Pembroke Welsh Corgi Breed Magazine features information, expert articles, and stunning photos from AKC judges, breeders, and owners.
CORGI PEMBROKE WELSH
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Official Standard of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi General Appearance: Low-set, strong, sturdily built and active, giving an impression of substance and stamina in a small space. Should not be so low and heavy-boned as to appear coarse or overdone, nor so light-boned as to appear racy. Outlook bold, but kindly. Expression intelligent and interested. Never shy nor vicious. Correct type, including general balance and outline, attractiveness of headpiece, intelligent outlook and correct temperament are of primary importance. Movement is especially important, particularly as viewed from the side. A dog with smooth and free gait has to be reasonably sound and must be highly regarded. A minor fault must never take precedence over the above desired qualities. A dog must be very seriously penalized for the following faults, regardless of whatever desirable qualities the dog may present: oversized or undersized; button, rose or drop ears; overshot or undershot bite; fluffies, whitelies, mismarks or bluies. Size, Proportion, Substance: Size - Height (from ground to highest point on withers) should be 10 to 12 inches. Weight is in proportion to size, not exceeding 30 pounds for dogs and 28 pounds for bitches. In show condition, the preferred medium- sized dog of correct bone and substance will weigh approximately 27 pounds, with bitches approximately 25 pounds. Obvious oversized specimens and diminutive toylike individuals must be very severely penalized. Proportions - Moderately long and low. The distance from the withers to the base of the tail should be approximately 40 percent greater than the distance from the withers to the ground. Substance - Should not be so low and heavy-boned as to appear coarse or overdone, nor so light-boned as to appear racy. Head : The head should be foxy in shape and appearance. Expression - Intelligent and interested, but not sly. Skull - should be fairly wide and flat between the ears. Moderate amount of stop. Very slight rounding of cheek, not filled in below the eyes, as foreface should be nicely chiseled to give a somewhat tapered muzzle. Distance from occiput to center of stop to be greater than the distance from stop to nose tip, the proportion being five parts of total distance for the skull and three parts for the foreface. Muzzle should be neither dish-faced nor Roman-nosed. Eyes - Oval, medium in size, not round, nor protruding, nor deepset and piglike. Set somewhat obliquely. Variations of brown in harmony with coat color. Eye rims dark, preferably black. While dark eyes enhance the expression, true black eyes are most undesirable, as are yellow or bluish eyes. Ears - Erect, firm, and of medium size, tapering slightly to a rounded point. Ears are mobile, and react sensitively to sounds. A line drawn from the nose tip through the eyes to the ear tips, and across, should form an approximate equilateral triangle. Bat ears, small catlike ears, overly large weak ears, hooded ears, ears carried too high or too low, are undesirable. Button, rose or drop ears are very serious faults. Nose - Black and fully pigmented. Mouth - Scissors bite , the inner side of the upper incisors touching the outer side of the lower incisors. Level bite is acceptable. Overshot or undershot bite is a very serious fault. Lips - Black, tight with little or no fullness. Neck, Topline, Body: Neck - Fairly long. Of sufficient length to provide over-all balance of the dog. Slightly arched, clean and blending well into the shoulders. A very short neck giving a stuffy appearance and a long, thin or ewe neck are faulty. Topline - Firm and level, neither riding up to nor falling away at the croup. A slight depression behind the shoulders caused by heavier neck coat meeting the shorter body coat is permissible. Body - Rib cage should be well sprung, slightly egg-shaped and moderately long. Deep chest, well let down between the forelegs.
