GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Approx. 25-30cm (l0”-12”).
Colour: Both varieties - Red, sable, fawn, black/tan. White on foreface, neck, chest and legs.Cardigans can also be brindle or merle with white.
Coat: Medium length, dense, straight and weatherproof.
Gait: Co-ordinated with strong reach and drive.
These members of the spitz family have typical foxlike expressions. The skull ratio to the muzzle is 5:3 and the head is wedge shaped. The high set ears erect are set wide apart and taking a line from the ear tip, it should pass through the eye to the nose. The back is level and the chest broad. The forelegs that mould around the lower part of the ribcage and the hindquarters are well muscled and angulated. Besides the colour variations, the Pembrokes differs from the Cardigan as they have (a) a deeper chest (b) a slightly shorter back (c) round forward placed feet (Cardigan feet are oval and may turn out) and (d) the Pembroke’s almost non existent tail compared with the Cardigan whose bushy tail almost reaches the ground.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Readily adaptable to apartment-or country life, these intelligent dogs are easy to train. Their loyalty makes them excellent family dogs for young and old alike. They love to exercise and run around with children in the park. Regular grooming is required to remove dead hair, but apart from that little extra care is required.
HISTORY
It is believed the Cardigan was brought to Wales by the Celts and is possibly the result of a blend between a Basset Hound and/or Dachshund type of dog. The Pembroke is believed to have resulted from an infusion of the Swedish Vallhund and from the tailless Schipperkes who arrived with the Flemish weavers in 1100 AD. The Corgis were highly valued members of the family, guardians of the children and when working the stock in the fields, they controlled them by nipping at their heels.