Corgis are known for the cute fluffy butts and adorable fox-like faces. As such, they have rightfully become the darlings of the internet, where cute Corgi pictures abound.
In general, Corgis have a thick, double coat that’s just long enough to make them fuzzy. But did you know there are long-haired Corgis known as “Fluffies”? Although rare, fluffy Corgis are the height of adorability.
Because they derive from a recessive gene, you can find fluffy Corgi puppies in Cardigan Corgi litters, or you can find the more common Pembroke Welsh Corgi Fluffies.
History of the Fluffy, Long-Haired Corgi: Where Do They Come From?
Although the fluffy Corgi can be found in both the Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgi lines, their similarity has more to do with early interbreeding than shared ancestry.
And they do have a long history. Let’s have a look at the cousin breeds individually.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi came from Pembrokeshire in Wales and was brought there by Flemish weavers around 1100 AD. The weavers were invited to the British Isles by Henry I of Britain to import new master craftsmen into the country.
The weavers brought their livestock with them and their little dogs to herd that livestock.
These original Pembroke Corgis shared ancestors with fluffy Spitz breeds like the Keeshond and the Samoyed. Also, they may have interbred with the similar-looking Swedish Vallhund, who were the herding dogs of the Vikings.
So, that may be where the recessive fluffy gene stems from.
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Named after Cardiganshire in Wales, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi is believed to have existed in Wales for over 3000 years.
Unlike the Pembrokes, they were introduced to Britain by the Celts and were part of the Teckel family of dogs, where the Dachshund also hails.
Like the Pembroke, it acted as a “drover,” herding cattle. They may have been bred with local sheepdogs to increase their versatility, and they were also great at keeping vermin down.
The dogs bred with fluffy Spitz types imported later by the Vikings and Flemish weavers eventually became the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Meanwhile, the dogs that mostly kept their original bloodlines would become the Cardis.
As both the Pembroke and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi serve as loyal companion dogs today, the Pembroke has become more popular. Probably in part because of the attention they get as the official dogs of the Queen of England.
But if both the Cardigan and the Pembroke have thick short coats, then…
What is a Fluffy Corgi?
A fluffy Corgi is simply a Corgi that has received two recessive long-haired genes from each parent. A study shows that this gene is likely the FGF5 gene that exists in other dogs like the German Shepherd and Collies.
Since the Pembroke has more Spitz-type dogs in its background, it makes sense that this gene is more common in the Pembroke than in the Cardigan.
However, the long coat is considered a fault in the show ring, so it is usually not bred for.
This makes fluffy Corgi extremely rare.
For a fluffy Corgi to appear in a litter, both parents need to have the recessive FGF5 gene. Each parent passes down two genes for the coat, and a puppy would have to receive the recessive gene from both parents to be born with long hair.
So, you can see why they are hard to come by.
Nevertheless, they may be gaining some popularity.
