Clara the Corgi at our Solano Clinic
A Corgi is short and hails from Wales,
And Pembrokes, of course, are born without tails.
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At our Solano pet vaccination clinic we are reminded about one of our favorite breeds. Clara is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and came to visit us in the arms of her best friend – a human! Corgies are among the multitude of working dogs which have come to us from the British Isles. There are two types of Corgies, both from Wales, and in spite of their similar appearance, they have two completely separate origins. Before their refinement into the breeds we know today, the Pembroke Corgi type came from Flanders (Belgium) to Wales with 10th century Flemish weavers while the Cardigan Corgi probably came to Wales with Norse settlers as a close relative of the Swedish Vallhund. The two types are most easily differentiated by their tails: The Cardigan is typically born with the longer fox-like tail and is a little shorter with longer back than the Pembroke. The Pembroke is the larger of the two and is often born with a short or absent tail. Curiously, the short tail was a desirable trait because in 19th century England the working dogs which had naturally short tails were more favorably taxed than the pet dogs which would not be expected to have an artificially bobbed tail! The two Corgi types have obviously undergone a lot of interbreeding and this is the probable explanation for the current similarities between what were originally two separate breeds. These ‘dwarf dogs’ have a wonderful disposition, are great around families and children and can be counted upon to be the best of household pets,
– Geoffrey Antipa
