Welsh Corgi vs Swedish Vallhund - Dog Breed Comparsion

 Two adorable, short legged, herding dog breeds with similar temperament, those are the Swedish Vallhund and Welsh Corgi.

The similarities of these two breeds are most likely not coincidental. It is believed, that they are closely related, you can say cousins, and that they share their ancestry. Those are pretty old dog breeds, and historians can not agree on the exact ancestry of those two breeds, but it is widely accepted, that either the Swedish Vallhund was brought to Wales or the Corgi was taken to Sweden, hence the similarities between the two breeds.

It is also important to say, that the Welsh Corgi is not only one breed, but there are two different, officially recognized Welsh Corgi breeds – the Pembroke and Cardigan. Again, both are very similar. The main differences are size, their tail and you can also find some differences in their temperament.

But lets go back to comparsion of Swedish Vallhund and Welsh Corgi. They are both herding dogs and they have the typical personality trait of herding dogs, such as alertness, independence, they are quite active and they are very loyal to the herd and to its family.

The Swedish Vallhund lean a little bit more to the Spitz like temperament, while the Corgi is all herder. The Corgi is typically little bit easier to deal with, they are little bit more easy going. On the other hand, the Swedish Vallhund tends to be little bit more alert, independent and focused. It is also reported, that the Corgi tends to be somewhat friendlier towards strangers, but both dogs are extremely friendly and loyal to its family and owners.

Overall, there are not many differences in the temperament of those two dog breeds. Both also share relatively high energy and exercise needs. Daily longer walks, jogs, hikes and playtime sessions are must for both, so they stay healthy and happy.

And what about the differences in the appearance? The Swedish Vallhund is, on average, slightly taller than the Corgi, but the Corgi tends to be little bit heavier and stockier.

Another difference is the coat and color. The Corgi always has short to medium long doublecoat, which is very dense. Swedish Vallhunds may have different coats, some are relatively long, but most commonly they also have medium long doublecoats. Corgis have typically slightly softer and, lets say fluffier coat, than the Vallhund.

Welsh Corgis can be found in almost any color with or without white markings. On the other hand, the Swedish Vallhund is most often found in grey, wolf like color. That is a reason why many people call them as Wolf Corgis. Their fur color varies from grey, greyish brown and greyish yellow to reddish brown, with darker hair on the back, neck, and sides of the body.

Other than that, there are not many differences between these breeds. Both are heavy shedders and they will require a lot of brushing to minimize the shedding. No other grooming is required. Both are also predisposed to similar health issues, which are mainly orthopedic diseases connected to their long spine and short legs. The Vallhund typically lives slightly longer than the Corgi. The average lifespan of Swedish Vallhund is around 14 years, while the average lifespan of Corgi is around 13 years.

Another important difference is the rarity. It is relatively easy to find a good breeder of Welsh Corgi all around the world but it might be almost impossible to find a breeder of Swedish Vallhund in some parts of the world and overall, the Welsh Corgi is much more popular breed.

Overall, both dogs are very similar and if you are looking for a smaller companion dog that is pretty active, always ready for outdoor exercise, playful, but also affectionate and loyal, you will not make a mistake with neither of these two dogs.

Just remember, both can be little bit stubborn, they have herding tendencies, which means they might nip and try to herd other pets or kids and both are pretty independent, which is why they are not total pushovers to train.