Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Brindle and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Common nicknames	Cardigan CWC Cardi
Origin	Wales
Classification / standards FCI Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #38 standard AKC Herding standard ANKC Group 5 (Working Dogs) standard CKC Group 7 - Herding Dogs standard KC (UK) Pastoral standard NZKC Working standard UKC Herding Dog standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi /ˈkɔːrɡi/ is one of two separate dog breeds known as Welsh corgis that originated in Wales, the other being the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. It is one of the oldest herding breeds.

Cardigan Welsh Corgis can be extremely loyal family dogs.^[1] They are able to live in a variety of settings. They need regular daily physical and mental stimulation. Cardigans are a versatile breed and a wonderful companion.

History

Pembrokes and Cardigans first appeared together in dog shows in 1925 when they were shown under the rules of The Kennel Club in Britain.^[2] The Corgi Club was founded in December, 1925 in Carmarthen in South Wales.^[2] It is reported that the local members favored the Pembroke breed, so a club for Cardigan enthusiasts was founded a year later (1926).^[2] Both groups have worked hard to ensure the appearance and type of breed are standardized through careful selective breeding.^[2] Pembrokes and Cardigans were officially recognized by the Kennel Club in 1928 and were lumped together under the heading Welsh Corgis.^[2] In 1934, the two breeds were recognized individually and shown separately.

Origins

A blue merle-colored Cardigan

Cardigans are said to originate from the Teckel family of dogs, which also produced Dachshunds.^[3] They are claimed to be among the oldest of all herding breeds; believed to have been in existence in Wales for over 3,000 years.

Name

The phrase "cor gi" is sometimes translated as "dwarf dog" in Welsh. The breed was often called "yard-long dogs" in older times. Today's name comes from their area of origin: Ceredigion in Wales.

Modern breed

Originally used only as a farm guardian, they eventually took on the traits of a cattle drover, herder, and many more.^[4] They are still highly valued for their herding, working, and guarding skills, as well as their companionship.

Description

The Cardigan is a long, low dog with upright ears and a fox brush tail.^[5] The old American Kennel Club standard called it an "Alsatian on short legs". The Cardigan's tail is long (unlike the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, whose tail may be long,^[6] naturally bobbed or docked^[7]).

Cardigans, which are double coated, come in a variety of colors including any shade of red, sable, or brindle, as well as black, with or without tan, brindle or blue merle, with or without tan or brindle points. Other unofficial colors can occur, such as red merle, but these colors are not considered acceptable per the Cardigan standard. They usually have white on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle, underneath, tip of the tail and as a blaze on the head, known as the "Irish pattern." Other markings include ticking on the legs and muzzle, smutty muzzles and monk's hoods, especially on sables (a pattern of darker tipped hairs over a basic red coat color.. An average Cardigan is around 10.5 to 13 inches (270 to 330 mm) tall at the withers and weighs from 30 to 38 pounds (14 to 17 kg) for the male and 25 to 34 pounds (11 to 15 kg) for the female.

Life expectancy is 12–15 years.^[8] Litter size can vary; usually four to six puppies.

Health

The most common causes of death for the breed were cancer (28.3%), old age (24.6%), and neurological disorders (15.2%).^[9]

Temperament

• Originally bred for farm work, including herding sheep and cattle. Cardigan Welsh Corgis were bred long and low to make sure that any kicks by cattle would travel safely over the dogs' heads without touching them. Known as "a big dog in a small package,"
• Cardigans are highly intelligent, active, athletic dogs.
• Housepet They have proven themselves as excellent companion animals, Cardigans are affectionate, devoted companions that can also be alert and responsible guardians. If socialized at a young age, they can be nice with other dogs and housepets. Some Cardigan corgis are 'one-man dogs'.
• Competitive in sheepdog trials, dog agility, competitive obedience and rally obedience.
• Guard Dogs Cardigans are typically excellent watchdogs, as they are highly alert to the approach of strangers to their territory, and will be very vocal until they and/or their owner are assured that the stranger poses no threat. They tend to be wary of strangers and to reserve their affection for a select few with whom they are familiar.

Use as working dogs

Cardigan Welsh Corgis compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball and tracking events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Corgis exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.^[10]

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References

1. Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld; Jacque Lynn Schultz; American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (15 October 1999). ASPCA complete guide to dogs. Chronicle Books. pp. 160–. ISBN 978-0-8118-1904-6. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
2. Debra M. Eldredge (27 January 2009). Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Your Happy Healthy Pet, with DVD. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-0-470-39061-0. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
3. "History of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi". Cardigan Welsh Corgi Association.
4. Jan Greye; Gail Jesse Smith (30 July 2002). Puppy Parenting: Everything You Need to Know About Your Puppy's First Year. HarperCollins. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-0-06-001260-1. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
5. Richard G. Beauchamp (1 March 2010). Welsh Corgis: Pembroke and Cardigan. Barron's Educational Series. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-7641-4242-0. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
6. Hytönen et al. (2008), "Ancestral T-Box mutation is present in many, but not all, short-tailed dog breeds", Journal of Heredity, Advance Access published online on October 14, 2008, doi:10.1093/jhered/esn085
7. "Pembroke Welsh Corgi Breed Standard". American Kennel Club.
8. Eve Adamson; Richard G. Beauchamp; Margaret H. Bonham; Stanley Coren; Miriam Fields-Babineau (29 March 2010). Dogs All-In-One for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 535. ISBN 978-0-470-52978-2. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
9. "2004 Purebred Dog Health Survey". The Kennel Club. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
10. Hartnagle-Taylor, Jeanne Joy; Taylor, Ty (2010). Stockdog Savvy. Alpine Publications. ISBN 978-1-57779-106-5.

External links

• MyCorgi.com (non-profit charity & social networking for corgi owners)

• Cardigan Welsh Corgi at DMOZ