The Cardigan Welsh Corgi (;

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

for "dwarf dog") is one of two separate

dog breed A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globall ...

s known as Welsh Corgis that originated in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

; the other is the

Pembroke Welsh Corgi The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of two breeds known as a Welsh Corgi. Pembroke Welsh Corgis descended from the Spitz family of dogs. The other i ...

. It is one of the oldest breeds of the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. Cardigan Welsh Corgis are known to be an extremely loyal dog breed. They are also versatile and can live in a variety of settings.

History

Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis were originally listed as one breed by

The Kennel Club The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also oper ...

in Britain in 1925, but were declared separate breeds in 1935. The Corgi Club was founded in December 1925 in

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

in South Wales. It is reported that the local members favored the Pembroke breed, so a club for Cardigan enthusiasts was founded a year later (1926). 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 lumped together under the heading Welsh Corgis. In 1934, the two breeds were recognized individually and shown separately. One theory is that both breeds of the corgis descended from a line of northern

spitz Spitz (derived from the German word ''spitz'' 'pointed') is a type of domestic dog characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. The tail often curls over the dog's back or droops. While all of the breeds rese ...

-type dogs. Another is that they descended from the Teckel family of dogs, which also produced Dachshunds. The word "corgi" is derived from the cy, cor gi, which means "dwarf dog". The breed was formerly called "yard-long dog" ( cy, ci-llathed). Today's name comes from their area of origin: Cardigan (Welsh 'Ceredigion').

Description

The Cardigan is a long, low dog with upright ears and a fox brush tail. Originally used only as a farm guardian, they eventually took on the traits of a cattle drover, herder, and many more. They are still highly valued for their herding, working, and guarding skills, as well as their companionship. The old American Kennel Club standard called it an " Alsatian on short legs". The Cardigan's tail is long (unlike the

, whose tail may be long, naturally bobbed or docked). Cardigans, which are double coated, come in a variety of colors including any shade of red, sable, or

brindle Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat. Brindle ty ...

, as well as black, with or without tan, brindle or blue merle, with or without tan or brindle points. Other unofficial colors can occur, such as red merle, but these colors are not considered acceptable per the Cardigan standard. They usually have white on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle, underneath, tip of the tail and as a blaze on the head, known as the "Irish pattern." Other markings include ticking on the legs and muzzle, smutty muzzles and monk's hoods, especially on sables (a pattern of darker tipped hairs over a basic red coat color.). An average Cardigan is around tall at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

and weighs from for the male and for the female. Life expectancy is 12–16 years. Litter size can vary; usually four to six puppies.

Health

The most common causes of death for the breed were cancer (28.3%), old age (24.6%), and neurological disorders (15.2%). Canine Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is known to occur in the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. This is likely due to the Cardigan being a dwarf (chondrodysplastic) breed, and these breeds frequently suffer from Type I disk disease. This disease is commonly found in the Dachshund breed.

Temperament

Cardigan Welsh Corgis compete in

dog agility Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. The handler ...

trials, obedience, showmanship,

flyball Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from the start to the finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their ha ...

, and

tracking Tracking may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Tracking, in computer graphics, in match moving (insertion of graphics into footage) * Tracking, composing music with music tracker software * Eye tracking, measuring the position of t ...

events.

Herding Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group (herd), maintaining the group, and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. Herding can refer either to the process of animals forming herds in ...

instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Corgis exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials. * Cardigans are highly intelligent, active, athletic dogs. * Housepet: They have proven themselves as excellent companion animals. Cardigans are affectionate and devoted. * Competitive in

sheepdog trial A sheepdog trial (also herding event, stock dog trial or simply dog trial) — is a competition or test for working abilities of herding breeds dogs. It is a type of dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zealand. By the 1870s regular trials ...

, competitive obedience and rally obedience. * Guard Dogs: Capable as guard dogs in spite of their small size. File:Wystawa Rybnik 02.10.2011 welsh corgi cardigan głowa pl.jpg File:Welsh Corgi Cardigan Licking.jpg File:Cardigan Welsh Corgi 600.jpg File:Welsh Corgi Cardigan, Dog.jpg File:Welsh Corgi Cardigan Dog Frontal.jpg File:Cardigan Welsh Corgi's.JPG File:Cardigan Fred.jpg File:Cardigan Welsh Corgi Face.JPG File:Welsh_Corgi_Cardigan_darkbrindle.jpg File:Welsh Corgi Cardigan named "Flow" 2020 I.jpg File:Welsh Corgi Cardigan named "Flow" 2020 II.jpg

References

External links