Pembroke Welch Corgi

Corgi's are not the most popular breed out there, which continues to amaze me. I couldn't ask for a better fit for our family.

Honestly I must say, the reason we got our first dog wasn't a very good one. We fell in love at a store full of puppies. I hadn't researched the pup and knew nothing except for the fact that they are seen by the Queens' side, and resemble a fox. We were caught up in the moment and couldn't decide between a male or female. His sister is black and white.

Our corgi is great with all PEOPLE. He is gentle with children, actually does herd us, plays with his toys and wants to always be around the family.

Corgi's are SMART. This dog learns anything you want to teach. We did take him to puppy school, and he was the shining star. He loved to dance in circles on his hind legs, look out the window for the school bus, roll over etc. He was also crate trained in the beginning, and continued to love his crate for years. He never had an accident of bladder or bowel in the house. He greets all visitors at the front door, and always seems to be drawn to the smallest human in the room. Corgi's have a huge vocabulary. The number of commands he knows astounds others. At our block party, he was the only one there who everyone knew.

Corgi's are BEAUTIFUL. They do not need to have their ears cropped. They pop up on their own after the puppy phase. Their coat needs to be brushed, but always looks clean and groomed. I only bathe him about once every 2 months. I cut his pants and nails myself. No grooming bills in this house. They all seem to have beautiful coloring.

Corgi's love EXERCISE, but ours was unable to ever walk any more than a little over a mile. His body is so solid, but those legs are short. He is unlike other small breeds because he is strong and muscular. People frequently call him fat, but he is within normal weight ranges. We walk him 3-4 times a day, and only long walk once in awhile.

Our dog is currently 13 years old. He continues to play with his toys, hide his food bowl from us, and likes to sit next to us when we watch tv. He is inside most of the time, but loves the outdoors when it is cool.

I diagnosed our pup about 2 years ago with DM. There are many sources if you are interested in learning more about Degenerative Myopathy. It is a progressive disease that starts to paralyse the body from the back moving forward. This is also common in German Shepherds. It started slowly, and once in awhile his legs would give out. This disease is nerve damage and does not create pain for him. He has used the cart for a bit, and was able to continue to walk down the street. This was his very favorite activity. I have heard that you can now have a corgi tested to see if they have this disease, before you buy one. He is no longer able to run up and down the stairs, or jump on the furniture, but continues to play with his toys and can do his tricks that don't involve his hind legs. Would I get another corgi? Yes I will. He is beloved by so many, and I honestly can't see any other pet as being more family loving than he is.

http://www.welshcorgi-news.ch/Gesundheit/DM_eng.html