According to Welsh legend, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was the enchanted dog of fairies who would use them to pull tiny coaches. The Corgi’s markings over the shoulders and withers (on the back, between the shoulder blades) is known by some as a “fairy saddle.”

A more likely reality is that the dog was brought to Wales from Scandinavia or Continental Europe. Some say the Corgi arrived with the Vikings as early as 800 A.D. Others claim it was Flemish weavers who introduced the dog to the Welsh in the 12th century. The breed is related to the Samoyed, the Chow Chow and the Finnish Spitz — and now is split into two breeds: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Corgi. Pembrokes are more popular, more outgoing and often sport a docked, nubby tail.

 

 

Pembroke Vs. Cardigan

There are two types of Welsh corgis: the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi. They are considered two entirely different breeds because they come from different ancestors. Their remarkable resemblance is a result of crossbreeding in the 19th century.

The Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi have similar backgrounds. The Pembroke is the newer of the two, dating from 1107, according to the American Kennel Club. Flemish weavers brought the Pembroke to Wales. The weavers were also farmers who put the Pembroke corgis to work herding cattle. The Cardigan is one of the earliest dog breeds in Britain. A warrior tribe of Celts brought the corgis in their aboriginal form to Cardiganshire, Wales around 1200 BCE, which means corgis have been in Wales for over 3000 years. The Welsh, who owned little land at the time, grazed cattle on common land. They trained Cardigans to nip the heels of cattle to drive them away to cover more land. This early breed was a member of the Teckel family of dogs that went on to include the dachshund.

The two types of corgis were registered as one in 1925, leading to a lot of stress among breeders. But in 1934, the Cardigan and the Pembroke were officially recognized as separate breeds. The biggest differences in appearance are that the Cardigan has a tail and is larger, and the Pembroke has more of a foxy look with pointier ears.