The History of Corgis

The Welsh corgi is a breed of herding dog that comes from Wales in the United Kingdom. The corgi family is made up of two distinct breeds: the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi. The Pembroke Welsh corgi is the more common of the two breeds and famous around the world as the breed favored by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who has owned corgis since her 18th birthday.

  1. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi

    • The origin of the Cardigan Welsh corgi can be traced back to 1200 B.C, when European Celts settled in the part of the United Kingdom now known as Cardiganshire in Wales. Related to the Dachshund, the Cardigan is one of the earliest documented breeds in the region. Over the centuries the corgi was developed as a working dog to herd cattle through the difficult and open spaced terrain of the Welsh countryside -- performing almost the opposite job to a traditional herding dog. As the nature of farming changed, and with the proliferation of divided and more compact farmland, the corgi became redundant as a farming dog.

    The Corgi in 2011

    • In 1934, the corgi was divided into the two breeds recognized today -- before interbreeding was common, particularly before the middle of the 19th century. In 1934 250 Pembrokes and 59 Cardigans were registered in the United Kingdom, giving some idea of how the two breeds thrived in the 80 years that followed. The Cardigan Welsh corgi was first registered by the American Kennel Club in 1935.

    The Pembroke Corgi

    • The newer of the two breeds, the Pembroke is nevertheless a dog of considerable lineage. It was brought to the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 12th century by Flemish weavers who had been invited to settle in Wales by King Henry I of England. The Pembroke shares characteristics with the Pomeranian, Chow-Chow, Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound and Finnish Spitz, but unlike the Cardigan is no relation to the Dachshund. An affectionate and loyal breed, the Pembroke is an ideal family dog for a small house.

    Comparisons

    • Although earlier versions of the two breeds shared fewer similarities than they did at the beginning of the 21st century, there are still marked differences between the two types of corgi. The Pembroke Welsh corgi has no tail and is shorter and stockier with pointed ears that stick up. The Cardigan has a long tail, is taller with a thicker coat and rounded ears.