Whether you have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi at home, or a Cardigan (like I do), chances are you never want to spend any time away from them.
They’re the most lovable, round, short-legged bundles of splooty joy in the universe after all.
Unfortunately, duty calls for mostly everyone in the form of a little something called “work”. Eurgh. Someone’s gotta bring home the bacon (and kibble) though!
It’s at these times when your sweet bread loaf of a dog is looking up at you with glistening puppy eyes that you ponder in complete seriousness, “Can Corgis be left alone all day? Is that healthy for them?”
The maximum amount of time that any Corgi should be left at home alone is 8 hours- and even that is stretching it to the limit!
While you can theoretically leave it by itself all day, there are a few things that you should do to keep it safe and help it feel less lonely while you are away.
Firstly, don’t make it harder than it already is! Learn to say a quick goodbye and don’t worsen your Corgi’s separation anxiety by prolonging your exit everyday. Just make sure that you leave it in a flat, hazard-less area with all of its favorite treats and toys.
If you really have to be away from home from dusk till dawn, it’s time to make friends with your neighbors! This way, there will be a familiar face available check on your best pal while you’re gone.
Alternatively, hire a local pet sitter to keep your Corgi occupied for an hour or two during the day.
Whatever you do, make sure that you spend some quality bonding time with your pet once you get home. There’s nothing that makes a Corgi happier than playing and interacting with its owner at the end of a long day!
Can Corgis Be Left Alone For A Long Time?
Originally, Corgis were bred as herding dogs and trained to do farm chores.
A common personality trait among working dogs is that they tend to be high energy, social breeds that quickly develop a strong connection with the people they work with.
Even today, Corgis innately want to have this type of bond and interaction with its owner and family members.
As a result, it becomes hard for them to stay happy when left home alone, even for a short while. Leaving your Corgi at home alone frequently and for long periods can have serious unwanted side effects.
The fact that Corgis were once bred as working animals on farms has made them less capable of spending time quietly alone. They need high levels of physical and mental stimulation and to be busy at all times doing one thing or the other.
As the owner, you have to do your best to provide them with this stimulation every single day- and sometimes even twice a day! This will keep your Corgi happy, healthy, and well-behaved.
Although it truly is hard to leave your Corgi alone at home, here are some tips to help you do so successfully with minimal negative impact:
1.Don’t Be Clingy
As a Corgi owner, please do not feel it is too difficult to leave your Corgi at home simply because their cute little faces try to convince you otherwise (though I too know how hard that really is!).
Though you may feel like a heartless slab of stone, it is actually advisable that you simply learn how to tell them goodbye and leave without looking back.
When some people say goodbye, it leads to inevitable prolonged cuddling- which is not recommended at all for animals that are in the process of learning to be independent.
Being clingy affects your Corgi in different ways, and the more clinginess that you show, the more you will trigger your Corgi’s separation anxiety. This can result in weird and dangerous behaviors, including (but not limited to):
- Blocking your exit when you want to leave
- Barking with no end in sight
- Ignoring your commands
- Running around hyper-actively in circles
- Pawing constantly at your legs.
- Following you around (but not another household member)
Instead of your Corgi bringing happiness and joy to your home and neighbours, separation anxiety can cause it to become a downright terror for everyone involved.
One way to diminish and recondition separation anxiety is to simply re-channel your dog’s attention. Providing your intelligent Corgi with toys and treats such as snuffle mats, puzzle toys, and chews will allow it to be happier when you’re not there.
Treats and toys are truly essential when it comes to leaving your Corgi at home alone. By giving them things that they like, over time they realize that they will receive treats whenever you leave the house.
This eventually trains them to look forward to the treats and toys every day, rather than focus on the fact that you’re gone for hours at a time.
2.Limit The Places Your Corgi Can Go While Home Alone
Even if your Corgi has had free range of the house since it was a puppy, you will still want to keep it in as confined a space as possible when it stays home by itself.
This simply means that you need to have locks and barriers in places where you do not want your Corgi to access.
Corgis are active in nature, and when left with no supervision, can (and will) go anywhere their whimsical hearts take them. Unfortunately, not all corners of your house are safe for your dog. You may have cockroach bait stations or glue traps lying around!
Corgis are not the most… aerodynamic of creatures, but they may jump up and down sofas and stairs all over the house if given the opportunity.
Over time, this is extremely damaging to their hips, spines and joints, so it’s something you definitely want to avoid as much as possible.
Kitchens are also not the safest places for Corgis to roam alone- and not just because they have a fearsome appetite for forbidden foods like Reese’s Pieces and kielbasa.
The existence of sharp tools and heavy appliances makes it one room that you don’t want your dog to enter without you around.
Corgis are a naturally bright dog breed and will want to try things out when granted freedom.
Therefore, the best way to achieve leaving them at home safely and successfully is to keep them in a flat, open room with nothing to jump on, chew, or eat (other than what they’re supposed to)!
3.Give Your Corgi A Special Place
Corgis are hard to leave alone because they tend to be extremely attached to their owners.
Since you cannot help but leave them, you need to provide some additional comfort for them by leaving them in a nice place. When you are trying to figure out which places are good to leave your Corgi in, ask yourself these questions first:
- Is this area flat enough so that my Corgi won’t be in danger of jumping injuries?
- Does this place provide enough space so that my Corgi can walk around and stretch its perfectly-stubby legs?
- Is the temperature in this space right for my Corgi?
- Are there any hazards in the area that my Corgi would be able to get its paws on? Corgis tend to be curious (and destructive) when they have things like soaps, vitamin bottles, and plastic objects like pacifiers within their reach.
- Are there other animals such as cats or birds in this space as well? The presence of these animals can trigger the herding instincts in a Corgi.
If you are able to answer all of the above questions with a solution satisfactory to yourself, it means that you have found a perfect place to leave your Corgi best friend for a while. Congratulations!
4.Befriend Your Neighbours
It’s inevitable at times that you will have a busy schedule which takes you away from home for long periods at a time.
This can prove to be dangerous for your Corgi buddy. It can run into problems trying to deal with boredom, and even put themselves at risk of injury. This is far from an ideal situation for both you and your best pal.
Usually, a Corgi can only tolerate being alone for a maximum of 8 hours. If you are gone for longer than that, you will need to find an alternative solution for your dog.
Having good neighbors that you are on good terms with can help because they can frequently check on your Corgi, providing it with food and attention. Alternatively, hire a dog walker or pet sitter to look after your dog while you are away.
5.Train Your Corgi For A Crate
As long as you are not away for too long, a crate can serve the purpose of a cozy bedroom or ‘den’ for your Corgi. Many dogs naturally enjoy having a space to call their own and will happily retreat to a crate for rest and play when required.
It usually takes about six months for a dog to get used to feeling comfortable in a crate. It’s important to follow all the procedures involved in crate training correctly so that your Corgi doesn’t see crating as a form of punishment.
Again, crating is only a suitable solution if you are away for short periods- such as a quick supermarket run or trip to the post office. For any longer amounts of time, a crate may be too restrictive and will make your dog feel cramped and uncomfortable.
6.Set A Playtime Timetable
Whenever you get home, have a playtime session with your Corgi!
You shouldn’t need me to tell you that playing with your Corgi is therapeutic for both you and the pup. Playtime allows them to deal with anxiety, expend any pent-up energy and excitement, and bond with you as their owner.
Play with your Corgi for at least 30 minutes a day after you get home and consider it your important responsibility as a dog owner.
Just How Long Can I Leave My Corgi Alone At Home?
Unfortunately, there is no single perfect answer in response to this question- though usually at maximum you do not want to leave them alone for more than 8 hours.
Corgis have different tolerance levels, meaning that the time in which your Corgi is able to stay alone will depend on how individually tolerant your Corgi is.
While some will be perfectly comfortable staying at home without their owner for about 5 hours, others may begin to lose their little Corgi minds within 30 minutes of pulling a Kevin McCallister.
Generally, I would say that 4 hours is a tolerable amount of time for most Corgis.
The best thing to do, however, is to know exactly how tolerant your Corgi is as this will help you in determining how much time you can safely leave them alone for.
Enlist the technological help of a pet cam to monitor the behavior of your Corgi for some time while you are away. Watch for actions such as barking, agitation, irritation, pacing, destruction, sadness, and other displays of body language.
Observing your Corgi’s actions will tell you whether they are feeling fine or stressed. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave them by themselves, and eventually you will notice a pattern of tolerance.
Are Corgis Prone To Separation Anxiety?
