Corgi: description, character, species and colors, content

Small short-legged corgi are becoming more and more popular every year. In Russia, this breed of dogs has become in demand not so long ago, but immediately gained popularity. The number of those wishing to become the owners of the corgi is growing every year. However, before you get this dog, it is important to read the detailed information about its content and proper care of it.

The characteristic spot on the back of the corgi became the reason for the mystical explanation of the appearance of these dogs. According to legend, these animals were used as sleds in the world of elves, supposedly from here on their backs and saddle-shaped areas were formed.... In fact, the ancestors of the dogs of the breed presented were first brought by the Celts to Wales, which has since been considered the birthplace of the corgi.

The breed received official recognition only in 1892. And recently, on an archaeological expedition, researchers found the remains of dogs resembling corgi, dating back to 500 BC. NS.

According to the standard, a purebred dog of the presented breed must have the following external characteristics:

• the head has a wide skull, the muzzle looks like a fox;
• the nose is black;
• lips are dense, black;
• scissor bite;
• the eyes are oval, brown in color, the edges of the eyelids are dark;
• ears are medium, erect;
• the neck is long, flowing gently into the withers;
• the body is strong, the chest is round, the loin is short;
• the tail may be short;
• the forelegs are strong, short, the elbows are directed backward, the forearms bend inward;
• hind legs strong, resilient, moderately angulated;
• the coat is dense, of medium length, with a short undercoat, slight waviness is possible;
• height - 26-31 cm at the withers;
• weight: males - 13.5 kg (for a show - 12.2 kg), bitches - 12.6 kg (for a show - 11.3 kg).

A deviation from the standard is considered if the dog has the following characteristics:

• dislocation of the knee joint;
• overshot;
• snack;
• long muzzle;
• deep-set eyes;
• long and fluffy coat.

There are individuals that are not allowed to the exhibition. This may be due to the following factors:

• going beyond the limits of permissible sizes;
• hanging ears;
• unsuitable color;
• cowardice;
• aggression.

Corgis are easily trained dogs, their talent can be used, for example, in agility. In addition to its inimitable intelligence, quick wit and obedience, the corgi is distinguished by its sensitivity. For example, he always senses the mood of the owner, loves children and does not offend them, and gets close to new people well. Corgi get along well with other pets, although sometimes the owner can be jealous of his four-legged neighbor. Aggression in these animals is almost not manifested, so they belong to companion dogs.

There are two breeds of corgi - cardigans and pembrokes... The two varieties differ not only in appearance, but also in character. For example, cardigans have a more serious disposition, they are always focused at exhibitions, they try to perfectly execute a command, the opinion of others is not important to them. Pembrokes, on the other hand, are great lovers of human attention and try to charm every viewer, so during the exhibition these dogs can be distracted by others in order to check who they have not yet admired.

Cardigans and Pembrokes also differ in appearance. So, the cardigan is characterized by larger dimensions than its short-footed relative, but the pembrokes are characterized by a slightly longer life span. Until recently, this variety belonged exclusively to working, herding breeds, which have excellent health, and their lifespan is limited to about 12-15 years.

Nevertheless, only dogs kept in responsible hands can live up to so many years. The fact is that Pembrokes are prone to obesity, and this ailment shortens their life by 2-5 years. The maximum lifespan of a Pembroke is 18-19 years.

The average life span of a cardigan is 12-14 years, and the maximum is 17-18 years. The causes of early death of any kind of Welsh Corgi can be diseases such as glaucoma, rabies, epilepsy, allergies, raw eczema. All these diseases often attack representatives of this breed. To maximize the life of your pet, it is important to follow the vaccination schedule, treat the dog from parasites on time, regularly visit the veterinarian and take general tests.

Cardigans and Pembrokes are the two main groups that corgis can be classified into. Cardigan is a more massive dog, heavy, her back bends gently and her belly is tucked up. Its back is narrow. Pembroke is a smaller dog it has a lighter weight, a less stretched body and a lighter skeleton.

There are differences between these dogs in coat structure and color. So, the cardigan is characterized by a rough, tough coat with tight-fitting hairs; in appearance, the dog looks neat and smooth.The Pembroke has a soft undercoat, elongated hairs on the chest and legs, which makes it seem a little disheveled and shaggy. An overly soft coat is unacceptable for any variety.

Cardigans are tiger or marble. Sometimes white spots are allowed on the coat, but white should not be predominant in the color of the dog.

Pembrokes are characterized by such colors as red, sable, fawn, tricolor (black and tan). In this case, an even lower percentage of white areas is allowed. In general, among the Pembrokes, two main colors are considered the most common - red & white and tricolor.

Sometimes gray corgi puppies are born, which eventually turn red, and, for example, it is quite difficult to recognize a sable color in childhood, since a black plaque appears on the head and body only with age.

