Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed guide

The Pembroke is a bright, sensitive dog that enjoys play with its family and responds well to training. As herders bred to move cattle, they are fearless.

A strong, athletic dog developed to herd livestock, the Pembroke loves physical activity and is happiest with a job to do.

Pembrokes live 12 to 13 years. AKC says breeders screen for elbow and hip dysplasia, eye disorders, cardiac issues, degenerative myelopathy and von Willebrand's disease, a bleeding disorder.

The thick weatherproof double coat of a soft, light undercoat under a coarse outer coat sheds a fair amount daily and even more in late spring and early summer. A daily once-over with a comb and slicker brush removes a lot of the shed hair before it is all over the house.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis benefit from moderate daily exercise to maintain physical and mental health. Pembrokes do well on long walks or slow jogs, though their short legs limit how fast they can go.

In medieval times kings advertised their majesty through the richness of their possessions and the era's best weavers were centered in Flanders. In 1107 Henry I of Britain invited a community of those master craftsmen to live and work in southwestern Wales.

The weavers accepted and brought their dogs, which AKC ties to the Pembroke's story.