My wife, our Corgi and I recently escaped the summer heat of the Willamette Valley for a day at the beach, Cannon Beach to be exact. Home of the annual Corgi Day at the Beach. It was an awesome day made more mystical by swirls of fog lying along the shore. Over 500 Corgis were running up and down through the sands.
CORGI DAY CANNON BEACH
Corgi Day is put on by the Portland Corgi Meet-Up Group. There are several meetings a month in the Portland area. Here, Corgis and their humans can get together at local dog parks for a bit of fun and socialization. The group notes over 800 Corgis live in the Portland area, putting the little dogs up there in popularity a bit lower on the scale than the Lab, Golden Retriever or German Shepherd. But as you can see, they make up for that with sheer fun.
The main action, when the Corgi Races were not in gear, seemed to be down along and in Ecola Creek. Ecola, in the summer, is just the right size for a Corgi. The water comes only up to their chest or slightly above, so they don’t have to actually swim. They simply frolic, chasing each other, balls, sticks and they can even lap at the water unlike the ocean beyond. The water is also warmer.
Early scenes of Corgis and their people along Ecola Creek with lingering summer fog.
The Queen’s dogs on holiday.
Thousands of people come along with all of those Corgis to swell the population of the little beach town. Thousands more come to escape the summer heat – 100+ in Portland and a balmy 72 F at Cannon Beach. Traffic is dense – all the way from Portland two hours away. Parking is the main problem first facing the visitor as they inch their way along the streets of the town.
Amazing as the scene on the beach is, the townscape is memorable with all of the little Corgis swinging their bunny butts down the street. Also, amazing that so many people have not just one Corgi in tow, but several walking beside them. Every restaurant with outside tables features Corgis looking up with hope.
From the perspective of a life partner of three successive Corgis, there can be no better television commercial than the one following three intrepid souls across England to London. They simply wanted to watch the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Two other videos feature the making of the advertisement and one making the largest canine cake in the world, again in celebration of the 2011 wedding.
CORGIS
Now, there are two generally recognized breeds of Corgis, Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Originally, it was easy to differentiate between the two since Cardigans had tails and Pembrokes did not. In recent years, however, some countries – i.e. United Kingdom – have outlawed tail docking.
Corgis are the favorite of long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II of England. She has been involved with corgis since she given one – Dookie – as a child. Recently, she has outlived all of her little friends and because of her advanced age, taken the sad route of not having any more of the English answer to the German Dackel.
There is a further subdivision within corgi breeds, not recognized by officials of canine associations, known as mountain corgis.
FAERY BEGINNINGS
While similar in appearance to the non-Corgi aficionado, the two breeds come from different histories. Both breeds designed originally to be herding dogs, though the Cardigan is supposedly related to Basset Hounds and the Pembroke, possibly, to Swedish Vallhunds brought over by invading Vikings or Flemish weavers in the 12th century.
Fairy tales and legends tell of corgis being the dog steeds of Fairies with the faint whitish stripe around their shoulders being the “Faery stirrup”.
cORGIS IN bRITAIN
Dog breeds have been a largely British affair with the preponderance of official breeds recognized originating in the UK. Corgis got a huge boost when the Royal family adopted them in the 1930’s. Clubs and breeders had the popularity of the Corgi rise during the 1960-70’s. Their popularity suffered in the UK to the point where they became put on the British Kennel Club’s “Vulnerable Native Breed list” in 2014 with only 274 puppy registrations. An increase in puppy registrations moved the breed to the “At Watch list” in subsequent years – the Cardigans even worse off with just 46 puppies registered in 2010 though the number increased to 118 in 2014. The tv series “The Crown” is said to have increased puppies registered in the UK by 25% due to an animated film “The Queen’s Corgi”.
Here, in the US, the Pembrokes moved into #10 position of popularity before dropping back to #13 – they rebounded to #11 in 2020. Cardigans were ranked #66 in 2020 slightly up from recent years. Breed popularity is not always a good thing though. Good for breeders with pups to sell, but with a small gene pool, risks for genetic problems increase.
