Want to know how to stop aggression between your Corgi and other pets in your home? This can be caused by a number of things ranging from jealousy and territory to changes within the household that shift the hierarchy. But they can be resolved with training, patience, and perseverance.
It’s always stressful when your pets don’t get along. It can often feel like you’ve done something terribly wrong for it to happen. Sometimes, there are no warning signs, and it just starts, which can leave you feeling even more confused and upset. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a terrible end to your happy little family of pets.
Interdog and interhousehold aggression can be caused by a number of factors, as we will explore. Training, perseverance, and learning to understand why this has happened can help you to overcome it so that you and your Corgi have a more peaceful home life. It’s not going to be fixed overnight, but you will see the changes as they happen.
Are you ready to learn how to stop aggression between your Corgi and other pets?
Key Takeaways:
- Interdog and interhousehold aggression can be caused by several things
- It can usually be resolved with training and patience
- You might need a trainer or behaviorist to help you through it
- Sometimes, you cannot resolve interdog aggression
- Punishment is never the right answer in this situation
What Is Interdog Aggression?
Interdog aggression is when one or more dogs become aggressive towards the other dogs in a household. While the typical sign of aggressive behavior is fighting, it can also be displayed using the following canine body language:
- Mounting
- Blocking
- Staring
- Posturing
- Vocalization (barking, growling, snarling)
- Looming (standing over the other dog)
I had dealt with interdog aggression before between the Corgis I had before my current dogs. The cause can come from several different places. This means it isn’t always easy to pinpoint the cause without insight from a professional.
However, some of the most common causes of interdog (and interhousehold aggression) include the following:
- Hormones (females in heat, intact males)
- Dominance and territory
- Fear and anxiety
- Poor socialization as puppies
- Lack of training
- Social trauma (dog or human caused)
- Jealousy (usually over an owner’s attention)
- Changes in the household (normally causing hierarchical shifts)
Can Interdog Aggression Become Interhousehold Aggression?
Interdog aggression can become interhousehold aggression. The difference between them is that interhousehold aggression usually concerns other pets in the house that aren’t dogs. Usually, training helps to overcome this. You might want to consider separating your Corgi from the pets they are bullying.
What Can You Do To Stop Interhousehold Aggression?
Stopping interhousehold aggression doesn’t have a quick-fix solution. It’s going to take a lot of time and dedication to get through, and you might find you need to try a few different techniques before you discover one that works. Before you can do anything, you need to regain control of your dogs to ensure they listen to you.
First, you should redirect their energy when they start showing aggression towards each other. Use loud sounds to get their attention, and move to an activity like training or putting them in separate rooms with toys so that they can calm down. When you’re able to successfully get them to stop through redirection right away, you have control again.
If you enjoyed this, check out our guide about how to introduce your Corgi to a cat!
5 Methods To Try
Outside of that, you can use the following methods to help stop interdog aggression:
- Avoiding triggers. This often includes any competition for resources or attention. Feed, greet, and play with the dogs separately to help avoid triggers like this.
- Desensitization. This is also known as counter-conditioning, and it works by gradually exposing the dogs to each other and triggering situations in a way that is safe, calm, and allows them to be rewarded for positive behavior.
- Medication. This is usually only prescribed in situations where the aggression is caused by pain (commonly arthritis) or severe anxiety. However, if your Corgi’s aggression is due to pain, you should see a fairly rapid change in behavior.
- Favoritism. It might seem harsh, but showing one dog preference over the other can help restore calm during aggression caused by hierarchy. What this means is that you choose one dog to be greeted first, leashed first, fed first, and given treats first. You’re not showing them more love than the other; they are just getting their turn first. Usually, this would be the older dog, and it can help sort out any battles over hierarchy and territory.
- Routine. Dogs need routine, much like us. Make sure you give your Corgi and other household dogs/pets a steady routine to follow every day. Keep them physically and mentally stimulated to prevent boredom and keep them happy enough that aggression is the last thing on their minds. It’s amazing what a routine can do for your pup.
Are There Cases When Interdog Aggression Cannot Be Resolved?
Sometimes you just can’t resolve interdog aggression, and it’s never an easy thing to admit. I actually had to deal with this almost ten years ago when I rescued a Corgi cross from a shelter. They told me he was great with other dogs and would be fine with an intact male. He was seventeen and had very few teeth, and when I met him, he seemed great.
He was grumpy, but that was to be expected at his age, and he was also highly aggressive towards the dog I already had. I worked on it for a few weeks before I called the shelter for advice, and they told me they had lied to me because he wasn’t housetrained, he was aggressive, and no one wanted him.
A Difficult Decision
There was no way I was going to send him back to the shelter because they would have put him down, and he didn’t deserve that. I worked on the aggression a little more, but he wasn’t improving, and my existing dog had become afraid to come downstairs and was depressed. I had to make the difficult choice to rehome him.
He went to live with my parents and their dogs, and he actually got on much better with theirs. It probably helped that they were about ten times his size and didn’t stand for his bullying. He was very loved, and he lived until the grand age of twenty-one. I felt terribly guilty for giving him to my parents, but I had to do what was best for the dog I already had.
If you come to the same crossroads, I always recommend trying to find someone you know and trust to take them on so they can be guaranteed a good life. There are times when your existing dog’s wellbeing needs to come first, and that might mean the new one needs a home that is better suited to their nature and needs.
Does Punishment Work For Interhousehold Aggression?
It can feel tempting to punish your Corgi for interhousehold aggression, but it will have the opposite effect of what you want it to. Punishment can actually cause more aggression because it increases feelings of stress and unease, which makes your dog feel unsafe. Most of the time, aggression is caused by emotions being high, and you don’t want to make it worse.
What you need to do is remain consistent in your training with them and work on regaining full control of the dogs in your home. Instead of punishing them, you need to redirect their attention to alter their behavior and help distract them from their feud with each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Corgis Be Aggressive Towards Other Dogs?
Yes, Corgis can be aggressive towards other dogs, but this is not exclusive to the breed. Any dog can become aggressive towards other dogs if they are not socialized properly, introduced to other dogs properly, or have had negative experiences with other dogs. It’s all about learning to work with your Corgi to help them overcome their negative behavior.
Do Corgis Like Cats?
Corgis often like cats, and if they are raised with cats, they are more likely to be calmer around them and less prone to aggressive behavior. Since Corgis have natural herding instincts, they will need additional training to make sure they don’t try to herd any cats in the home (which can include nipping at their legs).
Are Corgis Good With Other Animals?
Yes, Corgis tend to be good with other animals. However, like any dog, they need proper training and socialization to ensure they are behaving properly and reduce the risk of aggression. It’s also important not to show any favoritism as this can make your Corgi or other pets jealous, which can also lead to aggressive behavior.
Final Thoughts
It’s not an easy path to take, but stopping aggression between your Corgi and other pets is completely possible. The right training practices, redirection, and plenty of help from professional trainers can help your Corgi achieve peace with the other pets they live with. Just remember to be safe and never be afraid to employ the experts to help you.
I have a 6-year-old Corgi and an 18 month old Corgi and the 18 month old Corgi attacks the 6th year Corgi for no reason can you help me with this
Hi Carol, how long have you had both Corgis/have they been living in the house together?
Hi Carol,
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your two Corgis. How long have the two Corgis been living together, and are they M, F? If you could share a bit more context that would be very helpful. Thank you