The Cardigan Welsh corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is one of two different varieties of

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

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 ...

dog breed A dog breed is a particular type 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 upward of 360 globall ...

s known as Welsh corgis (originating in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

), with the other being the

Pembroke Welsh corgi The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name ''Corgi'' is of Welsh origin, and is a compound of the words and (mutated to ), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", r ...

. It is one of the oldest breeds of the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, 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 Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

. Cardigan Welsh corgis are known to be an extremely loyal and trainable dog breed, naturally attuned to herding many different animals, from

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

and

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

to large livestock such as

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

. They are also versatile and can live in a variety of settings.

History

Pembroke Welsh and Cardigan Welsh corgis were both originally listed as one breed by

The Kennel Club The Royal 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 ...

(UK) in 1925; the two varieties were officially recognized as distinct from one another by The Kennel Club by 1928, but were still categorized together under the title of "Welsh Corgis". In 1934, due to judge preferences towards each breed separately, the two breeds were finally described as uniquely different and shown separately at dog shows. The official name was changed from Corgi (Welsh) to Cardigan Welsh Corgi in 2006. The Corgi Club was founded in December 1925 in

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...

, South Wales. It was reported that the local members favoured the Pembroke corgis, so a club for Cardigan enthusiasts was founded a year later in 1926. Both groups have worked hard to ensure the appearance and type of breed are standardised, through careful and selective breeding. One theory, regarding the breed’s origin, is that both types of corgi descended from a line of northern,

spitz A spitz (; , in reference to the pointed muzzle) is a Dog type, type of domestic dog consisting of between 50 and 70 breeds depending on classification. There is no precise definition of 'spitz' but typically most spitz breeds have pricked ears ...

-type dogs; a second theory is that they descended from the teckel family of dogs, which also is where the

dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: 'badger dog'), also known as the wiener dog or sausage dog, badger dog, doxen and doxie, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, with varie ...

originated. The word "corgi" is derived from the , which means "dwarf dog". The breed was formerly called "yard-long dog" (). The name "Cardigan Welsh corgi" name comes from their area of origin in Wales, Cardigan (Welsh 'Ceredigion') (and not from their coat markings which may vaguely resemble a " cardigan" worn by the dog). It was brought to the US for the first time in June of 1931.

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 The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

standard called it an " Alsatian on short legs". The Cardigan's tail is long (unlike the

Pembroke Welsh Corgi The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name ''Corgi'' is of Welsh origin, and is a compound of the words and (mutated to ), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", r ...

, whose tail may be long, naturally bobbed or docked). The Cardigan is also larger than the Pembroke. Cardigans, which are double coated, come in a variety of colors including any shade of red, sable, or

brindle Brindle is a coat (animal), 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 co ...

, as well as black, with or without tan, brindle or blue

merle Merle may refer to: People and fictional characters *Merle (given name), a list of men, women and fictional characters *Merle (surname), a list of people Others *Merle (dog coat), a pattern in dogs’ coats *Merle (grape), another name for the w ...

(a rare breed due to the challenges with breeding), with or without tan or brindle points. The Blue Merle coat, unique to the larger and more relaxed Cardigan Welsh Corgis, is characterized by black or grey speckles or marbling and pale blue or uniquely colored eyes. 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 Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

and weighs from for the male and for the female.

Breeding

Male corgis can breed at any time throughout the year. While female corgis have different mating periods, they typically breed twice a year. They can conceive for about 21 days during each cycle, referred to as being "in heat." Pregnancy lasts about two months, and the female can have a small or large litter of puppies, a process known as whelping. Newborn puppies are blind and deaf at birth, but begin to see after 10 days and hear after three weeks. Their first teeth emerge in two to three weeks, and they are weaned off milk after six weeks. By four to six months, adult teeth replace their baby teeth and they reach full maturity at two years old.

Health

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.1 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds. The most common causes of death in a 2004 Kennel Club survey 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. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi can also inherit a vision disorder known as Progressive Retinal Atrophy, with cases discovered in Australia, USA, UK and the Netherlands.

Temperament

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi has a relaxed personality and tend to be less social. While they are cautious around strangers, their personality comes out when they become comfortable and playful. 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 handle ...

trials,

obedience Obedience, in human behavior, is a form of "social influence in which a person yields to explicit instructions or orders from an authority figure". Obedience is generally distinguished from compliance, which some authors define as behavior infl ...

, showmanship,

flyball Flyball is a List of dog sports, 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, t ...

, 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 ...

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. These same herding instincts can show when around running children, this behavior must be coached to avoid nipping. Cardigan Welsh Corgis see themselves as part of a pack, similar to wild dogs. They view humans as fellow pack members, so at home, corgis establish their place within the family and other pets, acknowledging humans as the leaders. * 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 of the working abilities of dogs of herding breeds. It is a type of dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zealand. By the 1870s regul ...

, 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

MyCorgi.com
(non-profit charity & social networking for corgi owners) {{Spitz Herding dogs Dog breeds originating in Wales Vulnerable Native Breeds