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Pembroke Welsh Corgi Dog Breed Introduction
Pembroke Welsh Corgi is small-sized cattle herding dog breed from Pembrokeshire, Wales. They make great watchdogs due to their tendency to bark and alertness. Due to their working background, they may easily become nuisance barkers if they are not properly stimulated. Pembrokes are eager to learn and train due to their great desire to please their owners.
It is one of the two breeds known as Welsh Corgi or simply Corgi. The other Corgi breed is Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The quickest way to distinguish between Pembrokes and Cardigans is to check the hindquarters; Pembrokes have a natural bob or docked tail while Cardigans have a long tail that reaches the hock.
It was the preferred breed of Queen Elizabeth II who had at least 30 Royal Corgis during her reign. Despite Pembrokes been favored by the British Royalty for more than seven decades, their popularity and demand has greatly declined among the British public. Although, they are still popular in the Cities of United States such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston which hold annual Corgi Meetups in which hundreds of dogs and parents meet to congregate the day.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Origin | History
A Pembroke originated from Pembrokeshire, Wales as far as 1107 AD. Historians believe the progenitors of these dogs came with Flemish Weavers as they traveled to settle in Wales. Some connect the origin of these dogs to fairies. The story goes, two children were out in the field looking after the family cattle when they discovered a couple of puppies. Initially, the kids thought the puppies were foxes. However, they recognized something different about them and took them home.
Immediately the parents recognized that the puppies were not foxes but dogs. They went ahead to tell their children they were gifts from the fairies that lived in the field. Therefore, the children were happy and cherished their puppies. As they were brought up, the dogs became treasured companions that learned to help the children take care of the cattle.
Corgis were recognized in the 1920s as pure bred dogs by the UK Kennel Club. Welsh Corgis were first exhibited for the first time in 1925. At the time, both Cardigans and Pembrokes were shown in the same class as one breed. The two purebreds were recognized as separate breeds in 1934 by KC(Kennel Club) and AKC.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Lifespan
According to AKC, a Pembroke has a lifespan of 12 to 13 years. Although, majority live up to the age of 14 or 15 years.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Grooming
A Pembroke has a double-layered coat that sheds moderately on a daily basis. Daily brushing is needed using a slicker brush and a comb to remove loose hair and reduce the amount of loose hair on the floor. Regular brushing helps to confine the loose hair in the brush that would otherwise spread around the house and also promotes new hair growth. Pembrokes also experience heavy shedding during Spring and Fall. During the heavy shedding season, bath the pet using warm water to loosen the dead hairs. Dry off the coat first before brushing it using an undercoat rake to remove the loose hair.
This is a relatively clean breed that needs a bath every 4 to 6 weeks unless it rolls off into something stinky. Use a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner to bath and moisturize the coat. After a bath, thoroughly, rinse off the coat to remove the grooming products from the coat to prevent skin irritation. Remember to wipe the eye corners using a damp clean washcloth.
Trim the nails of a Pembroke every 3 to 5 weeks to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking. Overly grown nails are painful for your Pembroke while running or walking. Brush the teeth of your pooch at least twice a week if not daily using a tasty canine toothpaste and toothbrush to remove tartar buildup. Clean the ears weekly using cotton balls and an ear cleanser solution. Check out for signs of dog’s ear infection such as odor, redness, and a dark discharge.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Shedding
A Pembroke is a heavy shedder. It has a thick waterproof coat that sheds a fair amount on a daily basis and heavily when experiencing a seasonal change in Spring and Fall.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Coat
A Pembroke has a double coat consisting of a top coat and an undercoat. The topcoat is coarse and longer while the undercoat is short, thick, and weather resistant.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Hypoallergenic
A Pembroke is not a hypoallergenic breed. It has a moulting coat that sheds a fair amount of hair on a daily basis and heavily during Spring and Fall. Shedding releases dander and hair into the environment triggering allergies. Apart from dander and fur, Pembroke’s urine, saliva, and mucus also contain a protein allergen that triggers allergic reactions.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Training | Training Tips
A Pembroke has a great desire to please the owner which makes it eager to learn. However, it may be challenging to train a Pembroke due to its stubbornness, and working background. Fortunately, they are highly intelligent dogs that respond well to reward-based training methods such as the use of treats, toys, petting, verbal praise, and playtime. However, a Pembroke is also a sensitive breed and harsh correction methods should not be used on them. They make training counterproductive. Some of the harsh correction methods include use of choke or prong collars, beating, kicking, yelling, or shoving.