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Exaggerated lowness interferes with the desired freedom of movement and should be penalized. Viewed from above, the body should taper slightly to end of loin. Loin short. Round or flat rib cage, lack of brisket, extreme length or cobbiness, are undesirable. Tail - Docked as short as possible without being indented. Occasionally a puppy is born with a natural dock, which if sufficiently short, is acceptable. A tail up to two inches in length is allowed, but if carried high tends to spoil the contour of the topline. Forequarters : Legs - Short, forearms turned slightly inward, with the distance between wrists less than between the shoulder joints, so that the front does not appear absolutely straight. Ample bone carried right down into the feet. Pasterns firm and nearly straight when viewed from the side. Weak pasterns and knuckling over are serious faults. Shoulder blades long and well laid back along the rib cage. Upper arms nearly equal in length to shoulder blades. Elbows parallel to the body, not prominent, and well set back to allow a line perpendicular to the ground to be drawn from tip of the shoulder blade through to elbow. Feet - Oval, with the two center toes slightly in advance of the two outer ones. Turning neither in nor out. Pads strong and feet arched. Nails short. Dewclaws on both forelegs and hindlegs usually removed. Too round, long and narrow, or splayed feet are faulty. Hindquarters: Ample bone, strong and flexible, moderately angulated at stifle and hock. Exaggerated angulation is as faulty as too little. Thighs should be well muscled. Hocks short, parallel, and when viewed from the side are perpendicular to the ground. Barrel hocks or cowhocks are most objectionable. Slipped or double-jointed hocks are very faulty. Feet - as in front. Coat : Medium length; short, thick, weather- resistant undercoat with a coarser, longer outer coat. Over-all length varies, with slightly thicker and longer ruff around the neck, chest and on the shoulders. The body coat lies flat. Hair is slightly longer on back of forelegs and underparts and somewhat fuller and longer on rear of hindquarters. The coat is preferably straight, but some waviness is permitted. This breed has a shedding coat, and seasonal lack of undercoat should not be too severely penalized, providing the hair is glossy, healthy and well groomed. A wiry, tightly marcelled coat is very faulty, as is an overly short, smooth and thin coat. Very Serious Fault - Fluffies - a coat of extreme length with exaggerated feathering on ears, chest, legs and feet, underparts and hindquarters. Trimming such a coat does not make it any more acceptable. The Corgi should be shown in its natural condition, with no trimming permitted except to tidy the feet, and, if desired, remove the whiskers. Color: The outer coat is to be of self colors in red, sable, fawn, black and tan with or without white markings. White is acceptable on legs, chest, neck (either in part or as a collar), muzzle, underparts and as a narrow blaze on head. Very Serious Faults - Whitelies - Body color white, with red or dark markings. Bluies - Colored portions of the coat have a distinct bluish or smoky cast. This coloring is associated with extremely light or blue eyes, liver or gray eye rims, nose and lip pigment. Mismarks - Self colors with any area of white on the back between withers and tail, on sides between elbows and back of hindquarters, or on ears. Black with white markings and no tan present. Gait : Free and smooth. Forelegs should reach well forward without too much lift, in unison with the driving action of the hind legs. The correct shoulder assembly and well-fitted elbows allow a long, free stride in front. Viewed from the front, legs do not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly inward to compensate for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs should
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drive well under the body and move on a line with the forelegs, with hocks turning neither in nor out. Feet must travel parallel to the line of motion with no tendency to swing out, cross over or interfere with each other. Short, choppy movement, rolling or high-stepping gait, close or overly wide coming or going, are incorrect. This is a herding dog, which must have the agility, freedom of movement, and endurance to do the work for which he was developed. Temperament: Outlook bold, but kindly. Never shy or vicious. The judge shall dismiss from the ring any Pembroke Welsh Corgi that is excessively shy.
Approved June 13, 1972 Reformatted January 28, 1993
JUDGING THE PEMBROKE WELSH By Cynthia Savioli
T he Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a large dog in a small package. Th ey are bold and powerful yet a kind and loyal companion. Th e standard for the Pem- broke Welsh Corgi states that they should be low-set, strong and sturdily build, giv- ing the impression of substance and stam- ina in a small space. Th ey should have a bold outlook, pricked ears and good tem- perament. Th e Pembroke Welsh Corgi is known for having a foxy appearance to the head. Th ey have an intelligent and inter- ested expression. Th is is an outline breed with a level topline approximately 40% longer than tall. Corgis should have a fair- ly long neck that fl ows into well laid back shoulder. Gait should be free and smooth. A dog with smooth and free sidegait that is reasonably sound must be highly regarded. General Impression Because this is an outline breed, it is important to stand at least 15 feet away from the breed to view the pro fi le. Th is should be done on the ground as a group as well as on the table during individual examination. It is the only time you will get to view the breed at eye level. Th e cor- rect pro fi le is 40% longer than tall when measured from the withers to the ground and from the withers to the base of the tail (Figure A). Correct height is 10 to 12 inches. Weight is proportion to size put should not exceed 30 pounds for dogs and 28 pounds for bitches. Head When viewing the head from the front, you should be able to see an equilateral tri- angle (Figure B). Drawing a line from the nose through the eye to the tip of the ear and then from ear tip to ear tip, you fi nd the fi nd the triangle and correct propor- tions. Th e skull should be fairly wide and fl at between the ears. Th e head plans are parallel (Figure C). Th e head proportions are fi ve parts the skull and three parts for the foreface (Figure D). Th e eye opening is oval in shape and eye color is in har- mony with the coat color. Because they
are a herding dog, the eye is set somewhat obliquely to give them good peripheral vision to see the stock from many direc- tions. Ears are fi rm and erect, medium in size and tapering to a slightly rounded point. Eye pigment in harmony with the coat color but preferably black. Th e nose and lip pigment should be black. While examining the head on the table, check for a scissors bite (level is acceptable). Do not check for dentition especially in the side and back teeth. You should then exam the proportions and planes of the head and move on to the reminder of the examination. Expression should be viewed on the ground where the Corgi is most comfortable. Neck and Body Th e Pembroke Welsh Corgi has a fairly long neck which is of su ffi cient length to provide over-all balance of the dog. Th e neck fl ows into well laid back shoulders and a level topline. Th e upper arms should be nearly equal in length to the shoulder blade. Th e Corgi has a deep chest that is well let down between the forelegs. Th e chest is oval in shape. Th e forelegs are short, forearms turned slightly inward, with the distance between wrists less than between the shoulder joints so that the front does not appear absolutely straight (Figure E). When examining the chest, it is important to place your hand between the legs and feel this shape. It should feel like the keel of a boat sitting in your hand. Th e Pembroke has oval shaped bone which is carried all the way down to the oval foot. Th e rib cage is well sprung and moderately long with a short loin. Th e hindquarters should match the forequar- ters in angles. Th e hocks are short and per- pendicular to the ground. When viewed from behind, they are parallel to each oth- er. Th e tail is docked as short as possible but may be up to 2" in length. Coat and Colors Th e coat is medium in length, short, thick and weather-resistant. Th e coat varies in length with slightly longer ru ff around the neck, chest and on the shoulders. Th ere may be a slight depression behind shoulders due
Fig. A: Correct Profile.
