Corgi (also known as the Corgi Welsh ) is cutestdog breed They are native to Wales, UK.

Why do people love this pet so much? Find the answer through this article! inkpawarts will summarize for you interesting information about Corgi that you definitely should not miss. Please read the information below.

History of the Corgi

The Corgi breed  has a long history. It is estimated that they began to appear about 3000 years ago in Wales, United Kingdom. There are many theories about the ancestors of the Corgi, but the most likely, they are probably from  Vallhunds (a Swedish dwarf breed).

For thousands of years, the Corgi was used primarily as a herding dog and to assist humans in hunting. Corgi’s advantage is short legs, long body but extremely agile. That makes it easier for them to avoid the rear kicks of some large cattle. At the same time, the bark of the Corgi babies is extremely powerful, able to intimidate livestock, making them scared.

Since the 16th century – when Europe as well as England prospered, Corgi was no longer used for herding cattle. Instead, these puppies are kept as pets in households. They gradually became popular in Europe and were loved by British royal families. Especially during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Classification of Corgi 

At first, there was only one type of Corgi short-legged dogs and they were called Welsh Corgis . But after a while, due to the introduction of many new breeds into Wales, the Corgi began to interbreed with them and gave birth to a new branch called the Pembroke Welsh Corgi (it was briefly called the Pembroke Corgi ). The ancient Corgi breed is known by another name, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi .

The Pembroke Corgi is leading in the group of the most popular dog breeds in the world. They have a rather funny appearance with a very special heart-shaped butt. Pembroke’s popularity is much higher than that of its brother Cardigan Corgi. Cardigan puppies are currently not many in number.

The Pembroke Corgi is also known as the Royal Dog of Queen Elizabeth II.

Appearance characteristics of the Corgi

Height Weight

Pembroke Corgi:  The babies are about 25-30cm tall and weigh from 9-13kg . This breed of dog will grow to full size and standard weight at 9 months of age. However, Pembroke is quite gluttonous, so it is easy to become obese. Their weight can be up to 20kg if you feed them too much without regular exercise.

Cardian Corgi:  This Corgi line is slightly larger in size than the Pembroke. Their height is about 30-35cm and weight is 12-15kg (Corgi breed usually doesn’t have much difference between males and females). Like Pembroke, Cardigan is prone to obesity. You should pay more attention to the diet and exercise regime of the puppies.

Body

Purebred corgis have a common feature that is a long body and four short legs . Unlike today’s dog breeds, the shorter the Corgi’s legs, the longer the body, the more beautiful it is. Accordingly, the baby Corgi with chest close to the ground will be very expensive. And although the body is somewhat strange and unbalanced, they are always enthusiastically welcomed.

First part

The short-legged corgi has triangular, erect ears. The baby’s ears and face are in fairly proportionate proportions. Corgi’s muzzle is long and pointed, their eyes are large and round, and their mouth and jaws are small but extremely sharp. Overall, Corgi’s face looks like a fox, so they are also called Foxy Dog.

Tail

This is the most important feature to distinguish between Pembroke and Cardigan . While the Pembroke has a short tail, the Cardigan has a rather long and curled tail. Normally, Pembroke babies are born with short tails, if they are too long, they will be cut off when they are 2-5 days old. According to the American Kennel Club AKC, the Pem’s tail meets the standard when it is less than 5cm.

Fur

Corgi’s 2-layer thick coat has a texture quite similar to that of Samoyed, Alaskan and Husky snow dogs . The short, thin, soft inner coat retains heat, helping the Corgi withstand the cold Welsh climate. The outer coat is thicker and longer, especially waterproof, making it convenient for Corgi to move in frosty weather.

According to inkpawarts, currently on the market Corgi’s coat color is not really diverse. However, both breeds have a common feature that the coat on the muzzle, chest and 4 legs are all white :

• For Pembroke Corgi:  Common coat colors are orange – white, yellow – white, more rarely are black – white, brown – white, sepia – black – white.
• For the Cardigan Corgi:  Common coat colors are spotted brown, black, parrot green, black and light fawn, Sabel and red mink coats or a combination of a few white spots.

