| Pembroke Welsh Corgis: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Pembroke Welsh Corgi personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, including these excerpts:
"Spirited and athletic, yet steady and dependable, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a true "big dog on short legs."
Herding, obedience, agility, or chasing balls (with surprising speed) are enjoyable outlets (both physical and mental) for his enthusiasm and desire to work.
If his days include such moderate exercise, along with the loving companionship of his family, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is adaptable and easy to live with.
He is polite with guests, reserved with strangers, and makes a sensible watchdog.
Most Pembroke Welsh Corgis are fine with other family pets, though territorial with strange dogs and cats -- one of his responsibilities was to chase strays away from his own farm. He is wonderful with livestock, including horses.
This attentive breed learns quickly and responds well to obedience training. Yet he has the independent judgment and problem-solving abilities of a true herding breed, so you must have the confidence to establish and consistently enforce rules, or he may make up his own.
Like most herding breeds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis prefer their flock (family members and other pets) to be gathered together and may try to accomplish this by circling and nipping. Barking can be a problem."
History
In Pembrokeshire, Wales, he drove his master's cattle onto the common land to graze. He also drove off trespassing cattle and hunted vermin. He is descended from the spitz family, hence his foxy face. In Welsh, cor means "dwarf" and gi means "dog."
Size
10-11 inches and 25-30 lbs. Most folks who first see a Corgi up close are surprised -- he is always larger-boned and heavier than they imagined. |
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Pembroke Welsh Corgis
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- There are energetic Pembrokes, and placid Pembrokes.
- Hard-headed Pembrokes, and sweet-natured Pembrokes.
- Serious Pembrokes, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Pembrokes, and Pembrokes who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
Now let's look at some common characteristics for this breed...
- Is a "big dog" with short legs, i.e. built long and low to the ground, but with a robust body, heavy bone, and a working dog temperament
- Is spirited and athletic, but needs only moderate exercise to maintain his muscle tone
- Has a short easy-care coat in a variety of colors
- Is steady and dependable
- Is polite with guests and makes a sensible watchdog
- Is usually fine with other family pets, and especially good with livestock
A Pembroke Welsh Corgi may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- Providing lots of mental stimulation that fulfills his desire to work and gives him something productive to do
- Destructiveness when bored or left alone too much
- Territorial aggression toward dogs and cats he doesn't know
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Chasing and nipping at things that move: children, joggers, other animals, bikes, cars
- Barking
- Heavy shedding
A Pembroke Welsh Corgi may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Pembroke Welsh Corgi... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. With their short legs and long body, Pembroke Welsh Corgis don't need or want miles of running exercise, but they MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to use their busy minds to do interesting things. Otherwise they will become bored -- which they usually express by barking and destructive chewing.
| I strongly recommend that you get your Pembroke Welsh Corgi involved in obedience classes at the intermediate or advanced level, agility (an obstacle course for dogs), tracking, or herding. Corgis were never intended to be simply household pets. Their working behaviors (chasing, nipping, poking, barking) can be a nuisance in a normal household setting. Trying to suppress these "hardwired" behaviors, without providing alternate outlets for their energy, can be difficult. |
- Chasing other animals. One of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi's responsibilities was to drive away strange dogs from their owner's farm and flock. Many Pembroke Welsh Corgis are dominant or aggressive toward dogs and cats they don't know.
| If you have small children, I do not recommend Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies. The temptation to grab or nip at moving people is simply too strong in many young Corgis. Small children may also lift and hold a Corgi puppy incorrectly, which can damage his long back. |
- Mind of their own. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are not Golden Retrievers. The best Pembrokes are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal, but they have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. They can be manipulative or willful, and you must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Barking. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them. If you work all day and have close neighbors, Pembroke Welsh Corgis are not a good choice for you. For the same reason, Corgis should NEVER be left outside in your yard, unsupervised. To make matters worse, some Corgis have intense, high-pitched barks that can set your teeth on edge.
- Heavy shedding. Pembroke Welsh Corgis shed a lot. You'll find hair and fur deposited all over your clothing, upholstery, carpeting, under your furniture, on your countertops -- even in your food. Frequent vacuuming will become a way of life.
| If you're considering an adult Pembroke Welsh Corgi... |
There are plenty of adult Pembroke Welsh Corgis who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2006 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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