Discussion on the Cardigan Standard

Like most AKC Standards, the Cardigan standard can be somewhat vague.  Our breed is very different from "most" purebred dogs, and has some very important differences from our closest cousins, the Pembroke.

This page is JUST my opinion.  All photos are photos of my dogs, and the views expressed are totally my own.  The purpose of this page is not to take the place of any Judges Education or Breeders Education program.  Nor can it possibly take the place of a good hands-on session with a knowledgable breed mentor.

This page is provided purely for entertainment value- and my own need to express my opinion on our wonderful breed.

Please remember- this is all JMHO!!

From the AKC Standard for the Cardigan Welsh Corgi:

"Low set with moderately heavy bone and deep chest. Overall silhouette long in proportion to height, culminating in a low tail set and fox-like brush.General Impression--A handsome, powerful, small dog, capable of both speed and endurance, intelligent, sturdily built but not coarse"

Early photos of Cardigans show a dog very different from what you will see in the show rings today.  In general, the dogs were more up on leg; less bone; not as pleasing in the head.  Over the years, the breed has evolved into a very attractive, sound dog.

We should always strive to keep the Cardigan a true herding dog.  Therefor, it is important that breeders not fall into the "breed to the dog of the moment" category; but breed to improve what they have, with an eye to the future.  Cardigans are not meant to be a "flashy" breed.  We don't expect, or even want, them to bait like a Sheltie- fly around the ring like a Shepherd- or herd like a Border Collie.  Cardigans are unique and we must work hard to preserve those qualities- the dog world does not need to have any more generic show dogs!

Temperament has to remain paramount for all breeders.  A Cardigan that is shy, or aggressive, or frantic is NOT a correct Cardigan.  These dogs should not be used for breeding!  Even the most stunning, beautiful Cardigan is not a credit to the breed if his temperament is not as our standard describes it:

Even-tempered, loyal, affectionate, and adaptable. Never shy nor vicious

The word "Moderate" or "Moderately" is used 10 times in our standard.  This is very important, when considering the Cardigan as a whole.  It is a Moderate breed; please keep that in mind at all times!

Our standard also says "Overall balance is more important than absolute size". This is another very important point!  While our suggested size range is 10.5 to 12.5 inches at the wither (dogs and bitches) and weight in dogs from 30 to 38 pounds; bitches from 25 to 34 pounds, this is not a breed that is wicketed for height or measured for weight.  Therefor, it is very important that the judge be able to see the balance and the correct size. 

Lack of overall balance, oversized or undersized are serious faults

In order for a breeder, or a judge, to get a good feel for the correct size and balance in a Cardigan, it is important that they have the opportunity to see dogs and bitches that are correct in size, balance and proportion.

That may mean not getting your education outside the ring at an all-breed show!  The sad fact is that many many Cardigans that are correct by our standard, are considered too small to be competative with all-breed judges.  Very simply, the bigger dog gets noticed and awarded- even though oversize is a serious fault!  A 38 lb adult male dog is NOT a big boy- and a 25 lb bitch is a very feminine, but correct, girl! 

However, in the Specials ring, it is not uncommen to see dogs of 40 lbs or more, and bitches pretty close to the same size.

Bigger is not better-- its just more impressive-- but its NOT correct!

The Cardigan head is a very striking head.  The expression should denote both a strength of character and a desire to please.

Every breeder thinks that their breed has the most beautiful head and expression.  They are wrong- Cardigans truly have the most stunning heads and expressions!  (ok- a bit partial here)

You should be able to recognize a Cardigan by its head; there should be no need to look for a tail, or to consider the size of the ear, to determine if it is a Cardi or a Pemmie.  Their heads are very different.

The Cardigan has a strong head- a very moderate head- a balanced head.  Expression should be friendly, but often reserved. 

I have seen an increase in the amount of "dull" expressions on Cardigans-- I call them the "lights are on nobodies home" dogs.  This is not to say I think that our Cardigans are getting dumb.  Careful observation has led me to believe that this expression is caused by a rounder eye, eyes set too wide or obliquely, and a lack of stop.

From the AKC Standard:

 "Expression alert and gentle, watchful, yet friendly. Eyes medium to large, not bulging, with dark rims and distinct corners. Widely set. Clear and dark in harmony with coat color."

 "In profile the plane of the muzzle should parallel that of the skull, but on a lower level due to a definite but moderate stop."

Another problem I have seen more of is a lack of balance.  The head should be in balance with the body; neither too large or too small for the size of the dog.  Males should have a decidedly masculine head, while bitches should have a distinctly feminine head.

And last but not least, I think we all need to watch the underjaws.  We are, as a breed, losing our underjaws.  Not only is this very unattractive, but it will hinder the dog in doing the job he was bred to do!

