 | yep! Two kinds of corgis ;-)
I keep cardigans, but pembrokes are more popular for the general public. Temperament, IMHO, is the big difference between the two. Cardigans are bigger, have a front similar to that of a bassett hound, and have a tail. They come in a multitude of colors. Pembrokes are smaller, more compact, and don't have a tail. I can look at a red pembroke and a red cardigan and easily tell the difference, but I'm not sure if everyone could.
Cardigans are a more serious dog then pembrokes, and tend to REALLY need an outlet. I would say that if you aren't into performance (like obedience, agility, herding, etc) that you'd be better off with a Pembroke. I don't mean to say that Cardigans aren't adaptable, because they are, but 99% of cardigans still have alot of herding instinct and they can be somewhat intense about it.
I do agility, rally-o, and herding with my dog and she gets about two hours of exercise a day on top of all of that, and she's still very energetic. ;-)
Both breeds are super smart. Some can be barky, but my girl actually isn't that barky. She is an excellent alarm dog, because she knows what's normal and what isn't normal.
She tends to be very bossy towards other dogs and feels the need to herd everything, LMAO! She may be smaller at 30 lbs, but she won't hesitate to put another dog in its place, no matter how big it is, if she feels it is being rude. She is NOT a good dog park dog, despite being heavily socialized. Honeslty, she only likes other corgis.
It might be different if they are raised with other dogs. My dog was a total pest as a puppy to my poor cat, but as she grew older she calmed down and he just grew to put up with her herding him everywhere.
My dog is also a land shark and if there's food around and unattended, she'll find a way to get it. I mean, she'll literally open cabinets and climb chairs to get to the table, and I've seen her hop up on a bar stool then up on the counter.
The good side is that she's very food motivated and she pretty much trains herself. LMAO! She's SUCH a smart dog. Really, it's like having a toddler with alot of fur around.
She's wonderful with people and actually very good with kids. She'd have made some little boy a dream dog, but she's stuck with me! ;-)
Corgi's often shed alot...and I mean alot. Especially pembrokes.
there are health problems in both breeds, so if you get one, especially if you get a rescue, do your research and be prepared. I would watch out for IVDD, hip dysplasia, DM, and Addison's.
One last thing- LMAO! I guess I don't want my post to come across like you shouldn't get one. I researched dogs for TWO YEARS before I picked the Cardigan. I think they are truly phenomenal dogs, and as a whole, the breed isn't plagued by back yard breeders.
With that being said, I'm definitely not a hound or retriever person, and I prefer a more serious, intense dog. I don't like goofy, clingy, stubborn, and hyper
active dogs, so I'll happily put up with a bit of reactivity if I don't have to deal with those things. ;-)Edited by author Fri Feb 24, '12 8:48am PST
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