a stop to excessive barking.Â
2. Train Them And Retrain ThemÂ
This is all about reinforcement training. What you need to do for excessive barking is retrain them to stop seeing the trigger as a threat or something that needs attention drawn to it. Let’s use the front door as an example. Your Corgi might bark when someone comes through the front door, which is one of the most common triggers.
Have someone open the front door a few times and walk through it. Every time your Corgi barks, ignore them and do it again. Whenever they don’t bark when someone comes through the door, reward their silent behavior with a treat and repeat the process. Eventually, they will get the hang of it and learn to associate the treats with silence.
This does take a lot of time and patience. It is a gradual process that will not be fixed instantly and could take several weeks. It is important to remain calm and positive and also to avoid any form of punishment for being noisy.Â
3. Make Sure They Are Exercised (Mentally And Physically)
A lack of mental and physical exercise is one of the main reasons Corgis bark. They aren’t couch potatoes, they are smart working dogs who need to be stimulated. If they aren’t, then they can become destructive, loud, and more disobedient than usual. Take them for walks, play brain games, and train them to help tire them out. You’ll see the difference.Â
4. Use The Quiet Command
‘Quiet’ is a very simple command to teach, and it’s very effective. Since Corgis are very intelligent dogs (despite their stubbornness), they tend to pick it up fairly quickly as well. It can help you maintain better control over them when they are being noisy, and it can be used to encourage them to be quiet when it starts getting excessive.
All you need to do is bring your Corgi to a place that triggers their barking in your home and interrupt them when they bark with the command ‘quiet’ and a treat in front of their nose. Reward them with the treat for as long as they are quiet and continue to repeat the command while rewarding them. They’ll have the hang of it in no time.Â
5. Work On Separation AnxietyÂ
All of my Corgis have had separation anxiety. I work from home, and we are together all the time, so it’s natural for them to feel upset when I leave. This used to lead to destructive behavior and barking that was so excessive it bordered on concerning. Working on separation anxiety with your Corgi can actually help reduce the noise.Â
To fix separation anxiety, I got them used to being without me for a few hours every day. I started by leaving for a couple of minutes and slowly increased it to a couple of hours over the course of three weeks. I didn’t greet them right away when I came back; I got settled in and relaxed a little before I called them to be petted.
It helped them stay calmer when I got home, and the doggy camera showed me that they were far more relaxed than they used to be. If I’m gone for more than a couple of hours, I like to have someone come sit with them. I think we forget that dogs are very social animals, and they like to stick with their pack as much as possible.Â
6. Hire A Professional TrainerÂ
Sometimes, we need professional help, and a dog trainer has the expertise and knowledge to help you get to the root of the problem. They can show us new techniques to help us learn how to handle our Corgis and also show us where we might be going wrong. Just like our dogs, we aren’t perfect, and we make mistakes sometimes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Corgis Bark So Much?
Corgis bark for the same reason as any other dog: boredom, hunger, attention, warning, or to play. They use it to express a range of different emotions and to catch your attention so you can come and see what’s bothering them. Corgis are naturally more vocal, but a lot of it comes down to them not being exercised or stimulated properly.
Do Corgis Grow Out Of Barking?
No, Corgis don’t grow out of barking. It’s normal behavior for dogs, and this means it’s something that stays with them. The only way to reduce barking is through training, exercise, and helping your Corgi stay calm. They are naturally vocal dogs and a poor choice for those who struggle to tolerate barking.
When Do Corgis Calm Down?
Corgis typically start to calm down a little after the age of two when they have finished growing and have gone through their teenage years. However, they are very active and lively dogs, and you might not see a huge difference in their energy levels until they are over ten. I know mine remained noisy and active well into their old age.
Final Thoughts
I love my Corgis. They’re my best friends and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but they do like to make noise. Excessive barking is something I have had to deal with a lot, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to overcome. I know it feels awful right now, and you feel as though they will never be quiet, but I can promise they will.Â
Just remember that sometimes, we all need a dog trainer to step in and help. There is no shame in it, and even the best Corgis need some additional guidance at times. I used a professional to help my noisiest Corgi calm down, and she’s a menace. Training, perseverance, and finding the source of their excessive barking are the cornerstones of success here.
