Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Steady and loyal; watchful and quick to learn.
A Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Photo: FatFairfax
Adult male
14–17 kg
30–38 lb
Adult female
11–15 kg
25–34 lb
Lifespan
13.1 yrs
Class · Companion
also Working, Sport

What it's like

In temperament it is affectionate and loyal with its own people, steady, alert and quick to learn. It is often described as more reserved with strangers than the Pembroke and makes a watchful guard. Its name is often explained as Welsh for 'dwarf dog', though this origin is not certain.

Day to day
Activity
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs steady training
With people
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Sensitivity
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
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Living with one

Most of the shedding comes when the seasons change. The grooming it needs depends on the coat. It needs plenty of exercise compared with other breeds.

Size and growth

A Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a medium dog, about the weight of a grown Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Males end up clearly heavier than females. It is one of the lightest medium breeds.

The Cardigan is long and low, set on short, sturdy legs with fairly heavy bone, and its forefeet turn slightly outward. Its large, upright ears have gently rounded tips, and its long, bushy tail is carried low, much like a fox's brush. The weatherproof double coat is short to medium in length and comes in a wider range of colours than the Pembroke's, including blue merle, brindle, red, sable, and black with tan or brindle points, often with white markings.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 5 months, a male Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppy is already as heavy as a grown Pug. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
11 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight7
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
051015202m4m6m9m12m18m
051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
3.0–3.7 kg 6.6–8.2 lb
3.2–4.3 kg 7.1–9.5 lb
3 months
4.4–5.5 kg 9.7–12.1 lb
4.1–5.6 kg 9.0–12.3 lb
4 months
6.3–8.0 kg 13.9–17.6 lb
5.5–7.6 kg 12.1–16.8 lb
5 months
8.1–10.3 kg 17.9–22.7 lb
6.7–9.1 kg 14.8–20.1 lb
6 months
9.7–12.3 kg 21.4–27.1 lb
7.6–10.4 kg 16.8–22.9 lb
7 months
10.9–13.8 kg 24.0–30.4 lb
8.3–11.3 kg 18.3–24.9 lb
8 months
11.7–14.8 kg 25.8–32.6 lb
8.9–12.1 kg 19.6–26.7 lb
9 months
12.3–15.6 kg 27.1–34.4 lb
9.3–12.7 kg 20.5–28.0 lb
10 months
12.7–16.1 kg 28.0–35.5 lb
9.7–13.2 kg 21.4–29.1 lb
11 months
13.0–16.4 kg 28.7–36.2 lb
10.0–13.6 kg 22.0–30.0 lb
12 months
13.2–16.7 kg 29.1–36.8 lb
10.2–13.9 kg 22.5–30.6 lb
15 months
13.5–17.1 kg 29.8–37.7 lb
10.8–14.7 kg 23.8–32.4 lb
18 months
14–17 kg 30–38 lb
11.2–15.2 kg 24.7–33.5 lb

Lifespan

In UK vet records, the typical Cardigan Welsh Corgi lived to about 13 years, about average for a medium breed. The group was small, so treat the figure as rough.

Where it comes from

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is named for Cardiganshire in Wales and is thought to be the elder of the two corgis. A heeler, it nipped at cattle to keep them moving and guarded them overnight on long drives. It was bred freely with the Pembroke until the Kennel Club recognised the two as separate breeds in 1934, and it has always kept its tail9,10.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi takes its name from the old county of Cardiganshire, where small hill farmers relied on it to move their cattle. When common land was enclosed and the long drives to market declined in the nineteenth century, the breed lost much of its original work and became scarce. It remains uncommon today, and the Kennel Club lists it among its vulnerable native breeds.

Breed standard

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is judged against standard no. 38, in group 1, Sheepdogs and Cattledogs4.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Cardigan Welsh Corgi figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a medium-sized breed is most likely somewhere in the middle.

Compare with related

Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Small
Miniature American Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Small
Croatian Sheepdog
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
Puli
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
Or compare the Cardigan Welsh Corgi with any breed you choose
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Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·