The correct Cardigan front is the Hallmark of the breed!  It is also possibly the most difficult thing to appreciate and breed for.  I will try very hard to not jump on my soap box about breeder responsibility in this (at least until later)

The correct Cardigan front "fits".  Its pretty- its balanced- it looks like it belongs that way.  I tell newbies and judges that I am mentoring that if it looks in any way ugly, painful or stilted- its wrong.

From the AKC Standard:

Elbows should fit close, being neither loose nor tied. The forearms (ulna and radius) should be curved to fit spring of ribs. The curve in the forearm makes the wrists (carpal joints) somewhat closer together than the elbows. The pasterns are strong and flexible. Dewclaws removed.

The feet are relatively large and rounded, with well filled pads. They point slightly outward from a straight-ahead position to balance the width of the shoulders. This outward point is not to be more than 30 degrees from center line when viewed from above. The toes should not be splayed.

The correct Cardigan front is neither straight nor so crooked as to appear unsound. Overall, the bone should be heavy for a dog of this size, but not so heavy as to appear coarse or reduce agility. Knuckling over, straight front, fiddle front are serious faults.

I know that the CWCCA Judges Education program goes into the Cardigan front in depth, as does our illustrated standard.  Take the time to absorb this information; regardless of the level of your involvement with our breed.

And judges... PLEASE... do not award an incorrect front; you are not doing our breed any favors when you do!

From the AKC Standard:

"Neck moderately long and muscular without throatiness. Well developed, especially in males, and in proportion to the dog's build. Neck well set on; fits into strong, well shaped shoulders. Topline level. Body long and strong. Chest moderately broad with prominent breastbone. Deep brisket, with well sprung ribs to allow for good lungs. Ribs extending well back. Loin- short, strong, moderately tucked up. Waist well defined. Croup-Slight downward slope to the tail set."

Our most commen problem in Cardigans, I think, is short, cobby, stuffy bodies and bad (roachy or saggy) toplines.

The standard describes an ideal dog- we all hope to have that 1:8-1 ratio height to length.  I think if everyone measured their dogs, they would be suprised to see how far off that proportion they are.   Another thing to consider is that the majority of the body length should be coming from the rib- we do have a lot of long dogs that have long loins and short ribs; which is just as incorrect as a short bodied dog.

Length of neck generally comes from shoulder layback and set; if the shoulders are too straight and or are set too far forward it will decrease the length of neck; the dogs will look like the head sits on the shoulders and the dog will not have that gentle slope from head to neck to topline that we like.

The topline must be level.  This is not to say that it is supposed to be incapable of flexion.  There is a difference between soft and supple and saggy and sloppy.  A slight rise over the loin (SLIGHT- not pronounced) is not unusual in a young dog- they tend to do that when then lengthen- but the rear should not be higher than the front, and they should not have a perceptible roach in the topline.

We see an awful lot of dogs that do not match front and rear- the dogs appear to be in two pieces with a break in the middle.   These dogs tend to move very poorly; foot timing is generally so far off that they tend to trot in the front and gallop in the rear.  To some degree training will help, but the situation is the same- they lack balance front and rear.

We also are seeing a number of dogs that are either too up on leg (showing too much daylight underneath them) and the other extreme, too short on leg (briskets almost hitting the ground)  Remember we are are a moderate breed.  The brisket has to be able to clear the ground in order for the dogs to herd- but we should not be breeding for "border-corgi's)

Ok I am going to shock you now!

Good movement does not make an incorrect dog a good Cardigan!

I can go to the pound and find a good moving dog; that doesn't mean I can find a good Cardigan there!  Yes- movement is important- but it is second- maybe even third- to type and temperament, in my opinion.

Sounds funny coming from me, considering that most of my dogs are good moving dogs, doesn't it?

Our standard says: 

"Gait
Free and smooth. Effortless. Viewed from the side, forelegs should reach well forward when moving at a trot, without much lift, in unison with driving action of hind legs. The correct shoulder assembly and well fitted elbows allow for 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, when trotting, should reach well under body, move on a line with the forelegs, with the hocks turning neither in nor out, and in one continuous motion drive powerfully behind, well beyond the set of the tail. 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. "

It doesn't say anything at all about Flying around the ring- nor does it mention plodding along at a snails pace!  It says that the movement should be EFFORTLESS- SMOOTH- LONG FREE STRIDE- DRIVE POWERFULLY BEHIND.

We don't have a lot of that in our breed at present. We have some, but not many.

We do have a lot of handlers who run their dogs as fast as they can round the ring- where the dogs little legs are going a mile a minute- a virtual blur; usually with the toplines bouncing away to beat the band!

We also have a lot of handlers that don't give their dogs a chance to move out the way they are built to move- they restrict their forward motion with tight leads and the dogs heads strung up over their shoulders,  and never allow the dogs to transfer their weight behind to drive the dog forward; so the dogs pull themselves around the ring.

