Welsh Corgi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Cardigan Welsh Corgi |
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| Country of origin | Wales. Cardigan: Believed to have its origins in Roman Britain Pembroke: Believed to have been introduced to Wales by Flemish weavers in the Middle Ages |
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| Patronage | Royal Dog of England, the favorite of Queen Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Welsh Corgi (pronounced /ˈkɔrɡi/) 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. Corgis are healthy dogs, living into their early or middle teens; however, both do suffer from a few hereditary diseases. The most famous Welsh Corgis are perhaps those of Her Majesty Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who keeps at least four Corgis.
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[edit] Etymology
"Corgi" is from Welsh cor gi (Welsh pronunciation: [kɔr.ɡiː]) – cor, "dwarf" and ci ([kiː]), "dog". The usual plural in English is corgis, but the OED also gives corgwn as an alternative, from the Welsh plural cor gŵn ([kɔr.ɡuːn]).
[edit] Description
Corgis are herding dogs and perform their duties by nipping at the heels of the animals being herded; the dog's low stature allows him to avoid being kicked in the process. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi were interbred until 1934 when the American Kennel Club then recognized them as two distinct and separate breeds.[1] Welsh folklore says the Corgi is the preferred mount of fairy warriors.[2]
The Cardigan is one of the oldest breeds of dog in Britain and has been employed for centuries by Welsh farmers to herd cattle. He is the larger of the two breeds with large rounded ears and a foxy, flowing tail of moderate length set in line with the body. The Cardigan is allowed more colors than the Pembroke, though white should not predominate. His coat is short or medium in length, hard textured, and weatherproof with a good undercoat. He stands about 12" at the shoulder and weighs in at approximately 30 lbs. The Cardigan is sturdy, tough, mobile, alert, active, intelligent, steady, and neither shy nor aggressive. He is snappy and prone to nip heels and not recommended as a pet for children.[1]
The Pembroke is believed to have been introduced to Wales by Flemish weavers about 1100 while 920 is also a suggested date. The breed features pointed ears and is somewhat smaller in stature than the Cardigan. She is considered a practical little dog, low-set, strong and sturdy with sufficient stamina to work a day on the farm, but friendly and out-going as well. Her head is fox-like and the tail short. The Pembroke is less apt to nip at human heels but is not recommended for young children.[1] Historically, the Pembroke was a breed with a natural bob tail (a very short tail), and today, if the Pembroke has a tail at all, it is usually curly. Due to the advent of tail docking in dogs, the bob tail was not aggressively pursued, with breeders focusing instead on other characteristics, and the tail artificially shortened if need be. Given that some countries now ban docking, breeders are again attempting to select dogs with the genes for natural bob tails. Pembrokes stand 10 to 12 inches and weigh approximately 30 lbs.[2]
[edit] Health
Both the Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgi are among the healthiest and longest-lived dogs in the Herding Group. The Cardigan tends to be a little hardier and has fewer documented hereditary health issues; among them are canine hip dysplasia, canine degenerative myelopathy and progressive retinal atrophy. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are susceptible to intervertebral disc disease, canine hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and epilepsy. Cardigan Welsh Corgis have a typical life expectancy between 12 and 14 years, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis typically live between 11 and 13 years.[3]
[edit] Cultural impact
Outside Wales, Corgis have been made popular by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who keeps at least four in her retinue at all times. Her first corgi was called Susan. She currently keeps five Corgis and four Dorgis (Corgi/Dachshund cross). Some portraits of Queen Elizabeth include a Corgi.[2][4]
Corgis as characters were incorporated into the storybook fantasies Corgiville Fair, The Great Corgiville Kidnapping, and Corgiville Christmas of American author and illustrator Tasha Tudor. In 1961, the Walt Disney film, Little Dog Lost brought the Pembroke Corgi widespread publicity. On the Anime Cowboy Bebop, the main characters have a super-intelligent Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Ein, on their ship.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. p. 237.
- ^ a b c Hausman, Gerald (1998). The Mythology of Dogs. Macmillan. pp. 275–277.
- ^ Coile, Caroline (2005). Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. pp. 328–31.
- ^ "British Monarchy: Pets and Animals". http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page1964.asp. Retrieved on 2008.
[edit] External links
- MyCorgi.com - Non profit charity - Social networking for Welsh Corgi owners
- Official website of the Canadian Cardigan Corgi Club
- Official website of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America
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