#corgis!

I love dogs. Almost every kind of dog. However, there is one dog in particular that I really love and absolutely want one day. And that dog is.....the CORGI. So let's learn a bit about this fantastic short dog.

First of all, there are actually two different breeds of corgis: the Pembroke corgi and the Cardigan corgi. The pembroke corgi has no tail, whereas the cardigan corgi has a long, fluffy one. The pembroke corgi is the 22nd most popular dog breed, whereas the cardigan is the 76th most popular. Their origin is the country of Wales and the name corgi is actually Welsh itself. It means “Dwarf dog”.

Their ears seem bigger than their heads and stick straight up. They stand only a few inches off of the ground because of their short legs (kind of like myself). Their average height is 10-12 inches from the floor to their shoulders. They come from the same line of dogs as the dachshund, which explains their long bodies. They are a steady breed and very active, so they're short, lanky bodies can run pretty fast for such having such short legs. The average weight for the males is 25-30 pounds, and the average weight for the females is 24-28 pounds. The fur is of medium length and has two layers, the top of which is slightly water resistant. The color of their fur is usually black, fawn, red, tan, and/or sable (red hair with black tips). They can also have white markings on their fur.

The usual life span of the corgi is about 12 years, but can range from 11 to 16 years normally. The average cost for the dog is about $500, with the normal range being from $300 to $800. The breed can be prone to eye and back issues and problems with weight gain. It's important to walk them daily and make sure they don't overeat.

These dogs are extremely friendly and love people. They're very active and love to be the center of attention. They are a herding breed, so sometimes they may try to herd children, but the strength of this instinct varies between each dog. But they are very playful, so having kids would love to play with them and run them around is a plus. They usual play well with other dogs and cats as well, however they aren't too fond of smaller animals, such as hamsters. They're inclined to chase and catch the smaller critters.

Whenever they hear a noise, they will twitch and move their ears, which is quite often because they can hear pitches that humans cannot. They are a very intelligent breed but do not like repeats, so when training them it's best not to stick to one command for too long. Work on it for a few minutes and then switch to a different one. They like to bark quite a bit, however, if you train them to bark on command, it can eventual result in them only barking when you tell them to do so.

So there you have it. A lot of interesting facts about an amazing little dog. Hopefully this blog will help convince my family that we should get one. But even if it doesn't, I got to learn more about my favorite dog, and hopefully you did too.

God bless,

Rachel “Corgi Lover” Toepfer

Resources:

http://www.facts-about-dogs.info/Corgi_Facts.html

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cardigan-welsh-corgi/

Happy B-Day Omelette!!