Corgi dogs tend to shed their outer coat in late spring – early summer and start to grow back in the fall. But with Corgi babies born in Vietnam, they often lose their hair all year round, especially in the hot summer.

Characteristics of the Corgi

The Corgi breed is very wise. They are in the Top 11 in the list of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world.

Due to their superior intelligence, training them is quite easy. Corgi only need to learn 4-5 times to be able to grasp the commands you give them.

Corgi is also a very loyal friend. They usually only consider a single person as the owner. At the same time, these friends can be ready to rush into battle if the owner is threatened.

Corgi is quite friendly and loves children very much. However, Corgis are very active, rarely sit still, you should not let them play with children who are too young.

Corgis are intelligent but can be stubborn at times. Maybe sometimes, these dogs will deliberately not do what you want. Don’t think they don’t understand, Corgi is fully aware of his actions. You need to be more serious and tough in your training. Absolutely do not go easy when they disobey.

Corgi barks profusely and persistently without prompting. You should control this personality and teach the Corgi to bark and stop barking at the right time.

This short-legged dog scene is extremely active. You should take them out to play regularly, let them run and play every day to release energy. At the same time, exercise will help burn calories, avoiding obesity, which is very common in this breed of dog.

How to take care of the Corgi breed 

Suitable living environment

Welsh Corgi dogs originate from cold lands, so they are not really suitable for the hot and humid climate in Vietnam. When raising, you should pay attention to keep the living environment around Corgi babies always cool.

The ideal temperature for the Corgi to feel comfortable is between 25-30 degrees Celsius . If the temperature is too hot, you should keep the Corgi in an air-conditioned room. Only let the children play outside early in the morning or late at night when the temperature is at its lowest.

Pembroke Corgi tends to be more hyperactive than Cardigan Corgi. Therefore, they are suitable for living in the countryside or in places with large spaces.

Cardigan Corgi can live in the city, in apartments. However, no matter where they live, these two Corgi breeds require a daily run.

Necessary nutrition

For Corgi puppies from 1-2 months old

At this age, Corgi is quite young, jaw muscles and teeth are not fully developed. You should only feed them lean meat porridge or pureed rice . If you choose to give your baby nut foods, they should be soaked for 5-10 minutes before feeding. They can be supplemented with warm milk, about 200ml per day.

For young puppies, it is recommended to feed many meals a day, about 4-5 meals . Food intake should be evenly distributed and age appropriate.

For Corgi puppies from 3-6 months old

When the Corgi babies are 3 months old, you should start adding to their diet foods such as: Meat, fish, crab, shrimp, eggs, vegetables, tubers, fruits, cereals, … to provide a full supply. enough nutrients for the dog to develop comprehensively.

Note: Grain food must still be softened before feeding. Meat, fish, shrimp, vegetables, etc. should be minced, then mixed into rice. Dog food must always be cooked, do not let your dog use fresh food.

At this stage, you can reduce the Corgi puppy’s diet to 3-4 meals a day: Morning, noon, afternoon, evening . You can add warm milk to the snack, about 300ml per day.

For Corgi 6 months and older

From 6 months of age and up, you can already feed the Corgi an adult dog’s diet. The most important nutrients you need to provide are protein and calcium for them to develop strong muscles and bones.

In addition, you also need to add fiber, vitamins and minerals in vegetables, tubers, shrimps, crabs, snails, etc. for the comprehensive development of Corgi.

Breeders can reduce the Corgi’s diet to 2-3 meals a day. But note, reducing the meal must increase the amount of food to suit the age of the dog. Corgi dogs at this stage do not need to soften the food anymore. You can feed them naturally to stimulate chewing and develop jaw muscles.

This is also the period for the Corgi to develop its coat. If you want their coat to be shiny and smooth, you can feed your Corgi 2-3 more duck eggs per week . You should prepare cooked food before giving it to your dog.

Some notes when feeding Corgi

• You should not feed the Corgi too much fat, the amount of food should be just enough because this breed of dog is very prone to obesity.
• Absolutely do not feed Corgi hard bones, especially young dogs. They can choke or have tiny bone fragments pierce the intestinal wall.
• You should not give Corgi animal organs because they have too much substance, Corgi can become overweight.
• Dry food is really good for Corgi. The dog is both provided with a full range of substances and helps you save time in caring.
• Corgi has a hobby of eating ice cream because this frozen food helps the dog’s body cool down quite well. You can buy ice cream specifically for Corgi eating in the summer.

