Male vs. Female Corgi: 6 Key Differences

Corgis remain an incredibly popular dog breed across the world and in America. In fact, according to the American Kennel Club’s popular dog breeds of 2022 list, the Pembroke Welsh corgi came in at an exciting number 11 — where it has sat for a few years prior.

Because corgis are so popular with their fluffy butts and sweet faces, more and more families opt to get one. However, before you decide what to name your new pup, you need to choose which gender you’d rather have.

There are key differences between male and female corgis, especially when it comes to the other members of the household (like young children and pets).

Keep reading to explore the six key distinctions between male and female corgis to decide which gender fits your lifestyle needs more.

Male Vs. Female Corgi: Physical Characteristics

As a breed, the corgi has a long body with short legs and a fluffy coat. The size of these dogs differs based on gender, though.

On average, male corgis weigh a few pounds heavier than female corgis. This extra poundage comes from the difference in muscle and reproductive organs that male corgis compared to female corgis. Female corgis tend to have slimmer figures than male corgis as well. Both dogs stay between 20 to 30 pounds throughout their adult lives; the male corgi will weigh between 26 and 32 pounds while the female corgi tends to weigh between 24 pounds and 28 pounds.

Finally, while both corgis have short legs, females will usually stand lower to the ground than males. Male corgis stand between 10 and 12 inches high while most females don’t top the 10-inch mark.

These physical characteristics, apart from the obvious anatomical difference of reproductive organs, are the discerning differences between male and female corgis. Coloring , marking, and eye color do not change or shift based on gender.

Male Vs. Female Corgi: Behavioral Traits

Corgi behavior traits differ based on gender in the areas of affection and socialization.

On average, male corgis remain slightly more affectionate to their owners and family than female corgis. They’ll come across as needier and are prone to separation anxiety more than female corgis are. If unneutered, a male corgi will display significantly more territorial and dominant behavior than their female counterpart. While it varies by individual dog and their owner’s experience, males tend to take longer to train than female corgis.

If you have a lot of friends over often, male corgis will be wary — but not protective. They’re more social than females and love to spend time in someone’s lap or next to them on the couch. Finally, male corgis will challenge the authority of their owners more at the beginning of their lives than female corgis choose to.

Outside of the clear behavioral differences intact females will display when they’re in heat, female corgis usually have a mellower attitude much quicker than male corgis, they mature faster, and with that fast maturity comes an easier ability to train. Though intact male corgis are more territorial early on, female corgis — neutered or unneutered — stay territorial throughout their old age.

While scientific data remains inconclusive, corgi trainers hold that female corgis are notoriously smarter than male corgis, which enables her stubbornness and independence.

Male Vs. Female Corgi: Trainability and Learning Aptitude

A male corgi will have variable emotions for the first year or so of his life, but he’ll mellow out after he gets neutered or grows out of his puppyhood. After this period, he’s completely affable and social with friends and strangers. During his puppyhood, however, he can pose a few challenges you won’t have with a female corgi. First and foremost: marking.

Male corgis notoriously mark their territories, toys, and even humans to claim them as their own. With the male corgi’s tendency to be a “Velcro dog,” this marking might get annoying — and even a little gross – after the first few times. He will, however, follow his owner to a fault and is eager to please because of that loyalty.

Generally, male corgis are a bit slower than females when it comes to comprehension but overall easier to train.

Female corgis, on the other hand, can be a bit stubborn by stereotype. With their enhanced intelligence over males comes the built-in independence and obstinate nature of the female corgi. They can be downright bossy sometimes, have dominance problems that are hard to train out, and only choose to listen to commands when they’re in the mood. If they’re not, they may want to eat what they want, sleep when they want, and pee wherever they want without regard for the home’s established rules.

Male Vs. Female Corgi: Health Considerations

Every breed comes with its unique set of common health issues. For corgis, those issues include obesity, hip dysplasia, and von Willebrand’s disease. These issues are not gender related and will affect all corgis.

Most of the gender-related health concerns for corgis come down to reproductive organs. It’s a good idea to get your corgi neutered or spayed to avoid issues in these organs cropping up without warning.

Male corgis are at a greater risk of developing cystinuria, which involves extra protein in your dog’s urine that results in stone buildup. Think of them kind of like kidney stones. While neutering hasn’t been proven to cure this, it has been linked to many other health advantages from which your male corgi could benefit.

Like other small breed dogs, the female corgi remains at risk for birth issues. When a pregnant female corgi goes to give birth, owners should watch with an eagle eye. If she’s struggling to breathe or puppies haven’t emerged after a bit, it’s a smart idea to call the vet. Your corgi’s hips may be too small to allow for a spacious birth canal and some of the corgi puppies may be stuck on their way out. The only solution to this situation is an emergency C-section.

Male Vs. Female Corgi: Exercise and Energy Levels

To be fair, the difference in energy levels between male and female corgis remains pretty negligible. However, males mature and mellow out slower, so you can argue that male corgis have more energy than females in the first few years of life. Energy levels extend to being left alone and needing attention: males need an inordinate amount more attention than females do and are prone to separation anxiety from their owners.

The exercise regimen for a male or female corgi can be the same, but it will change for females if or when they become pregnant. Even on heat cycles, their proclivity to move their body may oscillate between wanting lots of exercise or simply wanting to sleep the day away.

Caring for Male and Female Corgis

Similar to energy levels, a corgi’s gender doesn’t have much sway on its socialization with other dogs. While some breeds have females who need strict socialization at a young age, the corgi breed is pretty easygoing and will accept a new member of the family well — as long as they still get the attention they always have.

The main difference in care for corgis based on gender is weathering a female’s heat cycles and pregnancy. Heat cycles last anywhere between two and four weeks, with females going into heat at least two times a year. During a heat cycle, female corgis can go one of two ways: they either become clingier than their male counterparts, or they want nothing to do with you.

Usually, females will benefit from new toys on their heat cycle to distract them from the drive of mating. Furthermore, corgi females tend to exude restlessness even though they don’t feel cramp pain like humans do. Give her a dedicated quiet space where she can sleep uninterrupted and make herself comfortable.

Male and Female Corgis: Which Fits Your Lifestyle Better?

Corgis may look the same at first glance, but behavior and health vary widely between male and female corgis. Families, couples, and dog owners who want an affectionate dog and don’t mind some noise will want a male corgi. Conversely, the female corgi is perfect for owners who could use a little space from time to time but want a bit of a protective pup for their kids.

Summary of 6 Key Differences Between Male and Female Corgis

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