GENETIC PROBLEMS
Degenerative myelopathy – DM – is one of the large concerns with Pembrokes. It is a cureless degeneration genetically caused problem like Amyotophic Lateral Scelrosis – ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease – in humans. The degeneration occurs later in the dog’s life, 8-10 years, starting with a scuffing of the back paws and continuing to a painless paralysis of the back legs. Later, the degeneration continues to eventually affect breathing and cause death. DM occurs most frequently in German Shepherds, Pembrokes and Boxers, but has shown up in 43 other breeds including Cardigans. This time bomb went off late in the life of my first corgi, Toffee.
I got her a wheelchair to elevate her back end, but she preferred to drag herself around instead, most of the time. She would occasionally use it if people were around to meet, or treats were involved.
Genetic testing shows two genes are needed for DM to occur – there is slightly over a 1% risk – and with a third of Pembrokes carrying one gene, breeders need to be aware of the problem while not restricting the breeding too severely at the cost of reducing the genetic diversity of the breed.
BIG DOG IN A LITTLE BODY
Pembrokes are strong little dogs. They can go 15 miles or more – personal experience there – and they are intelligent. Their learning limited only by the knowledge of the owner. They can also be too intelligent or occasionally plain stubborn. The herding instinct in the dogs is still strongly borne out by how they play, happy to chase other dogs from the back or sides, barking excitedly. People liken them to a big-dog mentality in a small dog. Corgis generally have no fear playing with dogs much larger than themselves.
What then is a “Mountain Corgi”? They are simply corgis – Pembrokes, Cardigans, mixes – choosing to happily plod the mountain trails alongside their humans in search of adventure and discovery.
A lot of people hike in the hills with dogs. I have only met a few who share their adventures with a Corgi. My first corgi – Toffee – wandered literally hundreds of miles with me through forests, across alpine meadows and scree slopes, along ridgetops. The only thing she asked for was the occasional lift over a downed tree and, of course, a carryover streams – she was never much one for water. She also liked an occasional bit of sausage.
On many of the trails we walked, she was joined by a Cardigan corgi male – Chaucer- who loved to follow her lead. Chaucer was owned by a hiking couple who owned a local restaurant. The hikes these two made and sights they saw!
BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH A DOG?
As dog owners know too well. Our companions age much too quickly. Chaucer first, and then Toffee became memories. When Toffee left, my first thought was to hold off for a while, but the hole left behind and the corgi addiction made the corgi drought last a whole two weeks.
CUILLIN – ISN’T JUST A MOUNTAIN RANGE ON THE ISLAND OF SKYE
Then, I found a four-year old boy, Sam, who, along with his brother, given up by a family for adoption. Sam and his brother found themselves adopted by the family in question as puppies. What I heard was the family loved puppies. As the puppies became dogs, after a year, they became banished to backyard kennels as new puppies came in to take their place. This cycle repeated for three years when the family realized they had too many animals. The two brothers found themselves given up.
Supposedly, the brothers were to be adopted as a pair, but I talked the rescue lady into letting me and a co-worker adopt each dog separately. The blood brother thing quickly became a non sequitur as the boys showed themselves ecstatic someone wanted them to share something beside a kennel with them.
Sam quickly got a proper new Gaelic name – Cuillin. Cuillin picked up right where Toffee had left off, hiking to mountain tops from the first weekend on. It was a pleasant experience having a housebroken dog from the start. He hiked with me through the years until age began to catch up limiting the distances he could comfortably cover. Though even as a twelve-year old, he was still up to nine miles in a day. I was out in the garden one fall day with Cuillin when a car’s driver decided not to pay attention and he died in my arms.
TAKE A BREAK?
One more time. Grief. Loss. Some say step back. Wait. Others say that just like when you fall off a bike, get back up again. So, it was with me. Utterly bereft again, I began searching online just to see if there were any more corgis needing rescuing. Then puppies popped up and timing ….
Now, I am not getting any younger myself and like Queen Elizabeth, I don’t want to leave dogs behind when it is my time. I figured, I had one more good chance to share my life with a new corgi. With my wife’s blessing, we found a new puppy that a corgi breeder in southern Oregon had. The breeder drove north, and we met her in a town halfway between us. She handed over a nine-week-old puppy listed as “Male Number 2”. Out of a litter of ten puppies, he was the next to last to be picked – the last chosen one day after us. My wife declared his name Oliver, officially Oliver Tarran – Welsh for Thunder, but also known as Ollie or OllieBear.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OUTDOORS
I have long been an aficionado of getting outdoors. After learning to ski and climb in Europe – the Army was good for me – I brought those loves back home with me. Hiking with a canine partner is much more alive than solo. You do have to take into consideration things like heat. Corgis are low to the ground with a double coat of fur. That means they are much more prone to heat stroke than humans. Dust on trails can be a factor, as well. So, I don’t take my friend with me on days warmer in the city than 80F unless we are really high. National Parks are a real pain, as well. Dogs are not allowed for the most part.
