Aussie Corgi Dog Breed

The Aussie Corgi may be a mixed breed, but she is no less a herding dog like both her purebred parents. And she may be extremely cute, especially as a puppy — but she is not really the best dog for first-time dog owners or apartment living. These dogs need understanding and a firm alpha to always be in control, rather calm and literally unmoved. These dogs will try to herd anything that moves or fails to move, and then there are those times when they themselves will attempt to be immovable.

Here are some things you should know about the Aussie Corgi:
PROS

• Very alert
• Hard-working
• Great stamina
• Eye-poppingly cute!
• Extremely brilliant
• Tolerant of children
• Excels in agility sport
• Deals well with solitude
• Will be happy with a job
• Can learn a lot of tricks
• Great for very active people
• Easy to train for the right person

CONS

• Easily bored
• Very dominant
• Not hypoallergenic
• Can be very obstinate
• May bark at everything
• Significant health concerns
• Training must be firm and constant
• Will nip at children to "herd" them
• Will stop at nothing to get at food
• If bored, can become very destructive
• Must be socialized properly and at a very early age

The Aussie Corgi is a small dog, and when mature they reach 10 to 13 inches in height and weigh from 20 to 30 pounds.

Due to their parents' herding backgrounds on relatively isolated ranches and farms, your Aussie Corgi will be a hard-working, energetic and playful dog that will want to always accompany you. He is great with kids, but you should teach your children to be careful when they play with him (especially if he is on the smaller side!). He works well with other pets, but is very intelligent and can be headstrong; early training and socialization is a must. Likewise, he will have quite a bit of energy and require a lot of daily exercise to keep him from developing bad habits like chewing on things.

Aussie Corgis tend to have relatively long hair and shed a lot too, and as such they need to be brushed daily and have their ears checked a few times a week — as well as gently cleaned at least weekly. They should only be bathed when necessary so as to not destroy the natural oils of their coat.

The Aussie Corgi comes in a fair amount of bi-color coats: black and white, black and brown, white and brown, gray with black and white, and a few other combinations including merle and brindle; she may even have spots! If kept healthy and happy, she should live anywhere from 12 to 15 years.

There is one distinct variation of the the Aussie Corgi, and it's the Mini Aussie Corgi mix. (There are many breeders who carry only Miniature Australian Shepherds and Welsh Pembroke Corgis but don't crossbreed them.) This hybrid can be found, however, and they can be very small.

The F1 Mini Aussie Corgi comes from crossing a Corgi with a Miniature Aussie. To get an F1b Corgi Mini Aussie mix, one of the F1 Mini Aussie Corgis is bred back to a purebred Corgi. Two F1 Mini Aussie Corgis will have F2 puppies. There are also F2b Mini Aussie Corgis whereby an F2 is bred back to a Corgi. The mini Australian Shepherd Corgi mix can be an extremely small dog and typically requires very careful handling and delicate exercise to prevent injury.

Aussie Corgis come from two dedicated herding dogs that tend to know what they want, demand to be waited on, and will work with the right person. They appreciate attention but may not like being handled. They might bark at everything that moves or is out of place, but that is to be expected from herding dogs who control herds vocally.

The Australian Shepherd Corgi mix personality can show a stubbornness. (They come from well-established herding dogs that don't have time to waste when an animal breaks from the herd.) Even with proper training, these dogs can become very obstinate when they want food, attention or something else. Be ready to accommodate this even as you maintain your alpha position lest you lose complete control.

Training your Aussie Corgi may not be an easy task, but for the right person, it can be fast. These dogs learn very quickly and with few repetitions. Agility training, play and toys are best for them, and they tend to love learning new tricks all the time. They don't respond well at all to harsh training or even raised voices, as they are extremely sensitive to changes in mood, sound, and motion.

The parent breeds of the Aussie Corgi are rather healthy purebred dogs. As such, this and hybrid vigor help to greatly reduce the number and possibility of health concerns. You should know that the smaller the Aussie Corgi, the more the potential for problems, injuries and health risks. There are some ailments that are hereditary and while they are somewhat prominent, they can be tested against.

Here are some of the possible issues that can affect your Aussie Corgi:

• Obesity
• Epilepsy
• Deafness
• Blindness
• Back problems
• Urinary stones
• Joint dysplasia
• Drug sensitivity
• Other eye problems
• Degenerative myelopathy
• von Willebrand's Disease
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

These Aussie Corgi mix has an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years, which is average for dogs of this size.