Often, future owners choose a Corgi puppy based on its color. At this stage, difficulty arises, since this breed has a multifaceted palette of coat colors and one cannot do without a hint.
There are two varieties of this breed: Pembroke and Cardigan, and this also complicates the task of choosing. Who do you like best? The small Pembroke Corgi, which looks like a fox and is always smiling, or the Cardigan Corgi, which has a serious expression on its face and a large body structure.
An article from which you can learn and analyze the possible nuances of standard Corgi colors will help you with your choice and get rid of future disappointments.
History of the breed
It is generally accepted that the homeland of the corgi is Great Britain. However, no reliable sources have yet been found confirming the appearance of this breed.
There are several versions of the origin of dogs:
- they were brought to England by the Vikings;
- dogs came along with Flemish weavers at the invitation of King Henry I;
- the breed emerged from multiple crossings of various breeds;
- the breed existed as early as 500 BC.
The breed was officially shown at an exhibition in England in 1925, and in 1926 the Corgi Club was registered in Great Britain. At the same time, the word “Welsh” was added to the name.
The breed is divided into two types - the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. They received an addition to the name from their theoretical places of origin - the Welsh counties of Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire.
NOTE!
According to Hubbard's theory, corgis descended from the Lancashire Heeler, a herding dog found in the northern part of England, as there are suggestions that the breed was originally black and brown in color.
Education
The Corgi, like any other dog, needs good training while it is still young. Due to their highly intelligent nature, training will be easy for you. However, the owner must show his authority to the Corgi at the beginning of the relationship.
When you take your baby home, introduce him to the new place. Show your pet where food and water are, as well as the bed.
Teach your baby the routine of when he should go to sleep and what time he should wake up. It will take from a week to two weeks to establish a regime.
The next step in your dog's training is obedience. Corgis should see you as a leader and respect you. You can start by teaching words like “no” and “stop.” This is necessary so that the pet begins to understand what behavior is unacceptable.
Corgis learn quickly and tend to excel in training. Use a firm but friendly approach. Reward your pet with treats when he makes progress. However, remember that dogs tend to gain weight easily. Therefore, encourage the animal in moderation so that it does not become obese.
One of the breed's common bad habits is to bite people's heels. Since Corgis are herding dogs, they do this instinctively. Make animals understand at a young age that such behavior is unacceptable.
Is this a marriage?
Among the Welsh Corgi breed, there are two main colors - red and white and tri-color.
The tri-color color includes black, red and white. A dog can have a completely different area of coverage and degree of expression of black.
The Blackhead Tricolor is considered the darkest of the breed due to the predominance of black color. The tan markings can be so subtle that the dog appears black with white paws and chest. Or the tan marks may not be visible at all, but a few red hairs will be present. This is what is commonly called black.
The color standards for the Welsh Corgi breed specify all acceptable colors. Black color is also mentioned among them. However, black without red tan is considered a defect in the breed.
IMPORTANT!
Completely white Welsh Corgis do not exist in nature.
According to the black-headed tricolor breeder, it is difficult to be a champion among your breed. Black color emphasizes well, creates a more majestic impression, but at the same time meanly emphasizes all the shortcomings. It also visually reduces in volume. Therefore, a black dog must have excellent anatomy and strong bones.
Two-color
A two-color black and white coat palette is not uncommon for Corgis.
Black and white
In this version, the dog will be black in body with pure white markings in the muzzle, collar area, chest, at the withers, limbs and tip of the tail. Moreover, there should be no white hairs on a black background, and the presence of black hairs on a white background is not allowed.
brindle
The name brindle speaks for itself. This color has a transverse striped pattern. Transverse dark stripes are located on wool with a yellow, brown, fawn, or earthen background.
The most beautiful and correct brindle is represented by a light brown and golden main background of the coat, decorated with intense dark stripes (half rings), which disappear in the groin area and connect on the back.
In this case, there is often a black mask on the Corgi's face, and the presence of pure white spots does not serve as a flaw.
Brindle color is allowed for the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, but the Pembroke Corgi does not have it.
Marble or Blue Merle
Marble coloring or blue merle is a miracle of nature and a real fantasy. In this variant, the main coat of the Corgi is white-gray, white, gray with blue tones. The secondary tone of the spotting should be much darker.
Small marks resembling small dots, blots or stripes are scattered in a chaotic manner throughout the dog’s body. Interestingly, the Blue Merle palette also allows for white spots on the body. The peculiarity of these colors is that the main part of the guard hair is light, and the tip is dark.
Funny video
Watch a funny video in which you will see a wonderful representative of the Blue Merle Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages can be noted:
- dogs are great as companions, they get along well with any person;
- they love long walks, they can also endure long runs, but they should not be abused, since too much physical activity does not have a very good effect on the condition of the dog’s paws;
- They do not require special care, despite their fluffiness; it is enough to comb them during molting and wash them as needed;
- unpretentious in food;
- are not cowardly or aggressive, get along well with children and other pets;
- cheerful and sociable dogs;
- They are highly trainable and have a sense of tact.
The disadvantages include:
- stubbornness, you will have to negotiate with the dog if it does not want to fulfill some requirements. This usually happens due to spoiling, but when behavior is corrected, the problem is eliminated.
- they do not know the feeling of fear, since Welsh Corgis in the past were not only shepherds, but also guards. A dog can mindlessly rush at an enemy, regardless of his size, which often leads to disastrous consequences.
CAREFULLY!
Do not feed dogs table food or sweets. This leads to obesity and, as a consequence, problems with the musculoskeletal system.
