Dog Community

Do corgis have tails?

Posted : 10/4/2006 11:12:46 PM

Are their tails docked or are they born without tails? A friend and I were having this discussion tonight and neither of us knew.

I think they are so cute and really sweet dogs. But she said she was "scared of them" because they didn't have tails. (she was kidding!)

astaracheetah

Posted : 10/4/2006 11:18:05 PM

If you are talking about Pembrokes, some are born without tails, and some are docked after birth. I've seen pictures of naturally-tailed European Pembrokes. I examined Shippo's "stub" the other day, and I think he's a natural. >^^;<

Twin

Posted : 10/4/2006 11:19:22 PM

Cardigan Welsh Corgis = tails

Pembroke Welsh Corgis = no tails (well its a stub of a tail)

I do not know if they are born without the tails or if they are docked...someone else will have to answer that part! [

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lorib

Posted : 10/4/2006 11:21:19 PM

Here's a good way to remember the difference:

Cardigans ( a long sleeved sweater) = long TAILED dog!

astaracheetah

Posted : 10/4/2006 11:25:37 PM

http://www.cwcorgi.com/Aragorn/Pem_with_tail.jpg
http://image.wetpaint.com/wiki/Fido/image/1VvaQlouDvL0qqmil6q3HHQ==19345
http://www.corgi.ch/Images/Dream_1.jpg

Although they can be born naturally bobbed, they are also often born with tails. They are just docked outside of Europe.

Pwca

Posted : 10/5/2006 2:59:41 AM

Indy says "Yes, they do!"

Cardigans, like everyone's said, are the corgis WITH tails.

Most Pembrokes are docked, but some are born bobtailed, and more are born with a partial tail.

Edited to add the picture of Indy (a corgi WITH a tail)

Terri

Posted : 10/5/2006 9:03:09 AM

Thanks everyone. It looks like my friend and I were both right! I think corgis are so cute.

brookcove

Posted : 10/5/2006 11:07:54 AM

The bob-tailed characteristic is a dominant gene (I think) and is one of the ones that is dangerous in its homozygous form - ie, if you breed two bobtails together you have a risk of producing agenesis of the spine - no tailbone.

Thus, bob tailed breeds are usually artifically docked for the most part - any pup from these breeds has a 50% chance of being long tailed, 25% chance of being incompletely tailed, and 25% chance of being stumpy tailed (the old fashioned term for a natural dock).

Here's a fun website - Boxer people have probably seen this before. It covers the program of a man who was trying to introduce the natural bob tail gene from PWCs, into the Boxer gene pool, presumably to reduce the need for surgical docking.

http://www.boxerunderground.com/bu2000/aug2000/bobtail.htm