To raise a friendly, well-adjusted, and well-mannered Pembroke, socialization is key. Naturally, a Pembroke is a social dog that loves spending time with humans. Therefore, it is crucial to get them used to meeting new people from an early age. This training starts from an early age of 3 weeks while a Pembroke pup is with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks after the pet has already settled in its new home. Although, socialization can be a life-long training process to ensure the dog matures to have a well-rounded temperament. Normally, owners take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks.
To socialize a Pembroke, expose it to a wide variety of people, animals, places, sight, situations, surfaces, smell, experiences, and sounds such as sirens, door bells, baby crying sounds, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, whistles, and washing machine. Enrolling a Pembroke in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes create a controlled environment where dogs get to interact. Puppy classes are also beneficial to parents. They not only allow the them to identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
Keep the training sessions short for a span of 5 minutes distributed throughout the day to prevent boredom and distraction. Start teaching basic command words like come, sit, stay, lie down, heel, drop it, leave it, etc. one at a time until a Pembroke is well-acquainted before proceeding to the next command word. Avoid issuing a command word while too excited or frustrated since it does not sound the same for your pet. Teaching the drop it command is especially helpful with this breed. A Pembroke has a strong jaw grip and it will prevent it from eating what they are not supposed to.
Effectively house break a Pembroke by creating a feeding schedule, crate training, potty training, and teaching the dog the chewable and non-chewable stuff. A crate is a device that helps owners to closely monitor the dog for signs that it wants to eliminate such as whining, squatting, sniffing, restlessness, circling, and trying to lift a leg against the crate wall. Get positive results while potty training by taking a Pembroke to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, every 2 to 3 hours, following an exciting activity such as a car ride and playtime, after naptime, and before bedtime. The bladder and bowel muscles of a pup strengthens as it matures. Therefore, from the age of 8 months, a Pembroke should go for potty breaks every 6 hours.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Temperament | Personality | Traits
- Intelligent.
- Sociable.
- Stubborn.
- Confident.
- Eager to learn and train.
- Willing to please the owners.
- Alert.
- Watchful.
- Vocal.
- Active.
- Loving.
- Happy.
- Athletic.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Exercise
This is an athletic dog that is happy when he has something to do. Pembrokes benefit from moderate daily exercise to maintain their mental and physical health. These dogs do well on slow jogs or long walks. However, they can’t keep up with a bicycle rider due to their short legs. Avoid exercising a Pembroke in extreme cold or heat and always provide plenty of cool fresh water after exercise. A Pembroke also excels at canine activities such as herding, agility, obedience, and tracking events.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Barking
A Pembroke is a vocal breed that has a tendency to bark. It is also alert and watchful dog which makes it an excellent watchdog. However, it may easily develop a habit of excessive barking if it is not properly exercised.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Height
Both female and male Pembrokes have a height of 10 to 12 inches ( approx. 25 to 30 cm ).
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Weight
A male Pembroke has a weight of 24 to 31 pounds ( approx. 11 to 14 kg ) while a female Pembroke has a weight of 24 to 28 pounds ( approx. 11 to 13 kg ).
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Size
A Pembroke is a small-sized herding dog breed that has a height of 10 to 12 inches ( approx. 25 to 30 cm ). However, Male Pembrokes are slightly heavier with a weight of 24 to 31 pounds ( approx. 11 to 14 kg ) while female Pembrokes have a weight of 24 to 28 pounds ( approx. 11 to 13 kg ).
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Health Issues
A Pembroke is a robust and healthy breed. However, it suffers from certain health issues such as degenerative myelopathy, hip dysplasia, monorchidism, eye disorders like progressive retinal atrophy, obesity, Von Willebrand’s disease, and elbow dysplasia.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Names
A Pembroke parent may decide to get a name for the pet before it joins them home from the breeder or days after it has already settled home to ensure they understand the personality of the particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the heritage of the breed, coat color, personality, celebrity Pembrokes, food, movie, song, book, nature, or historical figures.
Regardless of where the parent will source the name, he or she should ensure it freely rolls off his or her tongue without making them embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places. A Pembroke and other dog breeds better understand a name that has vowels.
Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with the command words to prevent confusion. If a Pembroke owner settles with a long name, he or she should ensure they find a cute nickname for the dog. Some Pembrokes may share a name with one of the family member or guest that frequent the home which may result to confusion. Some of the names that Pembroke parents give to their pets include:
- Lindy.
- Logan.
- Ella.
- Thor.
- Homer.
- Tom.
