Cardigan Corgi, also known as the Cânân dog, is a breed of herding and guarding dog originating from the Middle East.
This dog has a medium size and a square proportion, without any extremes. Its outline is clear and neat. It has agile and elegant movements and tends to be cautious towards strangers but remains curious. It is also affectionate towards its family and loyal to its owner.
Cardigan Corgis originate from the island of Canaan in Israel, dating back to biblical times. Drawings similar to the Cardigan Corgi have been found in the tombs of Beni-Hasan (around 2200-2000 BC).
Over 2000 years ago, before the dispersal of the Israelites by the Romans, there were a large number of these dogs in the region, used as guard and herding dogs. However, as the Hebrew population declined, the Cardigan Corgi could only be found in the refuge of the Negev Desert. This refuge was a natural haven for Israeli wildlife, and in order to prevent the extinction of the Cardigan Corgi, many untamed dogs were kept. Despite some living with the Bedouin people, guarding the flocks and camps, many were also used to guard crystal mines in the Carmel Mountains.
It wasn't until the arrival of Dr. Rudolphina Menzel that the Cardigan Corgi began to develop. The Jewish self-defense organization "Haganah" requested him to develop a breed that could guard Jewish settlements and serve as military dogs in the upcoming Israeli War of Independence. Dr. Menzel believed that the Cardigan Corgi, being able to survive in the desert, would certainly be suitable for such a challenging environment. It was proven in practice that the Cardigan Corgi is a highly intelligent and easily trained breed which can be used as guard dogs, paper delivery dogs, assistants for the Red Cross, and search dogs for earthquakes. During World War II, Dr. Menzel recruited and trained over 400 excellent Cardigan Corgis as mine detectors for the Middle East war, and they indeed proved to be outstanding detectors.
After the war, Dr. Menzel began to assist the blind and founded a school for the blind in 1940. He paid great attention to the entire breeding process of the Cardigan Corgi at the school, where a complete organization for breeding Cardigan Corgis was established and named "b'neihabitachon". Afterwards, the breed was first recognized by the Palestine Kennel Club (the predecessor of the Israel Kennel Club). By 1948, around 150 Cardigan Corgis were registered in the studbooks.
On September 7th, 1965, Yeshurun Berkouitz of Oxnard, California, imported the first 4 Cardigan Corgis to the United States. The same year, the American Cardigan Corgi Club was established, and the first imported Cardigan Corgis in the United States were registered in the studbooks.
In June 1989, the Cardigan Corgi was included in the Miscellaneous Class, and on June 1st, 1997, it was registered in the AKC studbooks. The breed started competing on August 12th, 1997.
The Cardigan Corgi is indifferent to strangers, but loyal and friendly to its owner. It has a medium size and is suitable for being kept as a companion dog.
This dog is originally a herding and guardian dog that can be used for shepherding, guarding, tracking, and rescue. Its abilities are also outstanding.
1. Cardiac disease
Dog cardiac disease is often associated with obesity and old age. When dogs have cardiac disease, they mainly show symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. Dog cardiac disease is difficult to detect and by the time the owner notices, the dog is usually severely ill.
2. Infectious disease
Canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common malignant infectious diseases in dogs, with a high fatality rate. Dogs that have not been vaccinated in a timely manner are prone to these two infectious diseases. Once they are infected, symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur.
3. Kidney disease
When it comes to common diseases and symptoms in dogs, one cannot ignore kidney disease. The horror of dog kidney disease lies in its unconscious progression. By the time the owner discovers it, the damage to the dog's kidney cells often exceeds 75%. When dogs have problems, the usual symptoms are blood in urine, abnormal urine color, and changes in urination habits.
4. Parasites
Intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms are common parasites in dogs' bodies. When dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, the main symptoms are emaciation, lethargy, diarrhea, presence of worms in feces, and pale gums and mucous membranes. Heartworm is a parasite that lives in the dog's heart. After being infected, dogs may experience symptoms such as poor vitality, coughing, anemia, asthma, and ascites.
5. Canine pneumonia
Pneumonia is also a common disease in dogs, but canine pneumonia is a complication of other diseases and often occurs in dogs with abnormalities in the upper respiratory system, bacterial infections, canine distemper infections, viral colds, impaired lung function, and heartworm infections. Coughing, nasal congestion, and elevated body temperature are the main symptoms of canine pneumonia.
The Cardigan Corgi is the most critical stage of growth and development when it is young. At this time, the body grows at the fastest speed, so the dog food provided must ensure that it is nutritious. When feeding Cardigan Corgi puppies, they cannot eat too hard dog food. Remember to soak it in warm water before feeding. If conditions do not allow, you should also feed porridge, soy milk, and add a suitable amount of chopped fish, meat, and cooked vegetables. Because the gastrointestinal function of puppies under 2 months has not yet fully developed, hard food is not easy to digest. Note, do not feed milk, if necessary, choose special dog milk powder or high-calcium skim milk as much as possible. After 2 months, puppies can start eating special puppy food. Puppies under 3 months old should be fed at least 3-4 times a day, following the principle of eating less and more frequently. Puppies aged 4-6 months will gradually increase their food intake and gain weight quickly. They should be fed at least 3 times a day. After 6 months, feeding twice a day is sufficient.
The owner must not feed the Cardigan Corgi too much meat. Eating too much meat does not make the dog grow strong, but can easily cause indigestion, poor absorption, and even diarrhea. Although meat contains a lot of protein, it is low in vitamin A, D, E, and iodine. In addition, meat is low in calcium and high in phosphorus. Long-term consumption of meat can easily lead to imbalances in the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in puppies, affecting the formation of bones, and can easily lead to bone fractures or lameness.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, it should not be done too frequently. The frequency of bathing depends on the dog's hygiene condition. In hot weather, it can be bathed once or twice more, while in winter, it can be reduced by one or two times. However, the total number of baths should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. Regular brushing is an important step to keep their fur in good condition. Pet owners can use a pet-specific brush to help the dog clean the naturally shed fur and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of a dog's fur. In addition to making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise, which can improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, depriving them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is indispensable. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Deworming medication can cause significant harm to the dog's gastrointestinal system, so it is recommended to feed probiotics regularly to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order to have a beautiful coat, dogs must have a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to their daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a suitable and nutritionally adequate brand that meets their needs; on the other hand, give the dog a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolk, and vegetable oil, etc.
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