shop

The Furry Critter Network

Corgi Breed Description

Back to Canine Breed Menu



thm-img


Breed Organization

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America

Native Country
Great Britain

Other Names
Pembroke Welsh Corgi, PWC, Welsh Corgi, Pembroke

Life Expectancy
Approximately 11-14 Years

Litter Size
Average 5-8 Puppies

Breed Group
AKC-Herding

General Description

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has erect ears that are in proportion to the equilateral triangle of the head. The breed standard indicates that the ears should be firm, medium in size, and tapered slightly to a rounded point. The head should be "fox-like" in shape and appearance. Pembroke Welsh Corgis differ from the Cardigan Welsh Corgi by being shorter in length, having smaller ears, and being slightly straighter of leg. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has somewhat lighter markings on each side of the withers caused by changes in the thickness, length, and direction of hair growth.

Being a double-coated dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi sheds heavily all year around, with peaks in the spring and autumn. With regular brushing, their coat is fairly easy to maintain, as well as naturally water and dirt repellent. Intact females are also known to shed during heat.

While some outlying Pembroke Welsh Corgis are born with their tail naturally short, the majority often have their tails docked between 2–5 days old due to historical tradition or to conform to the Breed Standard. Artificial docking was not needed for the dog to do its job as a herding dog in the United Kingdom as many claim but rather because a non-herding dog was considered a luxury under tax law and attracted a tax, so to demonstrate that their dogs were herding dogs, owners had to ensure the dogs had docked tails. The Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, and the FCI allow intact tails in Conformation shows. The AKC Standard states tails should be docked no longer than 2 inches (5 cm). In many countries including the United Kingdom, docking has been deemed illegal.

Breed Standard

Head: Foxy in shape and appearance. Broad, flat skull. Stop not pronounced. Tapered muzzle.
Ears: Held erect. Moderately long, rounded at the tips.
Eyes: Medium size, round. Variations of brown in harmony with the coat color.
Body: The Cardigan is larger than the Pembroke, but his chest is not as broad. Belly slightly tucked up. Straight back.
Tail: Cardigan: relatively long, richly clad, carried low at rest. Pembroke: naturally short or docked at birth.
Hair: Cardigan: short or medium length, harsh and straight; short, thick undercoat. Pembroke: medium length, straight, thick, neither harsh nor soft; dense undercoat.
Coat: Cardigan: all colors acceptable, with or without white markings, but white must not be dominant color. Pembroke: self colors—red, sable, fawn, tan—with or without white markings on the legs, forechest, neck, and head.
Size: Cardigan: approx. 30 cm.Pembroke: 25 to 30 cm.
Weight: Cardigan: 12 to 15 kg.Pembroke: Dog: 10 to 12 kg; Bitch 10 to 11 kg.


History

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi lineage has been traced back as far as 1107 AD. It is said that Flemish weavers brought the dogs with them as they traveled to reside in Wales. Ancient lore states that two children were running through a forest and stumbled upon the funeral of a fairy. The mourning fairies gave the two children two small corgi puppies and the children took them home, thus giving the breed popularity. Stories also state that Corgis played the role of war horses for fairies before they became herding dogs for humans. At the base of the haunches of Corgis, there is a line of slightly rougher fur that ancient Welsh lore states is the saddle line from fairy warriors.

Pembrokes and Cardigans first appeared together in 1925 when they were shown under the rules of The Kennel Club in Britain. The Corgi Club was founded in December 1925 in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire. It is reported that the local members favored the Pembroke breed, so a club for Cardigan enthusiasts was founded a year or so later. Both groups have worked hard to ensure the appearance and type of breed are standardized through careful selective breeding. Pembrokes and Cardigans were officially recognized by the Kennel Club in 1928 and were initially categorized together under the single heading of Welsh Corgis before the two breeds were recognized as separate and distinct in 1934.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are becoming more popular in the United States and rank 20th (24th) in American Kennel Club registrations, as of 2015. However, corgis are now listed as a "vulnerable" breed in the United Kingdom; the decline has been said to be due to a 2007 ban on tail-docking (the practice of cutting off the animal's tail) in the U.K., as well as the lack of breeders in the U.K. In 2009, the corgi was added to The Kennel Club's "At Watch" list of British breeds when annual registrations numbered between 300 and 450. In 2014, the breed was put on the Club's "Vulnerable Native Breeds" list when registrations dropped under 300. In 2018, the breed came off the "At-Risk" list with 456 puppies registered in December 2017.


Behavior

Besides herding, they also function as watchdogs due to their alertness and tendency to bark only as needed. Most Pembrokes will seek the attention of everyone they meet and behave well around children and other pets. It is important to socialise this breed with other animals, adults and children when they are very young to avoid any anti-social behavior or aggression later in life. Due to their herding instinct, they love to chase anything that moves, so it is best to keep them inside fenced areas. The herding instinct will also cause some younger Pembrokes to nip at their owner's ankles.

This dog adapts readily to living indoors provided he receives regular exercise and room to run. The Cardigan requires daily brushing; the Pembroke requires weekly brushing.

Function

Herder, Utility Dog: assistant, drug search, rescue, guard dog, Pet.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Corgis, despite their dwarfism giving the illusion of small slow legs, can reach up to 25 mph if they are healthy and fit. This is because Corgis tend to use more upper body strength to run than most dogs, giving them enhanced abilities with such activities as agility and herding and racing.


Health

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are achondroplastic, meaning they are a "true dwarf" breed. As such, their stature and build can lead to certain non-inherited health conditions, but genetic issues should also be considered. Commonly, Pembrokes can suffer from monorchidism, Von Willebrand's disease, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy (DM), and inherited eye problems such as progressive retinal atrophy. Genetic testing is available for Pembroke Welsh Corgis to avoid these issues and enhance the genetic health pool. Pembrokes are also prone to obesity given a robust appetite, a characteristic of herding group breeds.



Back to Canine Breed Menu

Featured Rescues

"Don't Shop ... Please Adopt"

laptop pro

ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) was the first humane society to be established in North America and is, today, one of the largest in the world.

Our organization was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law. Headquartered in New York City, the ASPCA maintains a strong local presence, and with programs that extend our anti-cruelty mission across the country, we are recognized as a national animal welfare organization. We are a privately funded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and are proud to boast more than 2 million supporters across the country.

The ASPCA’s mission, as stated by founder Henry Bergh in 1866, is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.”


laptop pro

Petfinder

If you can’t find the pet you’re looking for on Petfinder, don’t give up. Some shelters maintain waiting lists for specific breeds, so don’t be afraid to ask! There are also breed-specific rescues for just about every breed, and most of them post their pets on Petfinder. (Petfinder can even e-mail you when a pet that fits your criteria is posted — just click “Save this Search” at the top of your search results page.)


laptop pro

Rescue Me

Jeff Gold, Founder, Rescue Me! Animal Rescue Network

Jeff Gold lives in Watkinsville, Georgia on the same property as Rescue Me's Animal Rehabilitation Center, with 18 rescue animals. Shown with him in the photo to the left are Maggie, Izzie and Cortez. In 2003, after learning there was nobody doing boxer rescue work in Georgia, Gold founded Boxertown, an organization which helped find homes for over 500 boxers during its first two years. Based upon this success, Gold came up with the vision for Rescue Me! ― a network which helps all breeds of dogs, cats and other animals find good homes, anywhere in the world. RescueShelter.com is also a free service of Rescue Me! and provides the world's largest and most up-to-date directory of animal rescue organizations for all breeds of dogs, cats and other animals, including a comprehensive directory of wildlife rehabilitators in over 150 countries.



Top