Activities every day

If you do not give Corgi regular activity, they are very prone to obesity – This disease is most common in dwarf breeds.

You should take your Corgi out every day, let them run, play, and play to exercise their body and personality. Corgi puppies love to chase motorbikes, bicycles, cars or follow other dogs. If you take them outside, you should prepare a leash in case the Corgi doesn’t obey.

You don’t need to take the Corgi out for too long, just 25-30 minutes a day is enough. In the hot summer weather, you should take your Corgi dog for a walk in the morning or evening.

Cleaning Corgi’s coat

Corgi has a long and thick coat, so regular grooming is essential. Here are a few notes that  inkpawarts recommends you do when caring for your Corgi dog’s coat:

• Brush them daily to avoid tangles and remove dead hair.
• Bathe the Corgi at least once a week. Because Corgis are quite active, while their fur is very easy to get dirt on after every time they go out to play.
• Use hair care products specifically for dogs to keep the Corgi’s coat shiny and smooth.
• After bathing, the dog’s coat needs to be dried. Because Corgi has a very thick coat texture, it will take a long time to dry naturally.
• Do not let Corgi coat wet for a long time. This can create conditions for certain types of disease-causing bacteria to grow.
• Corgi should be trimmed regularly, especially in the summer to keep their body comfortable, cool, and avoid heat shock.

Common diseases Corgi dogs encounter. Causes and ways to prevent disease

The Corgi breed has a fairly long lifespan of 13-15 years. Because the living environment in our country is not really ideal for them.

Spine injury disease

• Cause: Corgi body structure is big butt, short legs, long back, disproportionate. Therefore, they are very susceptible to spinal cord injuries when exercising too hard or jumping too high.
• Prevention: When you let Corgi play outside, you should keep them running and jumping in moderation. You’re better off having a long leash that’s easy to manage. When Corgis show signs of hyperactivity, you should keep them sitting still for a while, then let them run and jump again.

Fungal diseases, scabies, fleas on the skin

• Cause: This disease is 100% caused by you not taking care of your Corgi dog’s coat regularly. Corgi’s fur is very thick and long. If not cleaned regularly, it will be an ideal shelter for bacteria, fleas, dog ticks, etc. Over time, it will lead to scabies, fungi, and parasites on Corgi’s skin.
• How to prevent: Keep the baby Corgi clean. Bathe them at least 1-2 times per week. Trim the dog’s hair neatly about every 2 months. At the same time, vaccines against skin disease scan be used You can take the Corgi to the nearest pet care center to register for vaccinations.

Fatigue

• Cause:  Obesity is the most common disease in dwarf breeds such as Sausages and Corgis. The main reason is that you feed them too much fat and do not exercise regularly.
• Prevention: You should pay attention to the amount of nutrients in the Corgi’s food . Give your dog lots of protein, fiber, vitamins and reduce fat. Fat in fish meat is also just enough for Corgi.

You should not feed them any more beef, chicken or lard. This is really not good for your puppy. In addition to paying attention to the amount of food the owner eats, it is also advisable to lead Corgi to exercise regularly to keep the body firm and fight obesity.

Some other diseases are less common in the Corgi breed

• Hip Dysplasia: This is an inherited disease in Corgi where the thigh bone does not match the hip bone. Corgi can have difficulty walking if they have this condition.
• Cataracts: This disease is common in older Corgi dogs. When infected, Corgi’s eyes will be cloudy and blurry, vision is often very poor.
• Myasthenia gravis: This is also an inherited disease. Corgi babies with this disease often have very thin, easily damaged skin. Blood vessels under the skin can burst at any time, causing bruises. For Corgi puppies with this disease, it is often recommended not to exercise much, avoid collisions.
• Retinal Dysplasia:  This is a congenital disease in the Corgi. At birth, Corgi puppies with this disease often have separate retinas, causing blindness.