Corgi Breeds
Cardigan Welsh CorgiCardigan Welsh Corgis are the oldest of the two breeds and are more reserved than a Pembroke, especially when meeting new people. They truly are big dogs in a smaller body. Our Cardigans are fiercely loyal, and you will not find a better babysitter for your children. You can spot a Cardigan due to their tail and larger body structure. Male Cardigans can naturally weigh up to nearly 40 pounds. Their accepted breed standard coat colors are also very different as they can come in black and white, brindle, blue merle, along with tri, red and they are allowed to have more white markings than the Pembroke. Off standard colors that are rare to find but are indeed naturally occurring in the breed are liver (chocolate), cream (pink), and dilute (bluie).
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Pembroke Welsh CorgiPembroke Welsh Corgis are a favorite of British Royalty, and it's easy to see why. They are loyal, affectionate, and highly intelligent - they are ranked number 11th for the smartest dog breeds. They are eager to please their people which in turn makes them easier than many canine breeds to train. I haven't met many breeds as food motivated as these guys are, they will do anything for a treat! They are attention seeking lovebugs that demand attention from everyone they meet. Ours are what I call my four-legged shadows that never let me out of their sight. Like with all of our Corgis, we highly recommend using in person training or utilizing Baxter & Bella's online puppy school.
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American Corgi
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American Corgis are a cross between a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Cardigans and Pembrokes actually used to be interbred until 1934. If you were to breed test our American Corgis, they will come back testing as 100% Pembroke Welsh Corgi and their size will reflect as such. Their personalities are a perfect blend between a Pembroke and a Cardigan. It's the best of both worlds! I find them to be a little more laid back overall with less of a herding drive.
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Colors of the Corgi
Below we will give examples of some of the colors that we can produce here in our puppies.
TriThis is a photo of our very first Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Her name is Remy. She is my very first Corgi ever and the whole reason I fell in love with the breed. She passed away in 2023 at the age of 12. She is a beautiful example of a Red Headed Tri (RHT). A similar color is the Black Headed Tri (BHT) where there is predominantly solid black on the head, ears, and around the eyes instead of red.
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MismarkOur retired girl Tiki is an example of a Black Headed Tri (BHT) mismark or whitely Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The large patches of white on her back are due to the S-Locus gene which changes the solid coat pattern to a white spotted one. This is a naturally occurring gene in the Pembroke. They are not acceptable in the show ring as it is considered a fault. It does not affect their overall health at all, just their coat color. Below, our retired girl Izzy carried the same gene, but she is marked with less white.
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BluieBluie or Dilute can be found in any coat color. It comes from the D-Locus gene. It will dilute a tri based Corgi into a steel grey color and a red or sable into a dusty rose color. Red bluies can be harder to spot than tri bluies as adults. Their eyes always give them away in either color as they will be a unique grey blue or hazel.
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RedWhen many think of Corgis, they think of the traditional red and white ones that Queen Elizabeth had. Our retired girl Izzy and Mom to our girl Mercy, is an example of a fawn sable or light red Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She is the lightest red colored Corgi we have ever owned.
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Blue MerleBobby is a past puppy of ours and an example of a fluffy (long coated) blue merle Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Merles can come in a range of colors, but the pattern is usually a splash of darker shades, marbled against a lighter color such as white or grey. Corgis can come in multiple different merle types such as tweed merle and harlequin merle. This is defined by testing their individual merle lengths, which we always do to ensure we are never breeding merle to merle.
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BrindleSometimes described as tiger-striped, brindles have a subtly striped pattern that can come in a range of colors. Brindle typically appears as black stripes or blotches over a light or dark red base. A previous male of ours, Phoenix, is an example of a red-based brindle.
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Black & WhiteThis is Willow, a past puppy of ours. Willow is a darling example of a fluffy (long coated) true black and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi. She has what is called "ticking" on her face, which looks like doggy freckles! She was 7 weeks old in this photo and her ears now stand, same with her brother Bobby above.
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Health
Size & Weight:
Corgis life spans are 12-15 years of age. They are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) tall from their feet to the top of their shoulders.
Pembrokes & American Corgis weigh:
Males: 25–30 lbs (30-40 for Cardigans)
Females: 23–28 lbs (25-35 for Cardigans)
They usually reach their full height by 10 months old, but their bodies keep filling out until they reach full maturity at 2 years of age.
