Welsh Corgi Breeds

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Pembroke Welsh Corgi are both long and stump,y but are they the same or are they two different types of dogs?

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

It was in the 1930’s that the two breeds were recognised as being separate from each other. The two breeds did develop separately from each other with the Cardigan Welsh Corgi being the older of the two.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Pembrokes are the smaller of the two corgi breeds.  They are affectionate, highly intelligent and playful dogs who love being part of the family.

They have big dog personalities in a small body but by no means are they are small dogs.

According to legend Pembrokes were the steeds of Welsh Fairy warriors and the markings on their backs are the warriors saddles. Most UK Pembrokes are typically red coloured but also can come in sable, fawn or black and tan varieties. The breed traditionally was shown with a docked tail but since tail docking was banned in the UK Pems generally have tails though some lines also have natural bob tails.

Pembrokes have a life expectancy of between 12-15 years and are generally pretty healthy, though can be prone to becoming overweight. There are some inherited issues which can occur with Pems such as monorchidism, Von Willebrand’s disease, hip dysplasia and patellar luxation. And some diseases they can be predisposed to, including IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) and DM (Degenerative Myelopathy).  Talk to a breeder for more details on these.

As Pembrokes were bred for herding they enjoy being active  and will happily spend all day walking. That said, they are also happy to spend their time at home and love being together with their family. They are highly intelligent and can be easily trained in obedience, agility, flyball and even heel-work to music.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

One of the best features about a Cardigan Welsh Corgi dog breed is his personality. A big dog in a small package, his temperament is based upon his original life as a companion and valuable farm helper and guardian, all of which make him an adaptable and outstanding housepet. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a dog who wants to be truly involved with his family; his family should WANT to become involved with him too. He is full of fun and will shower that family with devotion and sensible affection, although some Cardigans withhold their favors from strangers until they get to know them better. Caring for his people (including children) comes naturally to this intelligent, alert and responsible dog. Because they’re expressive and trainable, Cardigan Welsh Corgis have also been seen in several recent motion pictures.