Once measure as a prized cattle and sheep herder , a Cardigan Welsh Welsh corgi is an active fellow traveler who bonds well with his kinsperson members and is quick for risky venture .
With a " Hi ! How are you ? " manifestation and sparky personality , a Cardigan Welsh corgi is an contiguous smoothie . He ’s a lovable favourite among dog owners withactive familiesbecause of his power to teach , abundant energy , and eager response topositive reinforcement training . masses willing to put in the prison term to keep their corgis stimulated — offering quality enrichment — is the most compatible eccentric of pet parent for a Cardigan .
Is a Cardigan the straight - A educatee of canine honorary society ? Maybe ! With a heritage as one of the man ’s most popular herding dogs — he ’s rather zippy on those itty bitty legs!—he has the stamina andthe smartsto master just about any trick , athletics , or activity you want to try .
Ирина Мещерякова / Getty
Appearance
Cardigan Welsh corgi puppy are pawsitively adorable , and they develop to be handsome , medium - sizedadults , averaging 25–38 pounds and standing 10.5–12.5 column inch tall at the articulatio humeri . One of the primary characteristic of a corgi is a farseeing , stalwart body with stubby , slightly curved legs . This intend they ’re part of a line of canine tooth have it away as thechondrodysplastic stock , which have an evolutionary gene mutation that create atype of dwarfism . As a result , Cardigans are first cousin of other long - backed dogs such asPembroke Welsh corgis , dachshunds , basset hound hounds , andPekingnese .
These dogs have thick , medium - duration double coat with an under layer that ’s commonly livid and downy - easy and a sleek greatcoat of unlike color . Whether you have a downy Cardigan Welsh corgi depends on his breeding . unremarkably family unit pets have more natural coat , and show dog are a tad more polished in hair’s-breadth distribution : shorter in the front but longer in the back to form what conformation judges call " pant . "
Cardigan Welsh Welsh corgi colour are quite wide-ranging , with masks often in the same refinement as their outer coat , which might be black , brownish , red , or a merle pattern of different hues . Their broad heads , topped with extremely expressive wide , angular ear , might have the same topcoat color , or they feature a patch of flannel that narrows to a stripe go the length of their long gun muzzle . Tricolor Cardigan Welsh corgi have a endearing blend of red , black , and brown . Some Welsh corgi might also have brindle accents , which are chip of another color within the topcoat .
Zanna Pesnina / 500px / Getty
We ’ve talked about the snout and the ears — now let ’s take a peep at the rear!Corgi butts are a reference of online comic reliefbecause of their undeniable cuteness , but this is where you ’ll straightaway notice the Cardigan Welsh Welsh corgi and the Pembroke difference : Cardigans have poofy fox - like hind end , and Pembrokes often have dock tails . And although these two dogs depend quite similar in their heavyset trunk form , Cardigans are a routine heavy , with more angled hips . Another primal look of these cousin is they in reality come from unlike cuspid kinsfolk . TheCardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America ( CWCCA)notes that Cardigans are the erstwhile of the two by 2,000 years , descending from German teckel lineage . Pembroke are descendants of Nordic spitz breeds .
Temperament
The broad - exposed smiling of a Cardigan is an outward-bound good example of his favorable disposition . Affectionate and angelical natured , hebonds well with childrenand adult , other heel , and even cats .
Sara Austin , DVM , is the owner ofAustin Veterinary Hospitalin Beaufort , N.C. , as well as a stock breeder atSalty Creek Cardigan Welsh Corgis . She describe her former Cardigan , Panda , as her " substance dog " and knows this breed as intelligent , be intimate — and a itty-bitty bit impish . To have a Cardigan , she says , " You must have a sense of bodily fluid ! They will essay you and push to your limit , but if you could laugh and have fun , they ’ll give you their all . They ’re very firm and fun - loving wienerwurst . "
Do Cardigans have to go - go - go all the time ? No . Austin enounce they have an " on and off " switch . " They ’re felicitous to sit down and watch a movie , but they ’re also quick to goon the next adventure . They love boat , hiking , kayaking , paddle embarkment , and any other bodily function with their family . They ’re extremely versatile . "
Dmitriy Kostylev / Shutterstock
A Cardigan ’s herding instinct and quick ability to learn means he ’s at his best with diverse and piquant tasks to keep him mentally and physically active . " They ’re not ' obedient ' dog in the sense that they go out of their way to please their possessor , " Austin enounce . " But they can surpass in many different sports , even obedience , as long as their owners keep thing fun and interesting . "
Your Cardigan Welsh corgi puppy can learn tricks reasonably apace . As he gets older , adjudicate new things ! He may be modest to the ground but he ’s agile , so reckon legerity training , where he maneuvers through an obstruction course with you . strike into his natural herding power with trials and odour work , too .
