Corgi origin: where the Welsh corgi breed really began

Part 1

Where corgis come from

The Welsh Corgi is a small herding dog that originated in Wales. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is believed to have existed in Wales for over 3,000 years, brought by Celtic tribes who migrated from central Europe. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi's ancestry is thought to date back to at least the 10th century.

Part 2

The two corgi lines and how they diverged

Your corgi may be a Pembroke or a Cardigan, two breeds with separate origins. The Cardigan is linked to the Celtic tribes who brought dogs into Wales from central Europe, descended from the Teckel family that also produced the Dachshund. The Pembroke is linked to Flemish weavers who settled in Pembrokeshire starting in the 12th century, bringing Spitz-type dogs with them. Some accounts instead credit Viking settlers who brought Vallhund-type dogs into Wales around the 9th or 10th century. Even then, the Kennel Club in Britain registered Pembrokes and Cardigans as a single breed at first, letting the two be crossed.

How to tell them apart

• The Cardigan traces its origins to Cardiganshire, while the Pembroke traces to Pembrokeshire, two different counties in Wales.
• The Cardigan has a longer tail; the Pembroke's tail is docked close to the body.
• The Pembroke has pointed ears, while the Cardigan's ears are more rounded at the tips.

Part 3

What corgis were originally bred to do

Corgis worked as cattle dogs rather than sheepdogs; the breed was not suited to working sheep. You can see this in the way they herd: they are heelers, dogs that nip at the heels of much bigger animals to keep them moving. Their low height and agility helped them avoid the cattle's hooves as they worked. On the farm they also served as family guardians and vermin exterminators. Some accounts add that Cardigans first worked ahead of the herd, clearing the way of predators and trespassing animals, before switching to driving cattle to market behind the herd. Hill farmers increasingly switched from cattle to sheep during the 19th century, a shift that left the corgi's herding skills less in demand.

Part 4

Corgis in America

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi arrived in the United States in June 1932, when the first two dogs were imported. A red and white bitch named Ch. Megan, whelped in 1933, became the breed's first American champion. The Pembroke followed a similar path: its first AKC-registered dog was Ch. Little Madam of Merriedip in 1934.

Part 5

How the name corgi came to be

You may have wondered what your dog's name actually means. The Welsh word corgi is generally explained as a combination of cor, meaning dwarf, and gi, a form of the Welsh word for dog. Under this reading the name simply means dwarf dog. A different explanation ties cor to a Welsh word meaning to watch over or gather, paired with the same word for dog. Another theory says corgi comes from the Celtic word for dog, and that after the Norman invasion, invaders called local Welsh dogs a cur, or mongrel. Whichever explanation is right, the name corgi was not used regularly until the 1920s, once dog shows began to record the breed's history.

Part 6

From farm dog to royal favorite

Your corgi's royal connections helped shape how popular the breed became. Kennel Club recognition changed the breed's fortunes: in 1934 Pembrokes and Cardigans were separated and recognized as two distinct breeds, both in Britain and by the American Kennel Club. That same decade, King George VI gave his daughter Elizabeth a Pembroke named Susan for her 18th birthday, and she went on to own more than 30 corgis over her lifetime. This royal connection is credited with much of the Pembroke's rise in popularity, while the Cardigan stayed less well known.

By 1953, the Pembroke ranked as the fourth most popular breed registered by the Kennel Club in Britain, behind the English Cocker Spaniel, the German Shepherd, and the Pekingese. That popularity has shifted over the decades since, but the Pembroke has generally stayed better known than the Cardigan.