Dog Breed Guide

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Profile

Size

Small

Country of origin

United Kingdom (Wales)

Origin

Around the 10th century

Bred for

Cattle herding, Companion

Height

25 - 30cm (10 - 12in)

Weight

male 10 - 12kg (22 - 26lb), female 10 - 11kg (22 - 24lb)

Life span

12 - 15 years

Short legs, a long body, large erect ears and a fox-like face are its trademarks. Its round, fluffy rear end, often compared to a loaf of bread, is adorable, and the breed is popular all over the world. Colors are red, sable, fawn, and black and tan, with white markings.

Bright, lively and very clever, the Corgi adores its family and always wants to join in. It was originally a cattle dog that moved herds by nipping at their heels, so it may chase children's feet and try to nip at them.

For such short legs it needs plenty of exercise, so give it good daily walks. It loves food and gains weight easily, and extra weight strains its long spine, so weight control is very important. It sheds a great deal.

Good to know

This was the breed Queen Elizabeth II loved all her life. Susan, the Corgi her father King George VI gave her for her 18th birthday in 1944, even went along on her honeymoon in 1947. The Queen owned more than 30 Corgis during her reign, most of them descended from Susan.

There is a Welsh legend about Corgis. Fairies were said to have used them to pull their carriages and to ride them into battle. The patch of hair growing in a different direction over a Corgi's shoulders is said to be the mark left by a fairy's saddle and is called the "fairy saddle."

There are several theories about the name, and the best known says it means "dwarf dog" in Welsh. It was separated from the Cardigan Corgi, also from Wales, as a distinct breed in 1934.