American Corgis Vs. Pembroke Corgis What's the difference?
American Corgis are a developing breed. They were originally created by crossing a Cardigan Welsh Corgi with a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Since that initial cross, through careful breeding, focus has been put on carrying forward only the best traits of each breed as well as putting that beautiful merle coloring onto a more physically Pembroke style dog in build and temperament.
A corgi with a merle coat color cannot be considered a purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgi because the merle sine insertion (M) does not occur naturally on the breed. Even though we produce American Corgis, all of our merle coat color Corgis are fully health tested and their DNA is 98 -100% Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Somewhere back in their lines they had a Cardigan Welsh Corgi introduced, but now its DNA has been "washed out" throughout the years and only the merle gene has been kept from the Cardigan breed.
American Corgis can be registered with CKC, but at this point no show/breed standards have been developed so they cannot be shown. An American Corgi Club is developing and will soon be creating a breeding standard. American Corgis make incredible pets. The only difference I've noticed - is that they tend to be less bossy than a Pembroke and more energetic.
An American Corgi does not always have the merle sine insertion, even though it is the most famous coat color among them. They can come in a variety of colors accepted by both Pembroke and Cardigan standards, which really opens up a rainbow of color and coat pattern choices. The American Corgis that we have produced here are generally tricolors (black and white with tan points) in dilute and black, and merles in dilute and black base as well.
Pembroke Welsh Corgis
Pembrokes were originally bred as cattle herders. Hence why their breed standard is a docked or natural bob tail. Cattle herders didn't want their tails to get stepped on and injured by the cattle. As herders they are bold, fearless and independent. The Pembroke is a bright, sensitive dog who enjoys playing with his human family and responds well to training. They are vigilant watchdogs and tend to bark at anything they think is a threat to their home. However, they can easily be trained not to bark very much. My neighbor's comment all the time on how quiet my Corgis are and how impressed they are with the manners of my Corgis. It all depends on the training and how they're raised!
Our Pembrokes are registered through the AKC American Kennel Club. We strive to meet breed standard qualities in build and temperament. And we also enjoy offering other fun and unique colors and patterns. We have "Bluie" and "Spotted" AKC Pembrokes while these colors are not qualified for AKC shows they are beautiful and make wonderful companions.
A Pembrokes temperament is playful, affectionate, bold yet kindly. Never shy or vicious. They are wonderful with kids. Average weight tends to be 25-28 lbs.
The only downside of a Corgi is the fact that they shed a ton! So be prepared to brush daily and vacuum your floors often!
Below are some of our AKC Pembrokes we currently own or have produced.
What is a Bluie?
Bluie can come in any coat pattern. Tricolor, Red and White, and Merle. It simply means that the dog is carrying two copies of the D locus (dilute) gene. This naturally dilutes the coat color and changes the eye tone as well. Dilute tricolors are what we produce here at Elk Ridge Corgis. They are born a light grey, and although they do darken a little bit as they get older, they stay an obvious grey color. Their eyes start out baby blue, then change to a green color between 3-6 months, then usually change to a lighter brown than a regular tricolor by the time they are adults. Some however do keep a greenish hue to the eyes.
This coat color can be registered with AKC and CKC although it will not be eligible for shows in AKC since it is not a show accepted color. However, there is no difference in health and care of the dilute coat. It's simply a matter of preference when the Pembroke breed standard was developed.
In the pictures above you can see some of our bluies!