The AKC Standard of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Herding Group

General Appearance
Low-set, strong, sturdily built and active, giving an impression of substance and stamina in a small space. Should not be so low and heavy-boned as to appear coarse or overdone, nor so light-boned as to appear racy. Outlook bold, but kindly. Expression intelligent and interested. Never shy nor vicious.

Correct type, including general balance and outline, attractiveness of headpiece, intelligent outlook and correct temperament is of primary importance. Movement is especially important, particularly as viewed from the side. A dog with smooth and free gait has to be reasonably sound and must be highly regarded. A minor fault must never take precedence over the above desired qualities.

A dog must be very seriously penalized for the following faults, regardless of whatever desirable qualities the dog may present: oversized or undersized; button, rose or drop ears; overshot or undershot bite; fluffies, whitelies, mismarks or bluies.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Height (from ground to highest point on withers) should be 10 to 12 inches. Weight is in proportion to size, not exceeding 30 pounds for dogs and 28 pounds for bitches. In show condition, the preferred medium- sized dog of correct bone and substance will weigh approximately 27 pounds, with bitches approximately 25 pounds. Obvious oversized specimens and diminutive toylike individuals must be very severely penalized.

Proportions--Moderately long and low. The distance from the withers to the base of the tail should be approximately 40 percent greater than the distance from the withers to the ground. Substance--Should not be so low and heavy-boned as to appear coarse or overdone, nor so light-boned as to appear racy.

Head
The head should be foxy in shape and appearance. Expression--Intelligent and interested, but not sly. Skull--should be fairly wide and flat between the ears. Moderate amount of stop. Very slight rounding of cheek, not filled in below the eyes, as foreface should be nicely chiseled to give a somewhat tapered muzzle. Distance from occiput to center of stop to be greater than the distance from stop to nose tip, the proportion being five parts of total distance for the skull and three parts for the foreface. Muzzle should be neither dish-faced nor Roman-nosed. Eyes-Oval, medium in size, not round, nor protruding, nor deepset and piglike. Set somewhat obliquely. Variations of brown in harmony with coat color. Eye rims dark, preferably black. While dark eyes enhance the expression, true black eyes are most undesirable, as are yellow or bluish eyes. Ears-Erect, firm, and of medium size, tapering slightly to a rounded point. Ears are mobile, and react sensitively to sounds. A line drawn from the nose tip through the eyes to the ear tips, and across, should form an approximate equilateral triangle. Bat ears, small catlike ears, overly large weak ears, hooded ears, ears carried too high or too low, are undesirable. Button, rose or drop ears are very serious faults. Nose--Black and fully pigmented.

Mouth--Scissors bite, the inner side of the upper incisors touching the outer side of the lower incisors. Level bite is acceptable. Overshot or undershot bite is a very serious fault. Lips--Black, tight with little or no fullness.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck--Fairly long. Of sufficient length to provide over-all balance of the dog. Slightly arched, clean and blending well into the shoulders. A very short neck giving a stuffy appearance and a long, thin or ewe neck are faulty. Topline--Firm and level, neither riding up to nor falling away at the croup. A slight depression behind the shoulders caused by heavier neck coat meeting the shorter body coat is permissible. Body--Rib cage should be well sprung, slightly egg-shaped and moderately long. Deep chest, well let down between the forelegs. Exaggerated lowness interferes with the desired freedom of movement and should be penalized. Viewed from above, the body should taper slightly to end of loin. Loin short. Round or flat rib cage, lack of brisket, extreme length or cobbiness, are undesirable. Tail--Docked as short as possible without being indented. Occasionally a puppy is born with a natural dock, which if sufficiently short, is acceptable. A tail up to two inches in length is allowed, but if carried high tends to spoil the contour of the topline.

Forequarters
Legs--Short, forearms turned slightly inward, with the distance between wrists less than between the shoulder joints, so that the front does not appear absolutely straight. Ample bone carried right down into the feet. Pasterns firm and nearly straight when viewed from the side. Weak pasterns and knuckling over are serious faults. Shoulder blades long and well laid back along the rib cage. Upper arms nearly equal in length to shoulder blades. Elbows parallel to the body, not prominent, and well set back to allow a line perpendicular to the ground to be drawn from tip of the shoulder blade through to elbow. Feet--Oval, with the two center toes slightly in advance of the two outer ones. Turning neither in nor out. Pads strong and feet arched. Nails short. Dewclaws on both forelegs and hindlegs usually removed. Too round, long and narrow, or splayed feet are faulty.

