Description

Two separate breeds of Welsh Corgi are recognised: the Pembroke and the Cardigan. Both the Pembroke and the Cardigan Corgi are short-legged, standing low to the ground, but lacking the extra-long body of the Dachshund. Both breeds have foxy heads, with large, upright, triangular ears.. The Cardigan on the whole is larger than the Pembroke, and has a heavier build. The Pembroke is a little smaller, with a shorter tail than the Cardigan. There is a tendency to breed for bob tails, but Corgis sometimes are born with short curly tails.

Origin: Wales

Look

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi comes in many different colours: sable, red, brindle, and merle; typically with white markings. Their medium length coat is very dense, with a harsher outer coat, and a soft fuzzy undercoat for warmth. The hair on the head is always short, and the coat on the body, while fuzzy, never appears fluffy. They shed seasonally, but weekly brushing is usually enough to maintain their fur.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi sheds heavily, especially as the seasons change, and will need a lot of brushing to remove loose hair. The Pembroke typically has lighter markings over the shoulders (known as a “fairy saddle”, caused by changes in the thickness and direction of hair growth. Common coat colours include red, sable, fawn, black and tan, and they may also have white markings on their underside, chest, neck, and muzzle.

Health

While generally a healthy and long-lived breed, the Welsh Corgi can suffer from one or more of the following health issues:

• Progressive Retinal Atrophy
• Canine Glaucoma (older dogs)
• Cancer (older dogs)

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi may also suffer from

• monorchidism
• Von Willebrand’s disease
• hip dysplasia
• degenerative myelopathy

At NewDoggy.com, we promote puppies coming from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. NewDoggy.com’s Health Certificate certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

The Corgi was bred for herding and farm work and even today’s pampered pets retain the intelligence of their forebears. They are very clever little dogs, and while prone to stubbornness, with a little encouragement (and perhaps treats!) both the Cardigan and the Pembroke Corgi are trainable. Early socialisation will help your Corgi to gain confidence and proper social skills. They can be suspicious of other dogs, and early socialisation can help to avoid dog aggression later in life.

Temperament

Intelligent and affectionate, the Welsh Corgi is a loyal pet to his/her family, and with proper socialisation, will also be friendly to other animals or people (though they make excellent watchdogs). The Cardigan Welsh Corgi tends to be more suspicious of strangers than the Pembroke. While generally sweet dogs, they have a strong herding instinct, and may nip at children’s ankles in an attempt to herd them. They are intelligent and independent, which can make them stubborn at times.

Living with

The short legs don’t hold the Welsh Corgi back! They are incredible athletes, and compete successfully in agility, tracking, herding, and more. Don’t be fooled by their small size: these dogs have a tremendous amount of energy, and need to be exercised every day to keep them fit and happy.

These clever dogs were originally bred for working, but have proven themselves to be affectionate pets. Both the Pembroke and the Cardigan are very vocal dogs, and will bark at almost anything that they consider unusual. This makes them fantastic watchdogs, but might make you unpopular with your neighbours. Corgis tend to be greedy and prone to over-eating, which can make them fat or even ill: do not over-feed your Corgi!