To want a small dog in a house full of large dogs?

[WaywardOn3]

DH thinks it wouldn't be fair on the small dog (I've always wanted a corgi) as:
They'd never be fast enough to catch the ball
Have to run to keep up with everyone on a walk
Would get under his feet as he's used to a house of big dogs (currently have 6 dogs - Dalmatians, Akita and German sheppards)
Would have an annoying yappy bark

I think
Since we already take several balls to throw a small dog would get a chance
Wouldn't eat as much so no noticeable increase in costs
The other dogs are trained to stop/start barking on command so would any new dog
Yes DH would need to look where he was going
Would spend most of the day pottering around the yard with me and the other dogs so may not need to go on all of the walks anyway

Would be the perfect size for ds to walk and train. He's very keep to be involved with the other dogs and they're very good with him but he's not much bigger than they are.

I'm going to have to wait until we're retired and too frail to manage walking large dogs to get my corgi aren't I? :-(

[TimelyNameChangey]

Good grief! Isn't 6 enough? YANBU though to want a dog of a size you can cuddle.

DH wants a dog when we move house but we can't agree on size. I'd like a French Bulldog frankly but he likes the sort of dogs you've got!

[taxi4ballet]

Corgis are more than capable of sticking up for themselves if necessary, although I think YABU having quite so many dogs in one house...

[NoNoDontEatThatBloodyHellFFS]

Corgis are a bit like GSDs chopped at the knees. Tell your DH that a Corgi is going to join the family and he will have to start minding where he puts his feet (I assume he managed not to step on your DS when he was crawling? :P).

Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission and all that...

(FWIW my old GSD always used to reach the ball first, but would then drop it and back off/leave it on the floor if playing with another dog. Fastest doesn't always win IME).

[Teeb]

How can you walk 6 large dogs at once?

[Dawndonnaagain]

We put a bell on our Cavalier King Charles when he was a puppy, that way people knew where he was and didn't trip. Oh, and he can run as fast as any German Shepherd.

[SqueakyChicken]

I think OP is perfectly capable of deciding how many dogs they can comfortably own and have in their house, and don't need strangers on the internet judging!

Corgis are big dogs in little bodies. Plus they are sturdy little things, can rough and tumble with the big dogs. They ARE vocal, but not in a happy way. I would love a corgi so I say YANBU!

[WaywardOn3]

We don't walk all 6 at once if we're going to a public place but we have enough land to walk them on as a pack. They come with me to check the sheep and horses etc.

It's surprisingly easy since it's only really the Dalmatians that live in the house. The other 3 only choose to come in for food, if the weather is too bad or if they want a fuss. They normally sleep in a doggy modified stable :-)

[SqueakyChicken]

Yappy not happy!

[TheCraicDealer]

Look at this picture.

I'm not sure why it's even a cause for debate to be honest.

[SoonToBeMrsB]

I have a mini JRT and even still manage to kick him when walking because he's just EVERYWHERE. He dashes around as if his tail's on fire and just suddenly appears at my feet - argh!

Anyway. Yes to corgis, just because corgis.

[ClangerOnaComeDown]

I would be a bit cautious as I know of a woman who had a large breed and a small breed, he small breed was tragically killed during rough and tumble play one day. (Broken neck)

But that was a toy breed rather than a corgi.

And btw if the dogs are happy and well cared for it doesn't matter a jot how many you have. My own parents have 10 atm.

[crumblebumblebee]

Small dogs do get under your feet. Crumbledog has finally learned that if he runs and body slams into my feet while I am doing something, he is highly likely to be accidentally kicked, so he no longer does it.

[grumbleina]

I'm looking after a family of two large dogs and a very small one at the moment and they're all very happy. Small dog is, if anything, The Boss.

One thing that is easier is that the small dog needs less walking so I can just take the two biggies for the long walks, which is easier to manage than all three.

You do have to look out not to tread on the littleun but that's not related to the large dogs, just a thing with small ones. And tbh if it had a real problem with being occasionally trodden on it would stop spending so much time trying to get under my feet .

Go for it! Plus, aren't corgis supposed to be a threatened breed or something? You'd be doing a good deed!

[TheCraicDealer]

This corgi survived an avalanche (DM link) - "Oly not only managed to dig himself out from under the snow and find his way back to the motel, but he survived below-freezing night temperatures."

They're very robust. It'll be grand!

[OfaFrenchMind]

YANBU to want a dog that is absolutely adorable and nice to cuddle. However, there is a safety issue. A family member had a dobermann, very well trained and kind, and a sausage dog. They lived well together, but one day the big dog had to show dominance to the small one (very cheeky dog, no conscience of its own size), and cut its belly open and killed it. It's not a matter of numbers, but a small dog is always more vulnerable.

[Poledra]

Yes, Clanger, I knew a whippet once who got his leg broken when the Great Dane sat on him. Don't think he ever sat in the Dane's seat again, mind you, so maybe it wasn't an accident....

[SistersOfPercy]

crumbledog needs to take lessons from Percydog, he has learned that if he gets under feet and is subsequently fallen over a guilty Percy will supply cheese.
This means that Percydog will often emit a loud, dramatic yelp when nobody has touched him to garner more cheese.

[WaroftheRoses]

YANBU. No dog realises how big it is! It will be fine. We have 4 large dogs and one small. In our house big dogs are more vulnerable as the small one-a terrier-is a complete little bugger and regularly starts on one of the bigger ones! Though not as fast as the others she runs like the clappers and regularly gets the ball as she is nippier! But your OH is right-they do have annoying yappy barks!

[tabulahrasa]

Corgis aren't little delicate things, they'll cope fine with big dogs and they're not so small that you'd break them if they get underfoot.

[Booboostoo]

Never had a problem having dogs of all sizes. My German Spitz bitch bossed everyone else around including the GSD and my JRT is a huge dog in his own mind. The only concern of your DH's that is valid is the yapping!

[Summerisle1]

If you can manage 7 dogs then I can't see why a small dog wouldn't cope. I've got a Jack Russell Terrier who is absolutely convinced that he's the biggest dog in the world. He's also a great deal faster than most of the large dogs I know who can never catch up with him when out on walks! Small dogs, in my experience, are tough little sods.

[bakingtins]

We rehomed our JRT x from a house where they thought this was a good idea. 6 springers, a pointer and 4kg sopping wet of terrier. She was bullied by all the others and had huge lick sores on her front legs, and submissive urination every time she was spoken to that miraculously disappeared once she wasn't stressed out all the time by being bottom of the heap. She has the typical terrier ebullient spirit but that's no contest against everyone being five times bigger than you.
It might work, depends on the personalities involved, but certainly didn't in that case. If you do it I'd go for a well socialised adult, I think in her case the established dogs 'telling off' the pup had got completely out of hand.

[tabulahrasa]

" I think in her case the established dogs 'telling off' the pup had got completely out of hand."


To be fair, that's an ownership problem not the size of dog... My Rottweiler is the same age as my neighbour's westie - until they were about 4 months old there was very little size difference. (I mean obviously mine was a bigger puppy, but not so that they were unsuitable to play roughly in the way that puppies can do). In fact his best playmates until he got to about 6 months were 3 Lhasa apsos and it was at that point that he got big enough that he had to be more careful with them.

So that would be just as much of a problem with a large breed puppy.

[busywifey]

I have 1 very big dog and 1 very small dog. Small dog is older and the boss. Big dog is very gentle but you just have to keep an eye on them and be sensible.

[DrownedReindeer]

Oh, there's something lovely (if you're a dog lover) about having dogs lying around all over the place.

I've got four