MyDogBreeds
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi were once considered to be two types of the same breed. Today they are recognized as very different breeds, but cousins of sorts.. They are alike in many ways and very different in others. The general information in terms of height and weight above applies to the more popular and better known Pembroke Welsh Corgi, developed as a herding dog from the spitz line in Pembroke shire, Wales. The Pembroke is famous for being the breed favored since childhood by Queen Elizabeth, the current queen of England. It’s believed that the Pembroke came to the country around the 10th century with Flemish weavers. The Cardigan is thought to have come with the Norse people and be a relative of the Sedish Vallhund.
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, also a herding dog has their ancestry in ancient Celtic dogs. They are older than the Pembroke and hail from Cardiganshire, Wales.
Both breeds are friendly, smart and independent. Both dogs herd cattle and sheep. About the end of the 19th century, farmers in Cardiganshire began to raising sheep rather than cattle. The corgis were herding dogs for cattle. “Heelers” who avoid the cattle kicking them by nipping at the cattle’s heel. Pembrokeshore and Cardiganshire are counties in South West Wales that adjoin each other.
Then the move was made from cattle to sheep in Cardiganshire they bred their corgis with the Welsh Sheepdog where the merle color is said to come from, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. This caused the similarities between the two dwarf breeds. At the same time the distance grew between the two breeds and they grew into very distinct and different looking dogs. There are also some differences in their personalities.
The first corgi to appear at Crufts came in 1927 and in 1928 a Pembroke won a championship at Cardiff for the first ever corgi win. It was not until 1934 that the kennel club recognized them as separate breeds rather than a Pembroke shire type and a Cardiganshire type. From this point on the two are separate breeds with tremendous similarities. A Pem won the Reserve Best in Show at Crufts in 1955.
The first corgi came to the United States in 1933 by a breeder of Old English Sheepdogs. In 1934 the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized Corgis as one breed with 2 types. The Pembroke has always been the more popular of the two.
They used to differentiate between the Cardigan and the Pembroke by saying the Cardigan was the one with the bigger ears and the Pembroke had no tail. In many parts of the world where tail docking has been banned, most Pembrokes now have tails. Only those born without don’t have them. Both dogs are long and low to the ground with big chests and short legs. This is because they are dwarfs. They are not little dogs.
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is heavier boned than the Pembroke, has large rounded ears and a flowing, fox like tail. The Cardigan comes in a variety of colors but never predominately white. He is double coated with a dense, harsh outer and a soft, short and thick undercoat.
Pembroke is smaller and longer than the Cardigan with pointed ears. They are intelligent, sturdy and strong with tremendous stamina. The tail is docked in the United States or the pups are bred not to have a tail. This was originally so that the cattle could not step on their tails and injure the dogs. The double coat on the Pembroke is short and weather resistant inner coat with a longer and rougher outercoat. He has the same deep dropped chest as the Cardigan. Both corgis shed voraciously.
1Children friendliness For the most part they are good but can be grumpy and bossy. They are bossy personalities
3.Adaptability – Very. Can live anywhere but they do need to run and they bark a lot.
4.Learning ability – incredibly smart but stubborn. Respond well to training that is reward based.
• Degenerative Myelopathy – a muscular neurological disease very similar to Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS. It is always fatal.
• Some have cardiac issues while others may have hip dysplasia or Von Willebrand’s disease.
1Feeding the puppy prone to overweight, the pem needs ½ to 1 cup of small breed high quality food in 3-4 meals per day. The Cardigan needs ¾ to 1 ¼ cups of high quality small breed food in 3-4 meals per day.
2.Feeding the adult – Don’t overfeed them. The Pem need 1 cup per day of high quality small breed food in 2 meals per day. The Cardigan needs 1-1 ½ cups per day in one to two meals.
They are fast, athletic dogs. Agility, CAT, Barnhunt. Herding trials, flyball and they just love backyard ball fetching. Confirmation and obedience, along with rally.