Interesting facts from the life of dogs
The animals became famous thanks to a gift in the form of Welsh Corgi puppies from the Duke of York. In 1933, he presented them to his daughters, Margaret Rose and the future Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, the brave and quickly socializing descendants of miniature shepherds have lived comfortably at Buckingham Palace.
Many celebrities, including Russian stars, become owners of such animals. We can mention musician Alexei Vorobyov, comedian Sergei Belogolovtsev, director and actor Fyodor Bondarchuk. Recently, Philip Kirkorov gave his daughter a wonderful corgi puppy for her birthday.
Dimensions, weight and other features
The Corgi is a small, robust dog. Males and females are no different in height.
in weight .
| Floor | Height at withers, cm | Weight, kg |
| bitch | 25,5-30,5 | 8-11 |
| male | 25,5-30,5 | 10-15 |
Corgis have fluffy, thick, medium-length fur. The head has a similar shape to that of a shepherd dog. Elongated but not sharp muzzle. Large erect ears with rounded ends. It is believed that with this form less moisture and dirt enter. Nose is black. The eyes are often hazel in color.
The legs are short but powerful. Cardigans have a beautiful fox-shaped tail. Pembrokes have a shorter tail or no tail at all. Since this breed used to have its tail docked, the bobtail gene was developed. This breed is called a natural bobtail.
The ratio of body length to height of the dog should be 3:2, then it looks harmonious. Otherwise, it is considered a discrepancy with the breed standards.
Photos of color varieties
As mentioned earlier, a black corgi is considered to be a tri-colored dog. The dark color is more common among Cardigans than Pembrokes.
There are several types of black:
- black with red markings;
- with brindle markings;
- black and white.
Purely black dogs may not be found in the breed, despite the fact that the standards mention this color option.
Life expectancy and health
Welsh Corgis are fairly long-lived dogs. The average age of the breed reaches 12 years, but with proper care and nutrition, animals live up to 15 years.
The breed has fairly good genetics. In principle, dogs do not suffer from chronic diseases, but a small list of possible diseases is still present - problems with vision, the immune system, back diseases and complications during childbirth. Due to their body structure, Corgis often give birth via Caesarean section.
Breeding
Before breeding, make sure the health of the future mother and father. This mainly concerns the absence of genetic diseases.
Favorable age for mating is 20-24 months. Although it should be noted that the first estrus in females occurs at 7-8 months. Before mating, introduce your pets: take a walk with them or leave them in the room for communication.
The pregnancy of a Welsh Corgi lasts from 2 to 2.5 months. After the first month, the bitch’s nipples swell and her tummy becomes rounded. The girl will constantly ask for food. But you must watch your diet so as not to overfeed the expectant mother.
The bitch gives birth to from 3 to 8 puppies. 2-3 hours after birth, wash the newborns and mother with warm water. The birth should be supervised by a specialist who can help in unforeseen situations.
Photos of the puppies are presented below.
Does a puppy's color change as it ages?
Small tri-colored puppies at one month of age look two-colored, red tan appears later. The dog acquires its true permanent color after several molts. Tricolor puppies become noticeably lighter in color as they age.
Rules of care
Corgis are fairly easy to care for.
They do not require constant attention, you just need to follow the usual procedures for a dog:
- brush the coat once a week;
- You can wash it only a few times a year, except when the dog gets dirty;
- trim nails if they do not wear down naturally on the asphalt when walking;
- You can feed with regular food, no special nutritional instructions are given;
- Don't forget to clean your ears and teeth. To avoid chewed shoes, you definitely need to buy your dog a toy, preferably more than one;
- when walking, you need to carefully monitor that the dog does not eat anything unnecessary;
- While the puppy is still small, he should not jump from heights, as his not yet strong bones may become deformed. This will negatively affect your appearance in the future.
IMPORTANT!
Never cut your corgi's fur! When participating in exhibitions, the dog's unchanged appearance is assessed.
Nutrition
When the puppy reaches adulthood, he should be fed a high-quality special food. The approximate amount you should give your dog daily, depending on activity:
- With a weight of 11 kg - from 139 to 196 g.
- With a weight of 14 kg - from 179 to 229 g.
- With a weight of 15 kg - from 189 to 239 g.
- With a weight of 17 kg - from 209 to 259 g.
Feed your pet twice a day, once in the morning and then in the evening. Food must be of high quality and meet the nutritional needs of the breed. It is also important that dogs are given the right amount of exercise to help them burn off excess calories. Otherwise, they may gain excess weight, which leads to all sorts of health problems. Obesity shortens a pet's life by several years.
Price range and choice of pet
Prices for puppies vary greatly, depending on what purpose the dog is taken for.
If you need a purebred animal with a pedigree and titled parents, then the price for such a corgi will be over 50 thousand rubles. If you want to buy a companion, then you can find inexpensive puppies from 10 to 20 thousand rubles.
Experienced breeders do not distinguish any specific colors among Welsh Corgis. In a good kennel, when asked about the best color for a dog, they will answer that you should buy a puppy of a standard color. And these colors include any of the previously described ones.
Since puppies acquire their true color only over time, it will be quite difficult to choose black in advance. It is not a fact that red tan marks will not appear on the dog as it grows up. If you need a black color, then it is better to take a slightly older puppy, where its color will already be clear.
Corgi colors - what they depend on
The coat color of representatives of the Corgi breed depends, first of all, on the genetic characteristics of the pet.
Scientists have identified nine main alleles, or loci, that play a major role in what shade a puppy is born. By taking one allele from each parent, the animal acquires a certain fur color, often one of the genes dominates over all the others.
However, even in such cases, this locus fails to completely hide the recessive gene and new colors of the animal appear.