Living Needs
former socializationhelps a Cardigan Welsh Welsh corgi puppy be a good companion for the whole kin , and it enables him to adapt well to other the great unwashed and animals . Because he ’s such a go - getter , he can beginvarious types of trainingas early as 12 week old after he ’s welcome all hisvaccinations .
Austin tell Cardigans do well in any environment , from asmall city apartmentto farm life , as long as they ’re given the genial stimulation they merit . But keep in creative thinker — they’re quite talkative . " They do bark . I would n’t say to a fault , but they tend to have something to say pretty often , " Austin says . " They ’re unquestionably not a quiet breed . "
Frequentromps at dog parksare a marvellous option if you do n’t have afenced back yardfor a Cardigan ’s exercise need . He ’s prone to action like chew anddiggingif left alone for too long without fundamental interaction or things to do . found " his " areas such as a consecrate sandpile withburied treat toysor coordinate merriment games to make for will keep this gritty doggy entertained and well-chosen !
Vitalii Matokha / Shutterstock
Care
Double - coated dogs include Cardigan Welsh corgisexperience sheddingat its most vivid in the spring and tumble , when their under layer go through a process called " blowing coating . " Then , the fur will really flee for about a calendar month or so .
To keep regular shedding to a minimum ( and give yourrobot vacuuma hazard to recharge ! ) , brush your pup with apin brush and deshedding slant — a few moment weekly should do the trick . luckily , Cardigans are rather clean dogs anddon’t need a luck of baths , but use grooming time tocheck and crop nailsif necessary .
Also take a mo and scrutinize his tooth and gums . Regular tooth brushingkeeps his breathing time tonic , but more significantly , it ’s promiscuous maintenance you could do to ensure healthy teeth before hisannual professional medical examination and cleaning .
Alexander Sorokopud / Getty
Health
Cardigan Welsh corgis aregenerally unfearing , healthy dogs , with along lifespanof up to 15 age . That ’s a lot of metre to delight snuggles ! But like all breeds , they do have a few health return , which are essential to take note so you may create a wellness planwith your veterinary .
Austin says most preservation corgi stock breeder will screen for inheritable disease such aship dysplasia , which allows them to avoid many wellness issues . " With that said , one matter we can not invalidate is the fact that this is a long - backed chondrodysplastic breed . This means they are inherently more prostrate to development abnormalities andintervertebral disc disease(IVDD ) , " she says . " as luck would have it , the relative incidence of IVDD is much less than what we see in breeds such as dachsie , but it ’s a endangerment . "
To concentrate the chance of back combat injury , Austin read it ’s important to avert mellow - encroachment activity at a youthful historic period , and never allow jumping from high surfaces . Ramps might be helpful for your Cardigan to move up and down from the bed or couch , and consider the profundity of stairs in your home and whether your pooch needs assistance on them , too .
Kurt Pas / Getty
VCA Hospitals also recommends asking breeder about their block out fordegenerative myelopathy , a condition of the spinal cord , and oculus problems such ascataractsandprogressive retinal atrophy .
Some Cardigans might require kickshaw a little too much ( we entirely get it ! ) so rest active and develop afeeding schedulewith your veterinary surgeon is a must to keep him at ahealthy weight .
History
The Cardigan Welsh corgi is an ancient stock whose roots date back to Gaelic migration from Europe to Wales around 1200 BC , according to the CWCCA . In Welsh , cormeans " dwarf " andci / gimeans " blackguard , " but some cuspid historians believe the origin of " corgi " is come from the Celtic countersign for domestic dog , " kergie . "
Further clearing of their name comes from their rest home area , Cardiganshire in southwestern Wales . This is another preeminence in the debate of Cardigan Welsh corgis vs. Pembroke Welsh corgis , who hail from Pembrokeshire in the southern part of the country . As take down above , the two breed are similar but unlike , but they were interbred throughout the United Kingdom until the 1930s , when The Kennel Club categorized them as separate breeds . The American Kennel Club recognise Pembrokes in 1934 and Cardigans in 1935 .
Welsh farmers used Cardigan Welsh corgis ' herding skills as natural boundary defender to keep neighboring Bos taurus off their lands . Often referred to as drovers , Cardigans were also essential for animal move and as pasture guardians . curt stature and stamina helped them avoid being kicked by fast - moving hooved cattle and sheep , and their sleepless nature and fleet footing enabled them to respond to trouble at a moment ’s notice . Like many mod pawl in the AKC herding radical , Cardigan Welsh corgi have pedigree that makes them quick for natural process !