I guess it has to do with wildlife or someone in the NPS just doesn’t like dogs. Thank God, the Forest Service does not share those same beliefs. You can bring your dog into a wilderness but not a park. It is, what it is. National Parks attract so many more people just by being a national park. I can see dogs on some of the trails of Mt Rainier, Grand Canyon or Yellowstone as being a negative. But some of the trails in the North Cascades, Mt St Helens or the Olympics … it would have been nice to have my little friend along. Some trails in some National Parks do allow a dog on a leash to join in the hike. But for the most part … So, it goes.
CHANGES
It is interesting to see how the Corgi breed as changed over time. A day at the beach with over 500 Corgis to look over showed maybe a trend to making the breed smaller yet? Other colors are creeping in – brindle, white and black, blue eyes – maybe Australian Shepherds and Cardigan Corgis involved here? Not that that is all bad. Too little genetic diversity brings us back to the problems of DM and other risks.
The Queen herself preferred Corgis with traditional red color. She once remarked on one poor Corgi, “Oh, he has got a lot of white on him, doesn’t he!?”
Her son, Prince Charles, does not seem to hold the Corgi in the same high regard as his mother, “I like Labradors.” But then, consider the source. His sons do not seem to be Corgi enthusiasts, either.
An interesting sidenote is the Queen once asked why Corgis yawn so much. She offered her own perspective. Her corgis yawned “when it didn’t want to do what it is told.”
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR?
Of my three, Ollie is the only one with a serious mind of his own. He does not so much as yawn as simply misbehave.
I have only myself to blame, I guess. There were two puppies left from his litter of ten to choose from. The breeder asked me if I wanted a passive or stubborn pup. Thinking I was a Corgi expert with a third dog, I chose stubborn, believing he would have a stronger personality. He does.
As a pup he chewed up several carpets and legs on furniture. He has an uncanny ability to know when a hike is almost over. If he is off leash, he likes to run off into the bushes, forest and play hide and seek. After a long hike, this can be a bit of a nuisance. Several times it took twenty minutes or more to locate him, trap him and get him back in the car.
A CASE FOR MANUAL TAILGATES
Another problem is with the tendency of automakers putting in automatic closure on tailgates of their SUVs. A manual is much better with a sly Corgi. There has been more than once, I hit the button and think nothing of the pup in the back. Then, as I start to drive, I notice someone outside smiling at me!
His State of the World does not always correspond with mine, but with age, it is improving a little. He is a very friendly fellow; he has a tendency to roll over when he meets people on walks inviting them to give him a belly rub. He gets on with other dogs famously. Our cats, he lets live for the most part, unless it is about his food.
ON THE TRAIL
Like the two before him, Ollie can go all day on the trail – he has it easier than poor Toffee, because I was younger then. A harness with a handle makes it easier to lift him over downed logs, something a bit of a pain with the previous two. He likes water better than the other two. Toffee and Cuillin, when put in water, turned quickly for shore. They only got in water near the end of hikes to make sure the car got dirty and to cool off their bellies. All three have learned that the best place at the end of a long hike is to get under the car. No mas! Thank God for trekking poles to coax them out 😐
One should remember to say something about the hair, too. They do have a double coat, they were outside shepherd dogs, after all. The coat is always shedding. It is amazing how much hair you can take off the little fellows when you give them a good brushing. It always seems that brushing or giving them a bath multiplies the hair factor, too. Hair and lint rollers will become a part of your life. Baths do not seem to be a popular part of the normal non-show Corgi. None of my dogs have enjoyed a date at the local dog wash. It is so unreal to visit the local dog show and watch the Corgis get ready for the show. They sit there and seem to live for the primping. Not so with my dogs.
You will see pictures of my Corgis in many of the different posts. They do make pictures more interesting if you can get them to pose – not always an easy task.