Instructions
Look at the Cardigan Welsh Corgi’s appearance and size. The breed is low set and has a moderately heavy bone structure and a deep chest. The breed is long compared to its height, and has a low tail that is set and has a fox-like brush. Both males and females should be 10 ½ inches to 12 ½ inches at the withers. It should be 1.8 times as long as it is high. The measurement is taken from the point of the breast bone to the rear of the hip. Males should weigh 30 to 38 pounds, while females should weigh in at about 25 to 34 pounds.
Make sure the head is refined in accordance with the sex of the dog. It should not be large and heavy, nor should it be too small and fine. The eyes are medium to large, but not bulging, and have dark rims. They are set quite wide. Blue merles may have blue eyes or one dark eye and one blue eye. The ears are quite large in comparison to the rest of the dog. They are slightly rounded at the tip. The ears should not drop. The skull should be moderately wide and flat between the ears. There is a slight depression between the eyes. The cheeks are flat and have some chiseling where the cheeks meets up with the face under the eye. The muzzle should be shorter than the length of the skull on a 3:5 ratio. It is rounded and tapered, but not blunt. The nose should be black, but blue merles may have a butterfly nose.
Note that the neck should be moderately muscular, but should not be throaty. It fits into the dog’s well-shaped shoulders. The chest is moderately broad with a prominent breastbone. The ribs extend quite far back into a well-defined waist. The tail is set rather low on the body line and reaches well below the hock. It is carried low when standing, but may be parallel to the ground when running. The tail will lift when the dog is excited, but will never curl over the back.
Check the fore- and hindquarters. The broad chest tapers to a deep brisket and goes quite far down between the forelegs. The shoulders slope down and out from the withers, which accommodates the rib-spring. The elbows should fit tight, but should not be loose or tied. The forearms are curved to fit the ribs. The dewclaws should be removed. The feet are large and rounded with well-filled pads. They point outward to balance the width of the shoulders. The rear is strong with nice muscles and is a bit narrower than the shoulders. The rear dewclaws should be removed. The rear feet point straight ahead and are a bit smaller and have more of an oval shape than the front feet. The toes will be arched.
Make sure the dog has a dense medium length coat. The coat is a double coat, and the outer hairs are a bit harsh, but not wiry, curly or silky. They are water resistant. The undercoat is short, soft and thick. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi will have short hair on the ears, head and legs and medium length hair on the body. The hair is longer and thicker in the ruff, but not much. It is also a bit longer and thicker on the backs of the thighs, so the dog looks like it is wearing pants.
Look at coloring. A Cardigan Welsh Corgi can be any shade of red, sable or brindle. It could be black with or without tan or brindle points. The blue merle (marbled with black and gray) may be with or without tan or brindle points. The breed may have white on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle and the underparts. It may also have white on the tip of the tail or as a blaze on the head. The white should not surround the eyes.
How to Identify a Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Cardigan Welsh Corgis have an effortless gait. The forelegs reach forward when moving at a trot, and do not have much lift. The well-fitted elbows allow for a long free stride, which benefits this herding breed. The legs do not move in parallel planes, but instead, incline a bit inwards. This compensates for the shortness of the leg and width of the chest. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is big on endurance. It is an even-tempered breed and is loyal and affectionate.