Cardigan Welsh Corgi

The Internet has made Corgi fashionable outside of England, the country from which they originate and in which they enjoy great popularity, and is that with their friendly appearance but marked character they have all the ballots to become the kings of viral videos. There are two varieties of Welsh Corgi, although  in this article we will focus on the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

History of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi

First of all, it should be noted that the Corgi is one of the oldest breeds in England,  as it is estimated that the first specimens of this breed appeared around 3,000 years ago.

Their life and work are tied to the farms and, although they first played the role of watchdogs, they also demonstrated herding skills. In this way, they became the smallest breed of herding or cattle dog; they herded cattle and did their job nibbling the hind legs of cattle.

As the centuries passed, other herding dogs appeared, and the farmers stopped needing the Corgi. In fact, they  were even on the verge of extinction, until the differences between the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi were clarified in 1934, when the breed friendly clubs joined forces to promote them. Today the former is more popular, but Cardigan’s is no longer in danger.

Morphology

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a small-sized dog compared to other herding dogs. As an adult, it measures only about 30 centimeters to the withers and usually weighs over 15 kilos. However, they have a tendency to get fat and it is common to see heavier Corgis.

Its body is of elongated proportions with short legs of robust bones, which gives it a compact and strong appearance at the same time. It has kinship ties with the dachshunds.

The head is reminiscent of that of a fox: the snout is triangular and elongated, with a black nose. The ears are very large in proportion to the size of the body, rounded at the tip and carried erect on the head.

The big physical difference between the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Corgi is in the tail: the Cardigan Corgi’s tail is long and with long hair, with the fluffy appearance like that of foxes. The Pembroke Corgi lacks a tail or has a very short tail.

The hair is short or very short, and has a very dense undercoat.  The coat of this breed has a multitude of color varieties: mottled blue, brown, striped, red, tricolor with black dots or tricolor with white dots. The nose, the chest and the line that descends to the abdomen are white.

Behaviour

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is  a dog that is used to herd cows and oxen, even though it is only 12 inches tall: it needs to be brave and barking in order to do its job.

He is very loyal to his human family and, as a dog used to protect the grounds, he distrusts strangers. He also does not enjoy friendships with other dogs and can be independent or little fun in the company of his companions. However, they are social with other animals.

It is an active and intelligent dog that needs physical challenges, but especially mental ones. A stressed or bored Cardigan Welsh Corgi will tend to herd its humans as it learned to do to cows: to nibble on the heels. There are other herding dogs, such as the Border Collie, that when stressed will herd.

Because they are so intelligent they can be trained and they enjoy mental challenges. Of course, always from a positive approach and without inflicting punishment, fear or pain. As he is so brave, he will not attend to those who dare to exert force with him.

Care

As for care, as the breed is usually in good health, you  just have to take into account the usual veterinary needs of any dog.

As they are elongated dogs, you have to make periodic reviews of the state of their back: pain, contractures or fatigue are the most frequent problems. They have a tendency to hip dysplasia and eye diseases.

In addition, they tend to obesity  and we must be careful with what they eat and in what quantities. You also have to allow them to exercise because they need to discharge energy and keep in line.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed has survived for over 3,000 years thanks to its bravery, hard work and loyalty to its human family. Knowing their history, we understand better why they have become the protagonists of so many viral videos.