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Who wouldn’t love aWelsh corgi?
These adorable pooches are friendly, energetic, and just plain funny.
Originating from Wales, today they’re one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States.
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Their smarts make them easy to train and these energetic dogs love to get out and get active.
Scroll down to learn 10 fun facts about beloved corgis.
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There are two different breeds.
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The Pembroke is the more popular breed, though the Cardigan is believed to be the older breed.
Cardigans are also slightly bigger than Pembrokes and can come in any color.
Their name reflects their size.
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Measuring just 10 to 13 inches in height, these little dogs have a name that reflects their stature.
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They have an ancient history.
As Pembroke Welsh corgis and Cardigan Welsh corgis are different breeds, they have different histories.
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The Cardigan was introduced to Wales by Celts around 1200 BCE.
This ancestor of the modern breed is also related to the dachshund.
The Pembroke Welsh corgi is believed to have been introduced by Flemish weavers around 1100 CE.
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The ancestor of the Pembroke belongs to the same group that is responsible for Samoyeds and Pomeranians.
There’s a legend around their evolution.
A folk legend states that these enchanted dogs were gifts left by fairies.
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Corgis are herders.
Though you may not realize it by their size, corgis are actually herding dogs.
In fact, they’re the smallest breed in the herding group.
Specifically, they were bred to work with cattle and kept them moving by nipping at their hooves.
This makes them heelers and their small stature worked to their advantage in this position.
No fear, corgis can be trained out of this habit, especially if you start young.
They are very smart.
Corgis aren’t just cute and spunky, they’re also very intelligent.
In fact, out of 110 breeds ranked by canine IQ, the Pembroke Welsh corgi came in 11th.
The Cardigan Welsh corgi wasn’t too far behind, coming in 26th.
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Queen Elizabeth is a big fan.
Her fondness for Pembroke Welsh corgis goes back to her childhood.
Her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, both owned corgis.
Queen Elizabeth II was gifted her first in 1933 by her father when she was just seven years old.
Currently, the Queen does not have any full-bred corgis.
Over the years, the Queen’s love of corgis has raised the level of the breed’s popularity.
They’re also the topic of the 2019 animated film,The Queen’s Corgis.
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They’re very talkative.
For a dog that’s so small, corgis have a big bark.
Given their extreme intelligence, they have a lot to communicate.
Many aren’t born without tails.
According to breed standards, Pembroke Welsh corgis should not have a tail.
Surprisingly, the same can’t be said in the UK, where interest in the breeds has declined.
The Cardigan Welsh corgi faired even worse and is still listed as vulnerable with just 126 registrations in 2019.
Some credit this to renewed interested after they were featured on Netflix’sThe Crown.
Influential Instagram corgis includelacorgi,Maxine the Fluffy Corgi,Tibby the Corgi, andRalph the Corgi.
