3292. Welsh Corgi

The Welsh corgi is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. Two distinct breeds are recognized: the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi, with the Pembroke being the more common.

The corgi's origin is difficult to trace. There is mention in an 11th century manuscript of a Welsh cattle dog, though there is no evidence about whether this is the corgi or an ancestor.
Welsh folklore says the corgi is the preferred mount of fairy warriors. There is also a folk legend that says corgis were a gift from the woodland fairies, and that the breed's markings were left on its coat by fairy harnesses and saddles. Corgis often have a marking, a white stripe, that runs from the nose, through the eyes, and up into the forehead, this marking is referred to as their blaze.
The first recorded date for corgis appearing in the show ring in Wales is 1925. The first show corgis were straight off the farm and gained only moderate attention. Subsequent breeding efforts to improve upon the dog's natural good looks were rewarded with increased popularity. For years the two breeds, the Cardigan Welsh corgi and the Pembroke Welsh corgi, were shown as two varieties of a single breed. Since the two Corgi breeds developed in the Welsh hill country, in areas only a few miles apart, there is evidence of crossbreeding between the two that accounts for the similarities.
The Cardigan is one of the oldest breeds of dog in Britain and has been employed for centuries by Welsh farmers to herd cattle, herding the owner's livestock to grazing areas and driving the neighbor's cattle out of gardens and open pastures. In early settlements these dogs were prized family members, helping hunt game and guarding children. The Pembroke is believed to have been introduced to Wales by Flemish weavers about 1100, though 920 is also a suggested date. Another possibility for this corgi's origin is breeding between Cardigans and the Swedish Vallhund, a spitz-type dog closely resembling the Pembroke and brought to Wales by Norse invaders.