Cardigan Welsh corgi
The cardigan is the older of the two corgi breeds, from Cardiganshire in west Wales, and was worked as a drover's dog moving cattle to market.
The two corgis were shown as one breed until 1934, when they were formally separated.
It is longer and heavier-boned than the Pembroke, with larger rounded ears and — the reliable way to tell them apart — a long full tail. Colours include the brindle and blue merle the Pembroke does not have. Temperament is a little steadier and more reserved than its cousin: cardigans are watchful with strangers and devoted at home, and just as inclined to herd.
- Origin
- Cardiganshire, Wales
- Size
- 11–17 kg, 27–33 cm at the shoulder
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Medium-length weatherproof double coat
- Temperament
- Steady, watchful, loyal, less vocal than the Pembroke
- Exercise
- About an hour daily
Related: Corgi
3 cardigan welsh corgi photos, newest first
Living with a cardigan welsh corgi
Brush a couple of times a week, daily during the moult.
As with any long-backed short-legged dog, weight control is the main preventive care there is. Keep them lean, limit jumping down from height, and take a ramp on car journeys.
Degenerative myelopathy has a DNA test and should be cleared in breeding stock. Progressive retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia also occur. Merle-to-merle breeding produces puppies with serious sight and hearing defects, which is worth asking about given the colour is common in this breed.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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