Corgi interaction at the dog park

[Cardiguy]

Whenever we bring Ruby our 4 yr old Cardigan to the dog park, she really does not interact in a playful way with any of the other dogs unlike most other dogs in the dogpark. She just barks at the other dogs and if there is a tussel between 2 dogs she will go over and bark like she is the referee. Anyhow at the dog park yesterday someone brought their 2 corgis and I noticed that they interact in a similar manner. Granted it is only a sample of 3 but I would be curious if other owners who bring their corgis to the dogpark find similar behavior or does you Corgi "play" with the other dogs. I get the feeling that it is the nature of the Corgi to act this way in the dog park with other dogs as corgis basically don't like disorder which is generally what the dogpark is.

[glencorgi]

First off let me say, I don't do dog parks, but I have witnessed a passel of corgis running and playing together in the confines of someone's backyard and contained areas at the various corgi picnics I've attended over the years. On Corgi-L, the dog park thread comes up frequently and there are many on that list who do go to their local dog parks.

Being referee or "playground safety patrol" seems to be a typical role corgis will assume at the parks. One of my fosters I took to TN to the picnic assumed that role during a came of fetch. The ball would be thrown to one end of the yard followed by a wave of corgis chasing after it (or each other) and then the wave would return after the one that had successfully caught the ball. In the midst was "my" Emma barking away at different dogs. It was as if she was issuing cautions about running to fast, or to watch out for that little one, or be respectful of the old guy and so it went. Others report their corgis act similarly.

Some do tell of their corgis joining in the play. Their corgis will have certain regular "friends" and they'll get together for games of chase and wrestling about - general play. Others tell of their corgis chasing after larger dogs until the larger ones give up (herding, possibly?)

I think you're correct in that a lot of corgis want to put order into the disorder that is a dog park and there are other corgis which like to contribute to the disorder. <VBG>

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Only occasionally will Taylor get into a real play fight with another dog. And when he does, I savor the moment. Generally he lets others do the fun things and he'll just act as a silent sideline referee. But he often likes to chase after another dog in parks or at agility - before or after the training sessions - without going beyond the hello and getting-to-know you stages. If Taylor was a fetcher, then it would be somewhat different, because he would interact with other dogs in retrieving an object.
Generally speaking, Taylor prefers Corgis and other smallish dogs to large dogs for social intercourse.