It is one of two breeds known as a Welsh Corgi, the other being the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Pembroke Welsh Corgis descended from the Spitz family of dogs. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are famous as the preferred breed of Queen Elizabeth II, who owned more than 30 Royal corgis during her reign. Although these dogs have been favoured by British royalty for more than seventy years, among the British public th
ey have recently fallen into decline in terms of popularity and demand. However, they remain very popular in the United States. Cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco hold annual "Corgi Meetups" in which hundreds of dogs and their owners congregate to spend the day. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has been ranked 11th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, which states that the breed is considered an excellent working dog. Pembroke Welsh Corgis were ranked 11th most popular breed of dog in 2020 according to the American Kennel Club. Appearance
Tricolour Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has erect ears that are in proportion to the equilateral triangle of the head. The breed standard indicates that the ears should be firm, medium in size, and tapered slightly to a rounded point. The head should be "fox-like" in shape and appearance. Pembroke Welsh Corgis differ from the Cardigan Welsh Corgi by being shorter in length, having smaller ears, and being slightly straighter of leg. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has somewhat lighter markings on each side of the withers caused by changes in the thickness, length, and direction of hair growth. Being a double-coated dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi sheds heavily all year around, with peaks in the spring and autumn. With regular brushing, their coat is fairly easy to maintain, as well as naturally water- and dirt repellent (at the exception of "fluffies"). Intact females are also known to shed during heat. Breed faults exist and should not be bred on purpose; such as corgis with a very long and thinner coat coming from a recessive gene and red coats present with a bluish cast which have a diluted colour. While some outlying Pembroke Welsh Corgis are born with their tail naturally short, the majority often have their tails docked between 2–5 days old due to historical tradition or to conform to the Breed Standard. Artificial docking was not needed for the dog to do its job as a herding dog in the United Kingdom as many claim (since Cardigan Welsh corgis were also herding dogs but never docked) but rather because a non-herding dog was considered a luxury under tax law and attracted a tax, so to demonstrate that their dogs were herding dogs, owners had to ensure the dogs had docked tails.[citation needed] The Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, and the FCI allow intact tails in Conformation shows. The AKC Standard states tails should be docked no longer than 2 inches (5 cm). Temperament
Welsh Corgi puppy standing on rear legs and sticking out the tongue Pembroke Welsh Corgis love to be involved in the family, and tend to follow wherever their owners go. They have a great desire to please their owners, thus making them eager to learn and train. The dogs can also be challenging to train due to their working background, stubbornness and intelligence - they were ranked as the eleventh most intelligent dog in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs. Besides herding, they also function as watchdogs due to their alertness and tendency to bark, which can be aggravated if they are not stimulated adequately. Most Pembrokes will seek the attention of everyone they meet and behave well around children and other pets. It is important to socialize this breed with other animals, adults, and children when they are very young to avoid any anti-social behaviour or aggression later in life. Due to their herding and - for some - prey instinct, they love to chase anything that moves, so it is best to keep them inside fenced areas. The herding instinct will also cause some younger Pembrokes to nip at their owners' ankles as this is what they were bred to do with cattle. Health
Pembroke leaving teeter-totter during a dog agility competition. Pembrokes have an average life expectancy of 12–15 years. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are achondroplastic, meaning they are a "true dwarf" breed. As such, their stature and build can lead to certain non-inherited health conditions, but genetic issues should also be considered. Commonly, Pembrokes can suffer from monorchidism, Von Willebrand's disease, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy (DM), and inherited eye problems such as progressive retinal atrophy. Genetic testing is available for Pembroke Welsh Corgis to avoid these issues and enhance the genetic health pool. Pembrokes are also prone to obesity given a robust appetite, characteristic of herding group breeds.