- Wilson.
- Bandit.
- Rogers.
- Walter.
- Arya.
- Mabel.
- Queenie.
- Missy.
- Kate.
- Ginger, etc.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Food
The amount of food that Pembroke feeds on depends on its age, activity level, metabolism, size, and body build. Puppies tend to eat small portions of food 3 or 4 times a day due to high metabolism rates from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Pembrokes feed on a total two meals a day. Avoid leaving a food bowl all-day long for the pet to graze on it since they are prone to obesity. Pembroke owners should also watch out for calorie consumption and weight level to avoid overfeeding.
Pembrokes may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time(of preparation) of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, parents should ensure that the dog feeds on a balanced diet to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If a Pembroke parent decides to feed the pet with the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial dog food should neither contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, Meat by-products, generic meat products, nor fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for small-sized, puppies, adults, and seniors depending on the age of your Pembroke. Check the physique of your pet to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, a Pembroke has an ideal weight. If the ribs can’t be felt, the dog is overweight and should be exercised. Owners who want to switch to another quality food should gradually do this over a period of four weeks by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Pembroke is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Apart from Pembroke Welshi Corgi, other dog breeds include:
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Colors | Coat Colors
A Pembroke can have a fawn, sable, Black & White, Red, or Black & tan coat colors which may or may not have white markings on the neck, legs, chest, on the head as a narrow blaze, underparts, and muzzle.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Types
A Pembroke is one of the type Welsh Corgi breed. The other type is Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Harness
A Pembroke should go for walks on a leash and exercise inside fenced areas. This breed loves chasing anything that moves due to its herding background. A pet parent may choose to walk a Pembroke in a leash that is attached to the collar or harness depending on the proper leash manners of the dog. A harness is the preferred option for dogs that love pulling while on the leash while a collar is suitable for pets that have proper leash manners and less likely to pull.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Allergies
A Corgi may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Food allergies – A Pembroke may suffer from a true food allergy though in rare cases. True food allergies result to an immune response that is normally accompanied with a wide range of symptoms such as skin issues( hives, lesions, sores, pruritus, and dermatitis) to gastrointestinal stress ( acute vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss, and bloating). Apart from food allergies, a Pembroke may also suffer from food intolerance.
Skin allergies – Pembrokes may suffer from skin allergies due to food, contact, and environmental allergies that manifest on the skin.
Contact allergies – This allergy causes inflammation to a Pembroke once the skin comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect Pembrokes include plastics, lawn chemicals, bed linens, grooming products, carpet cleaning detergents, latex, and medication.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergens that affect Pembrokes include fleas, mites, grass, pollen, ragweed, pollen, dust and dust mites, and house molds. Fleas cause flea allergy dermatitis that causes excessive scratching and biting until the skin around the bite area (normally back legs and underneath the tail) is raw.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Biting
A Pembroke pup is prone to biting and nipping. Due to the herding instinct of the breed, puppies will tend to nip at the ankles of their owners as this is what they were bred to do with cattle. A pup is likely to bite while playing, exploring the environment, or when teething due to discomfort. Parents should discourage nipping and biting during puppyhood through bite inhibition training and redirection.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Ears
A Pembroke has firm, medium-sized, erect ears that taper slightly to a rounded point.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Tail | With Tail
Most Pembrokes have their tails docked between 2 to 5 days due to conforming to the breed’s standard or the historical tradition. However, some are born with natural bob tails.
Are Pembroke Welsh Corgi Hypoallergenic
No. A Pembroke has a moulting coat that sheds on a daily basis at moderate levels and heavily while experiencing seasonal change in Spring and Fall. Shedding allows the spread of dander and fur in the house triggering allergic reaction. Dog’s urine, saliva, and mucus also contain a protein allergen that aggravates allergies.
Do Pembroke Welsh Corgis Shed
Yes. Pembrokes sheds a fair amount of hair on a daily basis and heavily twice a year during Spring and Fall.
Do Pembroke Welsh Corgis Bark A Lot
Yes. Pembrokes have a tendency to bark. They are also alert which makes them great watchdogs.
Do Pembroke Welsh Corgis Have Tails
Yes. Pembrokes have tails that are docked or some are born with natural short tails.
Pembrokes Quick Facts
- They were the favorite pets of Queen Elizabeth II during her reign for more than seven decades.
- Professor Stanley Coren ranked Pembrokes 11th in The Intelligence of Dogs.
- In 2020, Pembrokes were the 11th most popular breed according to the American Kennel Club.
