Cardigan Welsh Corgi Breed Magazine - Showsight

Cardigan Welsh Corgi Q & A

“One analogy between the Cardigans and the Pembrokes is, ‘the Pembrokes are the party goers and the Cardigans are the Butler.’”

David L. & Deborah L. Anthony continued

evaluation about nine weeks old and then start making choices of where puppies will go. I have bred dogs with a huge amount of herding instinct and so I need to place dogs accordingly. My proud- est moments are watching the Glasshouse pups grow up and be out winning with their people. Bringing people into the breed and watching them catch the passion of being with their dog, no matter the venue, is what makes me happy. ELIZABETH HILLEBRAND I have been exhibiting

of bone. angles, tailset/carriage and very importantly the tempera- ment of the dog is watched very closely. A new judge should be focused on the overall dog. Don’t fixate on one particular characteristic and base your decisions on that. Many come away from multiple breed seminars and remember only one or two key points of the breed and tend to think that if they find or eliminate those couple of things, they will have understood the breed. That is not the case. Our ultimate goal for the breed is to produce a dog that matches the breed standard as closely as possible. We hope that by continu- ing a successful breeding program, we can ensure the longevity of this breed. Our favorite dog show memory? At the very first show we attended on our own, we traveled to the Polo Grounds outside of Cleveland, Ohio. That show was large at that time and we had a good entry. As a complete novice exhibitor, David placed the dog on the table backwards and stood back just as proud as can be of our little boy. The judge was kind and did the examination that way and gave me my blue ribbon. We did hear a few snickers from outside. The observers were mortified and quickly informed us as such outside of the ring once completed. I laughed and said “oh well it was fun” and have kept that idea of fun in our heads for more than 36 years. If it isn’t fun, my and wife and I won’t be doing it. LORI FROST I currently live in Ventura, California with my Cardigan Welsh Corgis. I own my own company where I operate and maintain water districts and do specialized plumbing. It allows me a bit of a flexible schedule to work with the dogs. Cardigans are a breed who are incredibly versatile, and I believe this is one reason they are becoming more popular. Many people can recognize the “Corgi” (a Welsh word that means dwarf dog) by the short legs, but the different look and having a tail throws them off and they start thinking they are mixes. It gives a chance to describe the differences between a Pembroke and a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. We do notice over the past year or two, more people so rec- ognize them as a Cardigan. I fell in love with the breed as my first was such a great all-around dog and superb with my children. This breed was a farm dog; they played with kids, watched the homestead, did vermin eradication, drove stock to market, and kept strange stock away. They are smart, active clowns who love being with their people. Had my first litter in 2007; and since that time, there have been numerous dogs with the Glasshouse prefix who have titled in conformation, herding, agility, barn hunt, lure coursing and nosework. Several are therapy and support dogs and one is a hearing service dog. The breed is one who is very owner/family oriented. They are smart and can be a bit overwhelming for a first-time dog owner. One analogy between the Cardigans and the Pembrokes is, “the Pembrokes are the party goers and the Cardigans are the Butler.” A breeder needs to know their dogs and figure out the appropriate home for the puppies. A high drive working dog shouldn’t be placed in a home where the people are sedentary. I can see structure on a puppy at birth, and then I let them grow up and check on temperament and activity level. I do a final

since 1996 and breeding Cardigans since 1998. I currently breed Cardigan Welsh Corgis under the pre- fix Cadnoclun in conjunc- tion with my best friend and professional handler Marian McShane. Marian is a lifelong breeder of Best in Show and Specialty win- ning St Bernards, Rottwei- lers and and German Wire- Hair Pointers. Together we

© Taylor Elizabeth Photography

have bred one litter of Beagles as well. I am a Registered Nurse and I am active in my my local kennel club, where I currently hold the office of President, and I am a former Board member of the Cardi- gan Welsh Corgi Club of America. I love the sport of purebred dogs! Photo credit for the photo goes to Taylor Elizabeth Photogra- phy, INC, https://www.taylorelizabethphotographync.com/. I live in Mocksville, North Carolina. Outside of dogs I am a certified Critical Care Registered Nurse specializing in surgical patients. Does the average person in the street recognize the breed? The generic term “Corgi” is highly recognized by the general public, mostly due to fascination with the British Royal family and Queen Elizabeth’s participating in breeding and owning Pembroke Welsh Corgis for most of her life. Our Cardigans are much fewer in num- ber, and as breeders of Cardigan Welsh Corgis, we face some chal- lenges in educating folks on the differences and similarities in the two breeds. Cardigans and Pembrokes are not interchangeable, nor varieties of the same breed. That has to be boiled down into an “elevator length” sound byte. I don’t think it impacts placing puppies, though. How has the breed adapted to civilian life? The Cardigan was developed to be an all-around farm dog. The Welsh farmers who developed our breed valued their independent thinking skills that balance with their need to be part of their family and their family’s daily routine. This makes them great dogs for all sorts of families, including ones with children or childless couples of all ages. They don’t need a ton of space, but do require regular exercise of their minds and bodies. Our breed has retained very much of its original working ability and can still do its original job, but has great adapt- ability for other situations. What about the breed makes him an ideal companion? They love to be part of their family’s daily routine. They are

S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , D ECEMBER 2019 • 291

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