Dog breed · United Kingdom, Wales
The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi (pl. Corgis); occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name corgi is thought to be derived from the Welsh words cor and ci (which is mutated to gi), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", respectively.
Two separate breeds are recognised: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Physical differences are seen between the two breeds. According to the breed standards, overall, the Cardigan is larger in weight and height and has a much longer tail than the Pembroke.
Historically, the Pembroke has been attributed to the influx of dogs alongside Flemish weavers from around the 14th century. In contrast, the Cardigan is attributed to the dogs brought with Norse settlers, in particular a common ancestor of the Swedish Vallhund.
Health: According to the Kennel Club Purebred Dog Health Survey conducted in 2004, the two breeds had similar average lifespans; the median age at death was 12 years 3 months for Pembrokes and 12 years 2 months for Cardigans. The main causes of death were similar in both breeds; the primary causes were canine cancer and old age. However, the Pembroke breed showed a higher proportion of deaths attributed to either kidney failure or urethral obstruction. The survey showed that the breeds suffer from similar rates of ongoing health conditions with one exception: Whereas more than a quarter of Pembroke Welsh Corgis surveyed suffered from some type of eye condition, only 6.1% of the Cardigan Corgis did. Eye conditions typical in the Corgi breeds include progressive retinal atrophy, which occurs more often in dogs over six years of age, and canine glaucoma, which is more common in older dogs. Cataracts in Corgis are treatable with cataract extraction. Similar percentages in the survey were seen in both breeds for issues relating to reproduction, such as requiring caesarian sections and having false pregnancies. Further similarities were also seen related to musculoskeletal issues, including arthritis. Hip dysplasia is also common in corgis.
History: Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire are adjoining historical agricultural counties in West Wales. Welsh Corgis were cattle herding dogs, the type of herding dog referred to as "heelers", meaning that they would nip at the heels of the larger animals to keep them on the move. The combination of their low height off the ground and the innate agility of Welsh Corgis would allow them to avoid the hooves of cattle. In the Welsh language, the word "Corgi" literally translates to dwarf dog (cor = dwarf, gi = lenitive of ci, dog). In Welsh, the term can also be used more broadly to mean a cur or a working dog. Different tales have been told of the Corgi's origin; some believe that the two modern breeds evolved from shared ancestry, while others attribute the import of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi to Flemish weavers starting around the 10th century. Further theories on the origin of the Pembroke variety suggest that they may have originated from central European herding breeds from the area around modern Germany. Depending on the time when these dogs were imported to Wales, they could have been either Deutsche Bracken or Dachshund.
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi has been attributed to the influences of Nordic settlers in the region. Dogs of similar dimensions exist in modern Scandinavia, called the Swedish Vallhund, and some historians claim that these two breeds share a common ancestor. Hill farmers increasingly switched from cattle to sheep in the 19th century, but the Corgi was not suited for working sheep. Similarities between the Welsh Corgis have been attributed to crossbreeding between the two or simply selected breeding from those who wished to have the Cardigan variety appear closer in nature to the Pembroke.
The first recorded date for Corgis appearing in the show ring in Wales is 1925. Captain J. P. Howell called together a meeting of breeders of both the Pembroke and the Cardigan varieties and formed the Welsh Corgi Club, with an initial membership of 59 members. A general breed standard was drawn up, and Corgis began to appear in conformation shows. Until this point, neither breed had been specifically bred for looks. Members of this club were primarily interested in the Pembroke variety, although the Cardigan variety also appeared. At that point, the breeds were referred to as the Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire varieties. There were a number of disputes between breeders of the two types in early shows, as judges who were breeders of one type would often favour them. The Welsh Corgi appeared at Crufts—a dog show held annually in the United Kingdom—for the first time in 1927.