Leaving your Corgi home alone can result in many adverse side effects, including stress, depression, destructive behavior, and separation anxiety.
When left alone, Corgis are indeed prone to separation anxiety. When these dogs become stressed, they tend to bark and become destructive, or begin to build other detrimental habits.
How Much Attention Does A Corgi Need?
It would be a downright lie to say that Corgis don’t need much in the form of attention.
In fact, many Corgis can barely stand being left alone at home for a moment- let alone the entire day! This is enough to let you know that Corgis need a lot of attention.
As dogs that originate from a breed that was used primarily for farm work, Corgis need near-constant attention from their owner to feel satisfied and stimulated.
Therefore, if you spend a lot of time at work, you must make it a priority to spend at least 30 minutes of your time playing with your Corgi. The exercise and play will tire it out both mentally and physically, enabling it to rest properly later and to compensate for the time you were away.
Also, Corgis are social animals and therefore do well when they are with company. However, when you leave them alone, you have to be prepared for the fact that they will tend to become much more destructive and naughty.
Do Corgis Get Attached To One Person?
The answer to this question is simple and resounding. Yes!
Attachment and bond formation are common characteristics among Corgis. In fact, Corgis get so attached to their owners that they become uneasy when their owners are not around.
Even before they became popular domestic pets, Corgis had already historically been a constant companion and valuable assistant to their farmer owners due to their loyalty and impeccable herding instincts.
Even though in the present day most Corgis are owned by people that aren’t farmers, this trait has been passed down and they still form strong bonds with their owners during time that is spent together.
Leaving the Corgi for work during the day behind may result in significant side effects, who due to their history may struggle more than other breeds to cope without the owner being around.
Like nearly every other dog, a Corgi will get very attached to its primary owner since they spend a lot of time training and playing with it. Regardless, it treats the entire family as its herd and pack and will always protect it due to their immense herding instincts.
How Long Can Corgis Hold Their Pee?
This is one question that many people worry about a lot- especially if there is no suitable place for their Corgi to go to the toilet inside the house!
You may wonder just how much time you can leave your Corgi alone before you need to be back to let them pee. However, how long a dog can hold their pee depends on many different factors, such as age, size, and training.
The first thing that you need to know is that age is a big factor when determining how much time your Corgi can hold its pee. As a general rule of thumb, a puppy of six months can keep it in for about 3 to 4 hours. Adult dogs can withstand the need to urinate for up to six hours!
Other factors may determine how long a Corgi can hold its pee. The size of your pet plays a significant role as well.
Small Corgis have small bladders compared to larger dogs and generally cannot hold it for as long. Nevertheless, each Corgi is different, and therefore has different bathroom habits.
My own Cardigan Corgi, Gogi, has a habit of holding for hours (unnecessarily) to a point that I get worried that his bladder might burst! Being perfectly house-trained, we actively have to encourage him to go outside and pee every couple of hours.
The best way to know your Corgi’s abilities and tendencies regarding urination is to monitor it carefully throughout the day.
Above all, make sure to maintain a specific bathroom routine for your Corgi.
This is because in the absence of routine, locking up your Corgi at home alone can result in serious problems such as urinary cancer, infections in the urinary tract, and even incontinence if it doesn’t have a suitable place to pee.
Establish a particular routine for your Corgi to follow, and always make sure to be around to help it urinate properly.
In Summary
Though the answer to the question, “Can corgis be left alone all day?” is an invariable “Yes”, keep in mind that it may not be healthy to do so too frequently.
This is because Corgis are an innately social breed, accustomed throughout history to being with their owners all day long as herders and farm “paws”.
The longest that a Corgi should ever be left at home alone is 8 hours. In actual fact, it would be much better if it could have some human interaction every four to five hours at least- whether that means popping home for lunch or hiring a pet sitter.
Whenever you do have to leave your Corgi alone all day, make sure that it is confined in a comfortable, safe place with a smorgasbord of all its favorite toys and treats!
Elena Gherman is a highly skilled and knowledgeable animal care expert. At the start of her career, she gained practical expertise with multiple animals. In addition to that, she works as a DVM veterinary editor for Joy Pet Products, which focuses on offering reliable information on pet health and wellbeing. She meticulously reviews each piece of writing before it is published to make sure pet owners get the most precise and updated information possible.