Correct movement in any breed comes from a combination of structure and attitude.  If the angles are correct- and they match- and the dog is happy and wants to be there, they will move with that effortless pendulum effect= toplines remaining level- driving through the rear, and reaching forward with the front-- and the head carried just low enough to balance the dogs weight.

When you see it, its a beautiful thing, and should be awarded--PROVIDED that the dog is as strong in TYPE and has a correct TEMPERAMENT, too!

From the AKC Standard: 

" Coat
Medium length but dense as it is double. Outer hairs slightly harsh in texture; never wiry, curly or silky. Lies relatively smooth and is weather resistant. The insulating undercoat is short, soft and thick. A correct coat has short hair on ears, head, the legs; medium hair on body; and slightly longer, thicker hair in ruff, on the backs of the thighs to form "pants," and on the underside of the tail. The coat should not be so exaggerated as to appear fluffy. This breed has a shedding coat, and seasonal lack of undercoat should not be too severely penalized, providing the hair is healthy. Trimming is not allowed except to tidy feet and, if desired, remove whiskers. Soft guard hairs, uniform length, wiry, curly, silky, overly short and/or flat coats are not desired. A distinctly long or fluffy coat is an extremely serious fault.

Color
All shades of red, sable and brindle. Black with or without tan or brindle points. Blue merle (black and gray; marbled) with or without tan or brindle points. There is no color preference. White flashings are usual on the neck (either in part or as a collar), chest, legs, muzzle, underparts, tip of tail and as a blaze on head. White on the head should not predominate and should never surround the eyes. Any color other than specified and/or body color predominantly white are disqualifications."

A good Cardigan is never a BAD color.  I hear a lot of people talking about Clear Blues and Muddy Blues and Yellow Brindles and Black Brindles.  There is no color preference.  As long as its a legal color, its a good color.  Blues with a lot of tan undercoat, or with large patches instead of less distinct patches, may be prettier to some- but there is absolutely nothing wrong with their color.  I personally love black brindles- but I am certainly not going to ignore a lighter brindle of excellent quality!

Coat texture is becoming an issue in our breed, and I do feel that all breeders must pay closer attention to this.  The correct Cardigan coat is dense, weather resistent and relatively flat.  That means that its not a glamour coat- its not an open coat- its not a flat, silky coat.   The judges need to learn to see and feel the grooming tricks that are being used to "improve" on coats- but the bottom line is they are still incorrect coats!

Well- there you have it- for what its worth; my abstract comments and thoughts on the Cardigan standard.

Ultimately, the future of the breed is in the hands of the breeders.  Everyone is very quick to blame the judges (me included)- but we are placing the blame in the wrong arena.

Judges can only judge what we, as breeders and exhibitors, put in front of them.  If we consistently bring out mediocre dogs with major type faults; then that is what they will have to work with.  If the breeders don't raise the bar on what they show themselves, and what they sell as show prospects, we can't fairly expect the judges to do a better job!  Oh I know- they can always with hold awards; but realistically, most of them won't do that.  I do believe that the majority of the judges really want to do a good job with our dogs- we just have to give them good quality dogs to work with!

I have lost count of how many litters I have heard of  that were ALL show quality dogs- litters of 10 Cardigans where 8 went into show homes.  I can't tell you how many entries I have seen that should have never seen the inside of a show ring.

It goes farther than that, even.  A dog with major type faults, with a big name handler, is NOT, in my opinion, a Specials Dog!  Putting a dog out with a handler and calling it a special is just hurting our breed.  Put the ego's away and look at the future of our breed, please!

Breeders; take a long, hard, critical look at what you have on the end of the lead.  Truly evaluate those adorable puppies- there is a vast difference between what CAN finish, and what SHOULD finish.

The future of Cardigans is in your hands- please take good care of it!

One of the things I try to impress on people is the importance of the Cardigan being able to do the job he was bred to do.

Cardigans were never bred to be lap dogs.  They were bred to be an all-purpose dog; they had a job to do, and they did it well.  During the day, they had sheep and cattle to herd and a family to protect.  At night they had to take their place at their masters feet.

A well bred Cardigan can do all of that- and more.  Obviously, we don't all have a herd of cattle we need to move daily- but it is important for a Cardigan to have a job to do!  I tell my puppy people that if they don't give their dogs a job, the Cardigan will come up with something themselves-- and you just may not like what they choose to spend their time doing!

Cardigans are very intelligent and very intuitive.  They become very bonded with their families, and thats a very honorable trait. 

So- please- remember that above and beyond being a "show dog" or a "breeding prospect", these dogs need and deserve to have a real job to do.

If herding is not your "thing"- check out Obedience, Agility, Rally, Therapy- anything-- just to keep you Cardigans sound in mind and body!