Before setting off to meet a puppy, a potential owner needs to think about his lifestyle. If this is a couch potato who prefers to bask in bed all weekend, then it is better to give preference to a different breed. Corgis are active, mobile creatures that require vigorous exercise, frequent jogging, and regular training.

The owner of this dog should be a person who has free time for long walks and active activities with the pet. In addition, corgis are contact creatures that require human interaction. A very busy person will not be able to pay due attention to the dog and properly care for it, and therefore you need to think several times before starting a dog of this breed.

If the potential owner of the corgi took into account all the features of keeping the animal, then We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following recommendations for choosing a puppy.

• Pick a puppy from a breeder through a kennel clubto be guaranteed to become the owner of a purebred puppy. Don't take your dog through an classifieds site.
• Choose a healthy and active puppy... He should be curious and not cowardly.
• A dog with a straight long tail without kinks is suitable for breeding and participating in exhibitions. If this is a Pembroke, then give preference to individuals with a short tail. Docked tail dogs are not suitable for European events.
• Purebred Pembroke has dark brown eyes that are darker in color than the coat. Marble cardigans can have both brown and blue eyes, specimens with different eyes are allowed.
• Purebred corgi should have a coat of medium length. If you need a dog to participate in an exhibition, then refuse to buy a puppy with soft long hair, since this cute external feature is considered a marriage and this individual will not be allowed to the exhibition.
• Remember to carefully study the entire pedigree. and documents provided by the breeder. Make sure it's a decent seller by looking for reviews.

Corgis have a good appetite, which often becomes a real problem. Little gluttons tend to gain weight quickly.... An obese dog often develops diabetes, heart ailments, vascular problems, and diseases of the digestive system. In addition, overweight dogs are not allowed to participate in the show. To avoid these problems, it is important to find a balance between the daily intake and physical activity.

For feeding, it is better to purchase ready-made dry food premium or super premium... Manufacturers usually indicate the amount of daily serving on the package, depending on the weight of the dog, but it is still recommended to consult your veterinarian about this. Have your doctor calculate the RDA for a specific animal based on age, weight, and health.

If the owner prefers natural feeding, then it is important to make protein food the basis of the diet. A third of the menu should be occupied by raw meat (except pork), processed for a couple of minutes with boiling water. Boiled liver and steamed sea fish are good options. Also, the diet should include carbohydrates, for example, rice, buckwheat, raw and boiled vegetables. Sometimes it is permissible to treat the dog with boiled eggs.

Corgi and dairy products in small quantities will not harm. Feeding with sweets, smoked, salty, sour food, food from the table is excluded... For a healthy diet, it is important to develop special schedule and feed the dog at specific times.

Up to three months of age, puppies should be fed about 4-5 times a day. Further, the number of meals is reduced to 3-4 times, and from the age of six months, the dog needs to be transferred to 2-3 meals a day. It is recommended to feed a puppy that has just been brought to the house the same as the breeder fed him. If the new owner is not satisfied with this type of feeding, then the transition to another diet should be done gradually.

Also, breeders recommend at first to feed the puppy with food unfamiliar to him a little at the same time, so as not to overfeed the still fragile organism with new products. It is customary to remove the bowl of food after 10-15 minutes in order to train the dog to eat the entire portion at once.

In the case of feeding the puppy with dry ready-made food, it is important to soak the granules in water until the age of three months; the food without soaking is also suitable for an older dog. When feeding with dry food, the animal should always have free access to clean water. If the owner has chosen a natural type of feeding for the pet, then it is important to supplement it with vitamins and minerals.

Raising and training a corgi is easy enough. These dogs are distinguished by high intelligence and discernment. For example, a dog that wants to play will not bother with it to the owner, seeing that he is not in the mood. During training, representatives of this breed grab all teams instantly. Dog handlers give several recommendations for training a corgi:

• as a reward for a correctly performed exercise, the pet should receive a treat;
• pronounce the commands evenly, clearly, calmly, with the same intonation;
• take breaks between classes for rest and play;
• don't let other people raise your dog;
• from the very first days of the puppy's appearance in the house, show him that you are the owner.

The first step in upbringing should be diaper accustoming. The fact is that before vaccination, dogs should not be allowed out into the street, and vaccinations begin no earlier than two months of age... Until that time, the dog will go to the toilet in the house and will need to be accustomed to the diaper. To do this, it is recommended to put the diaper in a place convenient for the animal. If the pet went to the toilet in another corner, then you need to moisten the diaper in liquid waste and leave it in the right place so that the dog will smell by smell where it needs to be emptied next time.

Once the vaccination period is over, the dog should be leash and collar trained. It is better to start doing this before the first walk occurs. It is recommended that you first familiarize your pet with the leash from a distance, then place it next to a bed or bowl so that the dog is convinced of the safety of the new item. Attaching a collar to an animal's neck for the first time can lead to resistance.