Hindquarters
Ample bone, strong and flexible, moderately angulated at stifle and hock. Exaggerated angulation is as faulty as too little. Thighs should be well muscled. Hocks short, parallel, and when viewed from the side are perpendicular to the ground. Barrel hocks or cowhocks are most objectionable. Slipped or double-jointed hocks are very faulty. Feet--as in front.

Coat
Medium length; short, thick, weather- resistant undercoat with a coarser, longer outer coat. Over-all length varies, with slightly thicker and longer ruff around the neck, chest and on the shoulders. The body coat lies flat. Hair is slightly longer on back of forelegs and underparts and somewhat fuller and longer on rear of hindquarters. The coat is preferably straight, but some waviness is permitted. This breed has a shedding coat, and seasonal lack of undercoat should not be too severely penalized, providing the hair is glossy, healthy and well groomed. A wiry, tightly marcelled coat is very faulty, as is an overly short, smooth and thin coat. Very Serious Fault--Fluffies--a coat of extreme length with exaggerated feathering on ears, chest, legs and feet, underparts and hindquarters. Trimming such a coat does not make it any more acceptable. The Corgi should be shown in its natural condition, with no trimming permitted except to tidy the feet, and, if desired, remove the whiskers.

Color
The outer coat is to be of self colors in red, sable, fawn, black and tan with or without white markings. White is acceptable on legs, chest, neck (either in part or as a collar), muzzle, underparts and as a narrow blaze on head. Very Serious Faults: Whitelies--Body color white, with red or dark markings. Bluies--Colored portions of the coat have a distinct bluish or smoky cast. This coloring is associated with extremely light or blue eyes, liver or gray eye rims, nose and lip pigment. Mismarks--Self colors with any area of white on the back between withers and tail, on sides between elbows and back of hindquarters, or on ears. Black with white markings and no tan present.
*NOTE: Click HERE to be redirected to the PWCCA Club for photos and explanations of the colors allowed and not allowed. Link will open in a new window.

Gait
Free and smooth. Forelegs should reach well forward without too much lift, in unison with the driving action of the hind legs. The correct shoulder assembly and well-fitted elbows allow a long, free stride in front. Viewed from the front, legs do not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly inward to compensate for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs should drive well under the body and move on a line with the forelegs, with hocks turning neither in nor out. Feet must travel parallel to the line of motion with no tendency to swing out, cross over or interfere with each other. Short, choppy movement, rolling or high-stepping gait, close or overly wide coming or going, are incorrect. This is a herding dog, which must have the agility, freedom of movement, and endurance to do the work for which he was developed.

Temperament
Outlook bold, but kindly. Never shy or vicious. The judge shall dismiss from the ring any Pembroke Welsh Corgi that is excessively shy.

Approved June 13, 1972
Reformatted January 28, 1993

The Herding Group

The Herding Group, created in 1983, is the newest AKC classification; its members were formerly members of the Working Group. All breeds share the fabulous ability to control the movement of other animals. A remarkable example is the low-set Corgi, perhaps one foot tall at the shoulders, that can drive a herd of cows many times its size to pasture by leaping and nipping at their heels. The vast majority of Herding dogs, as household pets, never cross paths with a farm animal. Nevertheless, pure instinct prompts many of these dogs to gently herd their owners, especially the children of the family. In general, these intelligent dogs make excellent companions and respond beautifully to training exercises.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. How long have you been breeding dogs?

We have been raising, breeding, showing, and training purebred dogs for over 30 years. My mother Gloria, began breeding German Shepherds in the 60's and went on to train and show them up until the early 90's. She competed in both obedience and confirmation shows. She and I both were members of the Atlanta Kennel Club as well as the Atlanta Obedience Club. She went on to become the Obedience Training Director for the AOC for one year and I was an instructor for over two years with them. I was raised from a small child till adulthood helping out around the kennel as well as training and showing our dogs. I later went on to start my own breeding program raising Shetland Sheepdogs in 1974. I raised championship dogs from 1974 to the year 2000. In that time I showed and trained in obedience as well as confirmation. I competed in both sports and did quiet well. Back then my kennel name was "Sugarfoot Shelties".

2. How many dogs do you have?

We have a very small kennel at this time. We have three females and one male. I have decided that this will remain a small hobby kennel. I am not breeding on a large scale but rather prefer to only have two or three litters a year.

3. Do you ship your dogs?

I prefer not to ship at all if I don't have to. I would much rather meet the person that is buying one of my pups. This way we get to know each other too.

4. Do you accept Deposits?

Yes, A  minimum non-refundable deposit of $250 will hold a puppy. By sending a deposit you are implying that you are ready, willing and able to purchase a pup and all that it entails. Be certain you are ready before sending any money.  Deposits are NON refundable unless the puppy dies while in my care. Deposits will start being taken when the puppy is chosen from a picture.