Fig. B: Correct head proportions showing equilateral triangle.
Figs. C & D
Fig. E
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strike the ground at about the level of the ear. Any placement behind this will indi- cate a problem with the shoulder assembly. Front reach is measured at the point the foot hits the ground…not where the foot may be at full extension o ff the ground. Th e hind foot reaching well under the body and striking the ground at the same time as the front foot. Th is rare to see, but allows the dog to travel very rapidly at a trot without breaking stride thus achieving the correct, and ideal movement from the side. Th e hock joint opening wide and the hind foot is well extended. Th is is proper for the breed. Th e topline is strong and level in motion, a must for proper balance in a herding dog. Th e strong level back is perhaps the most signi fi - cant single structural feature in a herding dog. Without this the drive generated from the rear quarter is hampered on its way up the spinal column. When viewed from the front, legs do not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly inward to compensate for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs should drive well under the body and move on a line with the forelegs, with hocks turning neither in nor out.” Judging Procedure When judging the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, always assess the outline and bal- ance from at least 15 feet away. You should always exam the dog on the table. Always evaluate the expression on the ground. You should remember to check both sides of the dog. Th e markings are not symmetrical. A dog that is correctly marked on the judge’s side may very well be a mismark on the o ff side. And last but certainly not least, spe- cial emphasis should always be placed on side movement. Disqualifications & Serious Faults Th e Standard for Pembroke Welsh Corgi has no disquali fi cations. Th ere are
serious faults which include oversized and toy-like individuals. Th ere are several ear faults which include button, rose or dropped ears. Overshot or undershot bites are not acceptable. Coat texture and color have several faults- fl u ffi es, whitelies, blu- ies and mismarks. Lastly, weak pasterns, knuckling over, slipped or double jointed hocks, barrel hocks and cowhocks are all considered serious faults. Th e judge should dismiss from the ring any Pembroke Welsh Corgi that is excessively shy or vicious. Priorities When judging Pembroke Welsh Cor- gis, you should always remember the judg- ing priorities: t (FOFSBM CBMBODF PVUMJOF QSPQFS length of body t "UUSBDUJWFOFTT PG IFBEQJFDF JOUFMM gent outlook t$PSSFDUUFNQFSBNFOU t.PWFNFOU QBSUJDVMBSMZBTWJFXFEGSPN the side Th e Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a popular herding dog with strong breed character- istics. Th ey are alert and always aware of their surrounds. Although bold in temper- ament, they are a kind and loyal compan- ion to many families. Corgis are usually shown by breeder/owner/handlers. Th ey are always willing to share their knowledge of the breed. BIO Cynthia, along with her husband Vince, are active breeders and exhibitors of Pem- broke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis under the Aubrey prefix. Th ey have owned and bred National Specialty winners and Best in Show winners in both breeds. Cynthia is the chairperson of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America’s Judges Education Committee. She is licensed to judge Pem- broke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
Fig. F
to the heavier neck coat meeting the shorter body coat. Because the Corgi is the fairy steeds of the elves, we say this is the saddle for the elves to ride. Th e Pembroke Welsh Corgi is shown with a natural coat. Th ere should be no trimming, scissoring or sculp- turing of the coat. Th e feet are tidied and the whiskers may be removed (optional). Th e outer coat of the Pembroke comes in several colors- red, sable, fawn, black and tan with or without white markings. White is acceptable on the legs, chest and neck, muzzle, under parts and as a narrow blaze on the head. Th e white markings should never exist within the rectangular box (Figure F). It is important to always check both side of the Corgi as the mark- ings are not symmetrical. Gait Th e standard states this best, “ Th is is a herding dog, which must have the agility, freedom of movement and endurance to do the work for which he was developed.” Th e late Dr. Charles Kruger, who was an outspoken and passionate breeder of Pembroke Welsh Corgis, describes Corgi side movement the best: “When observing the Corgi moving from the side, the head is held well forward, so the shoulder can function e ffi ciently. Th e head should not be held high as it will restrict the e ffi ciency of the shoulder function. Th e front foot fi nishing well forward of the shoulder joint. Th e front foot ideally will
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