Pembroke Welsh Corgi

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is much younger than the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The Pembroke dates back to AD 1107.

In modern times there has been an effort to link the two types of Corgi under the heading of a single breed. This is far from the truth. The direct ancestors of the Pembroke were brought across the Channel by the Flemish weavers, who had been induced by Henry I of England to take up their abode in Wales. This occurred in 1107, and it stands as a sturdy cornerstone upon which the development of a breed had been built. While weaving was one of their occupations, these Flemish people were also of an agrarian nature-and they soon had transferred to the Southwest corner of Wales. This early progenitor of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi of today has been described as having a noticeable resemblance to the old Schiperkes. It sprang from the same family that includes the Keeshond, Pomeranian, Samoyed, Chow Chow, Norwegian Elkhound and the Finnish Spitz. It has little or nothing to do with the Dachshund like the Cardigan does.

In relation to the Cardigan, the Pembroke is shorter in body, the legs are straighter and lighter boned, while the coat is of finer texture. Two of the most noticeable differences are in the ears and the tail. Cardigan ears are rounded while the Pembroke's are pointed at the tip and stand erect. The Cardigan has a long tail, and the Pembroke has a short one.

The manner in which the Pembroke and the Cardigan have approached each other in appearance is not merely a matter of chance or of selective breeding. It is known that the two were crossed with each other before the middle of the 19th century.

The coat of the Pembroke is of medium length, short, thick and weather resistant. The color can be red, sable, fawn, black and tan with or without white markings. Health concerns in the breed include Degenerative Myelopathy which is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs, the parents should also have hips checked (OFA) and eyes (CERF) checked.