Pembroke Welsh Corgi - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The exact date of origin and exact ancestry of the Pembroke Wwelsh Corgi is not certainly clear. It is definitely an old dog breed and their history probably dates back to the 10th century, when Vikings brought Swedish Vallhund to Wales and from those dogs the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was developed. Another theory suggest, that they are descendants of various dogs like Schipperke and Pomeranian brought to Wales by Flemish weavers in the 12th century.
2) Legend
The history of this breed is surrounded by mystery and there are even fairytales and legends about them. One legend say, that one day two children found couple of Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies in the forrest. First they think they are little foxes, but they took them home and their parents recognized little dogs and told their children that the pups were a gift from the fairies that lived in the fields. They also told the kids that they were used to pull carrieges for fairies and as a proof they pointed to the marks on their backs where the fairy saddle had been placed on their shoulders.
3) Herding dogs
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi looks sweet and cute so many people think they are the typical companion lap dogs, but that can not be far from the truth. These dogs have been used as herding dogs for centuries! They are probably the smallest of all herding dogs, but they are great at it. They are pretty fast, determined, intelligent and hard working, which are great qualities for herding.
4) Name
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has an interesting name. The Pembroke Welsh is describing the place of origin in Pembrokeshire Wales, but what about the word Corgi. There are explanation and translations. The first one is from Celtic, where the word Corgi means dog. Or it can be a combination of Welsh word Cor and Gi. Cor means dwarf and gi means dog. So Corgi most likely means dwarf dog, which fits perfectly.

5) Cardigan vs Pembroke
Even though very similar, the Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgi are two separated breeds and there are some important differences between them. The most obvious is the tail. Most Pembroke Welsh Corgi are either born without the tail or their tail is docked close to the body, while the Cardigan has pretty long tail. But, today, especially in the regions where docking is illegal, many Pembrokes have long tail. Other differences are, that Pembroke has a shorter body, and his ears are pointed, while the Cardigan’s are more rounded at the tips.

6) Royalty
This breed gained a lot of popularity in 1930s when King George VI gifted one to his daughters Elizabeth and Margaret. Queen Elizabeth II was probably the biggest Corgi lover in history of the royal family and she owned more than 30 of them during her life. There is also a movie called The Queens Corgi released in 2019.

7) Exercise
Just like all the herding dog breed, even the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is pretty active dog breed. Their short legs make us think that they are slow, but if they are healthy, they can reach speed up to 25 mph which is 40 kmh. Thanks to that, they are great at various dog sports like agility, flyball or of course, herding events. They definitely need daily longer walks and some interactive playtime that will occupy their mind to stay healthy and happy.

8) Size
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is famous for their short legs and stature, prick ears and overall foxy appearance. Their average height is between 10-12 inches, which is 25-30 cm and weight is typically between 24-31 lbs, which is 11-14 kg. There are not big size differences between males and females.

9) Watchdogs
Pembroke Welsh Corgis were not only used to herd, they were also serving as all around farm dogs and they were even watching over the farms. And they are excellent watchdogs! It is mostly thanks to their alert nature and, well, they just love to bark. You can count on your Corgi to start alarm barking when he will hear or see something suspicious around the house.

10) Health
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has an average lifespan between 12-15 years. This is a achondroplastic breed, which means that they are true dwarfs, they have dwarfism. There are some health issues associated with this breed, for example hip dysplasia, von willebrands disease, degenerative myelopathy and progressive retinal atrophy.