For this dog, active physical activity is important, so it is advisable to take the animal for a walk to those places where it can be released from the leash.Let it be a special dog playground. If there is access to a reservoir, then the corgi will gladly freshen up in the water.

An important point in upbringing is the timely stop of the amused pet... The fact is that due to the specific build, these dogs cannot jump, since these movements create too much stress on the fragile ligaments of the spine and joints. Seeing that the puppy is jumping too actively, the owner needs to promptly stop these actions dangerous for the dog.

By the way, a feature of this breed is the ability not to freeze during a winter walk. The presence of a warm undercoat saves the owner from buying expensive dog clothes. At six months, corgi begin to teach basic commands "fu", "place", "lie down", "sit". Later, training sessions for collecting the herd begin.

There are no special rules in choosing a nickname for a corgi puppy. However, this name should please the owner himself and associate him with something good. Then it will be more pleasant to pronounce the nickname.

A name that is too long should not be chosen, it will be difficult for a dog to remember it. If the owner certainly wants to call the pet a beautiful long foreign name, then it is better to shorten the hard-to-pronounce name in everyday life. For example, if it is Cleopatra, then let the dog get used to the nickname Clepa or Cleo, and Cassiopeia can be shortened to Cassie.

You can name your dog after your favorite place, city, or even car brand or model. Now you can meet quite a few corgi, whose name is Mazda, Lexus, Vesta, Lambo. It is allowed to give the dog the name of your favorite domestic or foreign artist: Bilan, Timati, Nyusha, Sogdiana, Bieber, Aguilera, Beyonce.

Art lovers can seek help from literary works and their authors (Pushkin, Byron, Shakespeare, Hamlet). Don't forget about the famous dogs: Belka, Strelka, Balto, Hachiko. You can also recall the characters of cartoons and films: Marley, Milo, Lassie, Volt, Scooby-Doo.

The following neutral names are suggested for boys: Archie, Barney, Lloyd, Eugene, Casper, Monty, Caesar, Oliver, Rolf, Chase, Henry, Justin, Buddy, Sheldon... The following nicknames are suitable for corgi girls: Jesse, Alma, Suzy, Sheldie, Stacy, Goldie, Perry, Lucky, Nick, Sandra, Bella, Fiona.

Elizabeth II is famous for her love for the representatives of this breed. In her entire life, she had at least 30 corgi dogs. She is familiar with almost all the famous breeders of Great Britain, and in the 50s the queen independently bred a new breed of the breed - the dorgi. The dog was obtained by crossing a corgi and a dachshund, but the specimen has not yet been recognized by dog ​​experts.

The Queen's dogs rarely participated in exhibitions, since, in the opinion of their owner, there was absolutely nothing for the pets to prove. In addition, the owner never sold her favorites, but always gave them into good hands. Basically, the children of Elizabeth herself became the new owners of the royal puppies.

For each pet, the queen put a sleeping basket in her residence so that all dogs sleep in a warm place, and not on the floor or in a draft. The food of the king's corgi has always been top notch. Menus for corgi and dorgi were developed by the best veterinarians and chefs at Buckingham Palace... The basis of the diet consisted of special biscuits, steaks, poultry and rabbit meat.

The queen was often herself involved in the upbringing and training of her pets.... For example, she taught young individuals to skip ahead to food of older congeners. In general, nutrition was given almost a key place in the maintenance of royal corgi. So, one joker lackey, who poured whiskey and gin into a dog's saucer for humor, was fired by the queen in a scandal in 1999.

Due to her love for this breed, Elizabeth II is often depicted in an embrace with her beloved dogs. Even corgi monuments have been built, and in 2012, three royal dogs filmed together with the owner and actor Daniel Craig in a short video about the adventures of James Bond, timed to coincide with the London Olympic Games.

It is very difficult for the queen to experience the death of each pet. Almost all individuals are buried in a separate cemetery at Sandringham. Willow, the last royal corgi, passed away at the age of 14 on April 15, 2018.

Corgi owners speak extremely positively about their pets. Pembroke character traits such as good nature, friendliness, sensitivity, playfulness are noted.... These dogs love to interact with people.

Among the pluses, loyalty stands out, which is compared to the loyalty of a shepherd. This is no coincidence, because the Welsh Corgi belong to the family of shepherd dogs. In addition, the owners love that these dogs rarely bark.

Cardigan owners say that these dogs have a more serious and thoughtful character, they, like the Pembrokes, do not mind playing, but they choose a more suitable time and place for this activity. That is, for example, during training, the cardigan will not be distracted by the game.

It is noted that Cardigans are less jealous when shared with other pets than Pembrokes. In general, both varieties are great for children, they quickly learn commands, they obey the owner well.

For the characteristics of the corgi breed, see below.