Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Encyclopedia
The Cardigan Welsh corgi (icon) is one of two separate dog breed
s known as Welsh corgis
that originated in Wales
, the other being the Pembroke Welsh corgi
. It is one of the oldest herding breeds.
standard called it an "Alsatian
on short legs". The Cardigan's tail is long (unlike the Pembroke Welsh corgi
, whose tail may be long, short, naturally bobbed
or docked). Cardigans can be any shade of red, sable, or brindle; they can also be black with or without tan brindle or blue merle
with or without tan or brindle points. 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, monk's hoods, and others. A few other unofficial colors can occur, such as red merle. These colors are not considered an acceptable color per the Cardigan standard. An average Cardigan is around 10.5 to 13 inches (260 to 315 mm) tall at the withers
and weighs from 30 to 38 lb. (13.6 to 17.2 kg) for the male and 25 to 34 lb. (11.3 to 15.4 kg) for the female.
s dog agility
, competitive obedience and rally obedience. Cardigan Welsh corgis were bred long and low to make sure that any kicks by cattle would travel safely over the dogs' heads without touching them. Like most herding breeds, Cardigans are highly intelligent, active, athletic dogs. Affectionately known as "a big dog in a small package," Cardigans are affectionate, devoted companions that can also be alert and responsible guardians. Some Cardigan corgis are 'one-man dogs'. They tend to be wary of strangers and to reserve their affection for a select few with whom they are familiar. If socialized at a young age, they can be nice with other dogs and housepets.
Cardigans are typically excellent watchdogs, as they are highly alert to the approach of strangers to their territory, and will be very vocal until they and/or their owner are assured that the stranger poses no threat.
survey puts the average life span of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi at 11.7 years. The most common cause of death for the breed was cancer(28.3%), old age(24.6%) and neurological disorders(15.2%).
Cardigans are said to originate from the Teckel family of dogs, which also produced Dachshund
s.
They are among the oldest of all herding breeds
, believed to have been in existence in Wales for over 3,000 years. The phrase "cor gi" is sometimes translated as "dwarf dog" in Welsh
. The breed was often called "yard-long dogs" in older times. Today's name comes from their area of origin: Ceredigion
in Wales
. 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.
trials, obedience
, showmanship
, flyball
, tracking
, and herding
events. Herding
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Corgis exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
s known as Welsh corgis
Welsh Corgi
The Welsh corgi is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. Two distinct breeds are recognized: the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi, with the Pembroke being the more common..-Description:...
that originated in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the other being the Pembroke Welsh corgi
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a herding dog breed, which originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of two breeds known as Welsh Corgi: the other is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The corgi is one of the smallest dogs in the Herding Group. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are famed for being the preferred breed...
. It is one of the oldest herding breeds.
Characteristics
Cardigan Welsh corgis can be extremely loyal family dogs. They do, however, need daily physical and mental stimulation. For their size, they need a surprising amount of exercise. Cardigans are a very versatile breed and a wonderful family companion. They can live in a variety of settings, from apartments to farms.Appearance
The Cardigan is a long, low dog with upright ears and a bottle brush tail. The old American Kennel ClubAmerican Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
standard called it an "Alsatian
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
on short legs". The Cardigan's tail is long (unlike the Pembroke Welsh corgi
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a herding dog breed, which originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of two breeds known as Welsh Corgi: the other is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The corgi is one of the smallest dogs in the Herding Group. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are famed for being the preferred breed...
, whose tail may be long, short, naturally bobbed
Natural bobtail
A natural bobtail is an animal's tail which due to a mutated gene grows unusually short or is missing completely. The genes for the shortened tail may be dominant or recessive....
or docked). Cardigans can be any shade of red, sable, or brindle; they can also be black with or without tan brindle or blue merle
Merle (coat colour in dogs)
Merle is a pattern in a dogs coat, though is commonly incorrectly referred to as a color.- Description :Merle can affect all coat colors but the colors most commonly seen that are affected are brown and black, when affected by merle they are usually called liver and blue, though some call liver red...
with or without tan or brindle points. 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, monk's hoods, and others. A few other unofficial colors can occur, such as red merle. These colors are not considered an acceptable color per the Cardigan standard. An average Cardigan is around 10.5 to 13 inches (260 to 315 mm) tall at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
and weighs from 30 to 38 lb. (13.6 to 17.2 kg) for the male and 25 to 34 lb. (11.3 to 15.4 kg) for the female.
Temperament
Originally bred for farm work, including herding sheep and cattle, they have proven themselves as excellent companion animals and are also competitive in sheepdog trialSheepdog trial
A Sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land...
s dog agility
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...
, competitive obedience and rally obedience. Cardigan Welsh corgis were bred long and low to make sure that any kicks by cattle would travel safely over the dogs' heads without touching them. Like most herding breeds, Cardigans are highly intelligent, active, athletic dogs. Affectionately known as "a big dog in a small package," Cardigans are affectionate, devoted companions that can also be alert and responsible guardians. Some Cardigan corgis are 'one-man dogs'. They tend to be wary of strangers and to reserve their affection for a select few with whom they are familiar. If socialized at a young age, they can be nice with other dogs and housepets.
Cardigans are typically excellent watchdogs, as they are highly alert to the approach of strangers to their territory, and will be very vocal until they and/or their owner are assured that the stranger poses no threat.
Health
UK Kennel ClubKennel club
A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...
survey puts the average life span of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi at 11.7 years. The most common cause of death for the breed was cancer(28.3%), old age(24.6%) and neurological disorders(15.2%).
History
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
s.
They are among the oldest of all herding breeds
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
, believed to have been in existence in Wales for over 3,000 years. The phrase "cor gi" is sometimes translated as "dwarf dog" in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. The breed was often called "yard-long dogs" in older times. Today's name comes from their area of origin: Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. 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.
Activities
Cardigan Welsh corgis can compete in dog agilityDog 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...
trials, obedience
Obedience training
Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Obedience training ranges from very basic training, such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay", to high level competition...
, showmanship
Dog showmanship
Dog showmanship is a set of skills and etiquette used by handlers of dogs in a dog competition. Dog showmanship is not a competition in itself but a qualification of the handler to present a dog to its best advantage. Skills are technical as well as artistic...
, flyball
Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/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 handlers while carrying the ball.Flyball is run in teams of four...
, tracking
Tracking (dog)
Tracking is a technique in which dogs are trained to locate certain objects, such as a downed bird, using the object's scent. Many bird and rabbit hunters train their dogs in tracking. The scent hounds are generally regarded as having the best tracking abilities among all dog breeds.In dog sports,...
, and herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
events. Herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Corgis exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
External links
- MyCorgi.com (non-profit charity & social networking for corgi owners]
- Official website of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Association (United Kingdom)
- Official website of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America
- Official website of the Canadian Cardigan Corgi Club
- Cardigan Commentary International (panel of Cardigan enthusiasts)
- Corgi-L (mailing list for owners of Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis]