Portraits of Popular Breeds at Home and Abroad: Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Would you guess that this sturdy dog with short legs used to be a hunting dog? Nowadays, it is usually seen as a joyful and playful companion that gets on well with children.

As the name suggests, Corgi comes from southern Wales. Its origin dates back to 10th century when the breed was probably brought by the Vikings. According to legends, they are wood fairies’ and elves’ dogs that pull their carriages. “Cor gi” in Welsh means a dwarfish dog which fits to this breed. Among cattle herding dogs, they are really small, they have up to 30 cm to withers and around 10 kg.

Pembroke Corgi reminds a fox by its appearance. They have strong, short legs supporting a wide body with deep chest. Short or semi-short fur which is adjusted to being outside throughout the whole year has thick undercoat in red, sable or deer colour. Dogs without tails or with short tails were most common earlier but nowadays, this attribute very often peters out. Also, tails of this breed were often backcombed in the past which is not so common nowadays. Thanks to the long history of backcombing, the shape of the tail was not selected, therefore, there are dogs with tails curled above the back as well as carried in the extended line of the back. 

With regard to its nature, Corgi is a real cattle herding dog – active and temperament, never aggressive. It is very joyful and friendly but it can sometimes be a bit distrustful towards strangers. It gets on well with other dogs as well as with children. Sometimes, his herding nature might be apparent which can be useful for example when keeping toddlers in a safe zone. :)

Its short legs never limited it in its cattle herding duties and the same applies to sports. It will be good at agility or dogdancing. It won’t have problems with passing cynology exams as well. This enthusiastic dog doesn’t care about any restrictions and passionately dives into anything with sense. It won’t definitely be a couch potato, it needs enough activities to use up its energy.

Thanks to the fact these dogs are not overbred, they are vital, curious dogs. Taking care of them is not difficult. Only know that you will need to comb them during moulting because of its thick fur. Otherwise, it will adjust well to city as well as countryside and its owner’s lifestyle. It can also be a good watch dog because it quite likes to bark and does it often. It’s got great appetite, therefore you need to pay attention to its food portions so it does not gain too much weight. 

In summary, Corgi is a joyful and active companion which can adjust to any household. However, it might be difficult for beginners in breeding to cope with its temperament. But with the right guidance, it is a trouble-free dog. Do you have a Corgi at home? Can you observe any of its cattle herding abilities?

 

Related articles

Yoga with a dog, or doga in other words

Doing yoga with a dog, or doga in other words (the combination of “dog” and “yoga”), has become popular in the United States of America, but it has not become so popular in the Czech Republic yet. What is it about and what benefits does this sport have...

How to prepare a cat for winter

Days are getting colder and it is time again to prepare our furry friends who live outdoors for winter. All cats (whether they live outdoors or only go outside occasionally) need our greater attention in this season.

Little big loves – how to feed them the best?

Each dog is an individual and has different needs. When it comes to diet, it depends on its health condition or physically demanding activities. However, we can generalize these needs to a certain degree according to a breed, age and mainly the size of...

Rabbits also have a holiday dedicated to them

The International Rabbit Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday or Sunday in September. This year, it was 22 September. This annual celebration of a cute mammal with long ears, short tail and a velvet coat is not only meant for the million of rabbits...

BARF, i.e. back to nature by food

Do you also follow the recent trend which encourages us to come back to our roots and mind our planet more? I am personally very happy about that. More and more households live according to zero-waste and non-toxic principles and we don’t forget about...