5. When can I pick up my puppy and bring it home?

People can come at 6 weeks to see their puppy. Visiting the puppy at 6 weeks will give the new owners a chance to see them running around and it is a fun age. Puppies will not leave here until they are eight weeks of age.

6. What forms of payment do you accept?

I will accept cash, money order, or payment through PayPal as far as the deposit is concerned. At time of pick-up the remainder must be paid in cash or money order. I will not accept a personal check. Only USD funds allowed.

7. Are your dogs vet checked?

Yes all my dogs are checked out by a vet annually. They receive a full examination as well as being checked for heredity defects and are given their annual shots, heartworm preventative, and flea preventatives. I try to keep all my dogs as well as puppies UTD on all their shots and worm free. As they become old enough they are screened for such diseases as Von Wilderbrand Disease (VWD), Eye disease, and joint and hip diseases. I will only keep and breed dogs that I know come from lines that are free of such disease and defects and are healthy and good representations of the breed.

BY NEXTDAYPETS.COM VIEW MY DOGS

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The Legend of
Pembroke Welsh Corgis

Legend has it that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an "enchanted" dog, and certainly this must be true! 'Tis said he was used by the fairies and elves of Wales to pull fairy coaches,work fairy cattle, and serve as a steed for the fairy warriors. Even today those people with keen eyes and understanding hearts may see the marks of the "fairy saddle" in the coat over the shoulders.

by Anne G. Biddlecomb

Would you know where Corgis came from?
How they came to live by mortals?
Hearken to the ancient legend,
Hearken to the story teller.

On the mountains of the Welsh-land
In its green and pleasant valleys,
Lived the peasant folk of old times,
Lived our fathers and grandfathers
And they toiled and laboured greatly,
With their cattle and their ploughing,
That their women might have plenty.
And their children journeyed daily,
With the kine upon the mountain.
Seeing that they did not wander,
Did not come to any mischief,
While their fathers ploughed the valley
And their mothers made the cheeses.

'Till one day they found two puppies
Found them playing in a hollow,
Playing like a pair of fox-cubs,
Burnished gold their coat and colour,
Shining like a piece of satin -
Short and straight and thick their forelegs
And their heads were like a fox's.
But their eyes were kind and gentle;
Long of body were these dwarf dogs,
And without a tail behind them.

Now the children stayed all day there,
And they learned to love the dwarf dogs,
Shared their bread and water with them,
Took them home with them at even.
Made them welcome in the kitchen,
Made them welcome in the homestead.

When the men came home at sunset
Saw them lying in the basket,
Heard the tale the children told them,
Found them playing in the hollow
They were filled with joy and wonder,
Said it was a fairy present,
Was a present from the wee folk,
For their father told a legend
How the fairies kept some dwarf dogs.
Called them Corgis - Fairy heelers;
Made them work the fairy cattle,
Made them pull the fairy coaches,
Made them steeds for fairy riders,
Made them fairy children's playmates;
Kept them hidden in the mountains,
Kept them in the mountain's shadow,
Lest the eye of mortal see one.

Now the Corgis grew and prospered,
And the fairies' life was in them,
In the lightness of their movement,
In the quickness of their turning,
In their badness and their goodness.
And they learnt to work for mortals,
Learnt to love their mortal masters,
Learnt to work their master's cattle,
Learnt to play with mortal children.

Now in every vale and hamlet,
In the valley and the mountains,
From the little town of Tenby,
By the Port of Mildford Haven,
To St. David's Head and Fishguard,
In the valley of the Cleddau,
On the mountains of Preselly,
Lives the Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi,
Lives the corgi with his master.
Should you doubt this ancient story,
Laugh and scoff and call it nonsense,
Look and see the saddle markings
Where the fairy warriors rode them.
(As they ride them still at midnight,

On Midsummer's Eve at midnight,
When we mortals all are sleeping.)
Long, long ago in days of yore,
It might've been sooner, if not before,
Along a mountain track there came,
A gallant Corgi of quite some fame.
And there beside the track he spied

A maiden fair, who to him cried,
Oh kindly Corgi, hear my plea;
I've fallen off my horse you see,
And so before you further roam,
Would you please sir take me home?

So said the Corgi, I do confess;
How could I leave you in distress?
So climb upon my back fair maid
I'll take you home, as you have bade.
And so the Corgi started forth;

My home's a castle to the north.
They journeyed there, and at her door
She cried, I should have said before,
I'm a fairy princess sir, you see,
And for your kindness to me,
I'll leave upon your back
All traces of the fairy tack.
And till this day you still can find
The fairy's saddle to remind,
How the Corgi helped the princess fair,

And just as well for You will care. 

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