The Welsh corgi

The Welsh corgi is a small type of herding dog that started off in Wales. Two specific breeds are identified: the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi, with the Pembroke being the more frequent. The differences between the two breeds include bone structure, body length, and size.

Cardigans are the bigger of the two breeds, with big rounded ears and a 12-inch-long foxy, flowing tail set in line with the body. Although the Cardigan is allowed more colors than the Pembroke, white must not rule in its coat. The Cardigan is a double-coated dog where the outer coat is thick, a little unkind in texture, and of medium length. The dog's undercoat is small, soft, and thick. The breed stands about 12 inches (30 cm) at the shoulder, and weighs about 30 pounds (14 kg). The Cardigan is strong, mobile, alert, active, intelligent, steady, and neither shy nor violent.

Pembrokes feature sharp ears, and are fairly smaller in build than the Cardigan. Considered a practical dog, they are low-set, clever, strong and well-built with stamina sufficient to work a day on the farm. The dog's head is fox-like and the tail small, which can be accomplished through breeding or docking. In the past, the Pembroke was a breed with a natural bob tail (a very short tail), and these days, if the Pembroke has a tail at all, it is generally curly. Due to the arrival of tail docking in dogs, the bob tail was not aggressively pursued, with breeders focusing instead on other characters, and the tail artificially shortened if need be. Given that some countries now ban docking, breeders are again trying to choose dogs with the genes for natural bob tails. Pembrokes stand from 10 inches (25 cm) to 12 inches (30 cm), and weigh roughly 28 pounds (13 kg).