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD1):
Von Willebrand Disease (abbreviated VWD) is a bleeding disorder. Corgis as a breed are prone to VWD1.
We genetically test for this disease, and all of our puppies are either Clear or Carrier Not Affected and will never be at risk.
Corgis life spans are 12-15 years of age. They are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) tall from their feet to the top of their shoulders.
Pembrokes & American Corgis weigh:
Males: 25–30 lbs (30-40 for Cardigans)
Females: 23–28 lbs (25-35 for Cardigans)
They usually reach their full height by 10 months old, but their bodies keep filling out until they reach full maturity at 2 years of age.
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD1):
Von Willebrand Disease (abbreviated VWD) is a bleeding disorder. Corgis as a breed are prone to VWD1.
We genetically test for this disease, and all of our puppies are either Clear or Carrier Not Affected and will never be at risk.
Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC):
Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is collapse and weakness in canines after intense exercise.
We genetically test for this disease, and all of our puppies are Clear and will never be at risk.
Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is collapse and weakness in canines after intense exercise.
We genetically test for this disease, and all of our puppies are Clear and will never be at risk.
Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD):
Corgis are a high risk breed for intervertebral disk disease mostly because of their long backs and short legs. They can get a slipped or ruptured disk much like we can. Keeping your Corgi at a healthy weight can help to greatly lower the risk of any future back problems. Also try to keep them from jumping off furniture, beds that are high off the ground, and running up and down stairs frequently. We also recommend picking up your Corgi instead of letting them jump out of the car.
Corgis are indeed prone to this disease and many will test as having two copies of this gene. This isn't to say your Puppy will definitely develop it. This is to inform you so you know there are things you can do to help prevent it!
Corgis are a high risk breed for intervertebral disk disease mostly because of their long backs and short legs. They can get a slipped or ruptured disk much like we can. Keeping your Corgi at a healthy weight can help to greatly lower the risk of any future back problems. Also try to keep them from jumping off furniture, beds that are high off the ground, and running up and down stairs frequently. We also recommend picking up your Corgi instead of letting them jump out of the car.
Corgis are indeed prone to this disease and many will test as having two copies of this gene. This isn't to say your Puppy will definitely develop it. This is to inform you so you know there are things you can do to help prevent it!
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM):
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a degenerative disease of the spinal cord. The thing about DM is even if the Corgi tests at risk or carries two copies of Degenerative Myelopathy, there's only a 3% chance of them ever developing it. It is typically a disease that happens later in life. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) says it onsets after 11 years of age. The only way to confirm a dog's death from DM is through an autopsy. An important thing to know about Degenerative Myelopathy is that it is not a painful disease. Currently 60% of Pembrokes test “At Risk” for DM.
We genetically test for this disease, and ALL of our Corgi puppies are Clear or Carrier Not Affected and will never be at risk for DM.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a degenerative disease of the spinal cord. The thing about DM is even if the Corgi tests at risk or carries two copies of Degenerative Myelopathy, there's only a 3% chance of them ever developing it. It is typically a disease that happens later in life. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) says it onsets after 11 years of age. The only way to confirm a dog's death from DM is through an autopsy. An important thing to know about Degenerative Myelopathy is that it is not a painful disease. Currently 60% of Pembrokes test “At Risk” for DM.
We genetically test for this disease, and ALL of our Corgi puppies are Clear or Carrier Not Affected and will never be at risk for DM.
We genetically test all of our Corgis through Gensol Diagnostics, UC Davis, and Embark. Each of our breeding adults receive a full Embark panel and we will run individual tests or retests through Gensol, along with merle length testing through UC Davis to ensure absolute safety when breeding any of our merles as to not produce any double merle puppies. I place a lot of stock and pride breeding our Corgis for their overall health, personality, intelligence, along with structure and beauty - breeding as close as possible to the breed standard. I want the whole package for you as a potential Corgi parent. I believe in pairing you with a puppy that will make your life complete. Not a puppy that will be overwhelming and difficult to train. I believe in the dog being the best partner for your household that it can possibly be!
I am here to help inform you in any way that I can because I truly love Corgis. They are my absolute favorite or I would not be as devoted to them as I am. I want you to experience all the love and happiness Corgis can bring to your life, and help you to be the best caretaker for your new furbaby that you can be!