Taking Care of a Corgi Isn't Easy

It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, folks. Despite what I, and other dog parents, post on Instagram or TikTok, life with a dog is not always a happy-go-lucky paradise. Just like people, dogs have good days and bad days. They have emotions and behavioral issues to work though (that we can help with, of course!). Sometimes they get hurt.

I started writing about my experience with my corgi, Monty, because I wanted to feel more connected with his life. This happened after he tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee earlier this year. The recovery process was, like any major surgery, long and slow. Although he could bear weight immediately following the surgery, he couldn’t run, jump, or do any strenuous activity that three-year-old dogs love to do.

Behavioral Changes

It’s around this time that we started noticing negative behavioral changes in Monty. He started guarding more resources, like the couch, parts of the floor, and even specks of dirt in the hallway. He snapped multiple times at me and my partner, Travis. On one occasion, Monty bit Travis hard enough to puncture the skin. I had to force him to go to urgent care. Though he didn’t need stitches, he needed a week of antibiotics.

Monty has snapped at me a few times and drawn blood as well, though not nearly as bad as what happened to Travis. The few times we had guests come over, he also snapped and snarled at them while they were petting him. We’re unsure if he was guarding something we didn’t notice or if he was in pain. Either way, we weren’t comfortable with him around others, and it felt like we were walking on eggshells at home.

I’m not trying to paint him to be a monster—he really is a sweet little corgi. We were, and still are, taken aback by how much his demeanor changed after the surgery.

After a few incidents, we took him to his usual vet, who cleared him of anything physically wrong. She only noted that his nails on his front left paw were worn down too much and might irritate him. She explained this is common after surgery, as dogs can drag their feet on the pavement while their muscles build back up.

His nails started growing back quickly, and we didn't notice them bothering him too much. He has always let us play with and manipulate his paws. The only thing we took away from that appointment were some Solliquin supplements. I’m still unsure how they work.

A couple of weeks later, after more resource guarding episodes, we took him to an additional vet for a second opinion. The vet manipulated and massaged parts of his body and noticed that he tensed up a lot when she touched part of his neck. She repeated this a few times to be sure and diagnosed him with a pinched nerve. Aha! So maybe he was lashing out due to pain after all?

We started him on multiple pain medications to see if anything changed. As of writing this, we’ve just come off of two weeks of Carprofen and Gabapentin. While I would say there has been improvement, we have still seen him lash out and bite. We had a behaviorist come over work with him, and Monty bit her! I felt so bad.

Working with the behaviorist has been a positive experience. We’ve actually only had one session, but she gave us lots of exercises to work on and resources to learn from.

We’ve noticed that, by applying those exercises, Monty is a lot more attentive, focused, and engaged with us. We gained a lot of insight into what motivates him and how we can set him up for success. If you’re considering using a behaviorist, I would highly recommend it. For my Baltimore friends, please connect with me for a recommendation!

Not Just The Biting

Travelling

Even if he was the most perfectly behaved prince out there, there are still a lot of things that make corgi ownership difficult. Are you planning to go on a vacation? Say goodbye to spontaneous adventures. We have to lock in dog sitters months in advance. Usually, we try to get friends to watch him (and repay them with brunch, wine, or both). During the busier times of the year, like around the holidays, we rarely find anyone able to watch him.

Not only is boarding or Rover very expensive, it’s also very stressful. Who wants to leave their baby with a stranger? What happens if he doesn’t feel well or gets home sick? These are all things we’ve thought about while on vacation.

Housing

My partner and I bought a condo early last year. Monty played a big part in that. Condos are usually a single floor, whereas townhomes (called row homes here in Baltimore) are super narrow and span two or three floors. His vet advised us to avoid stairs, as this causes issues with corgis long spines. I couldn't find too much data to support this claim, so if anyone has any hard data, please shoot me a note!

Regardless of the claims' veracity, it factored into our decision. We wanted a single floor to avoid the need to pick Monty up to move between floors. There were other aspects of the unit that made it attractive for dog ownership, like turfed fields, lots of pup neighbors, and the short walk to a park.

Having a corgi adds an additional factor when considering home ownership. I would do anything to protect my family, and that includes Monty's safety and happiness. I hope he enjoys the condo as much as we do!

The Unexpected Vet Bills

We didn't get pet insurance for Monty. I'm a bit skeptical of most insurances to begin with, so I never even considered it. However, it might have come in handy before he tore is crucial ligament. The surgery alone cost about $6,000 USD before rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation then took several weeks of driving him 45 minutes to a location that had a water treadmill. I'm thankful my partner could take off work, otherwise I'm not sure what we would have done!

Not getting the surgery was never a question. We want the best for Monty, so it was a no-brainer. But we both got sticker shock when we got the estimate for the bill. I just wish we would have skipped that session of fetch before he got injured!

Finances can always be a struggle. I would just advise you, before you adopt a corgi, to make sure you can cover unexpected vet bills like this. Have an emergency fund set up just in case your best friend injures themselves.

Conclusion

What’s the point of this article? I dunno. I guess I just want to normalize the idea that not everything is picture perfect. Sure, I post a lot of reels on Instagram of Monty doing amazingly cute things, like shaking hands with both paws, playing dead, or sniffing the grass so hard his little snooter is sore, but that’s not all there is to have a dog.

Maybe I’m not doing enough. Maybe I should scrap all the cutesy reels and TikTok videos with cheery Disney music and focus on the real day to day dramas. Like him not wanting to eat his breakfast/dinner for several days, or our concern over the consistency of his bowel movements, or us forgetting doggie bags out on walks.

I hope this allows you to peer behind the curtain just a little bit and see that not everything is always so rosy. We absolutely love Monty and we would never trade him for the world. However, just recognize that some of the things you see on social media are only half the story. Take note if you're thinking about adopting a corgi!

Stickers

I would be remiss if I didn't plug Monty's new merch! It's live on the website under Shop. Take a look at the adorable stickers available for purchase. They're great for sticking on laptops, journals, or scrapbooks. What do you think of the design? If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears!