When writing about the Cardigan Welsh Corgi drawing comparisons from its southern cousin, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, cannot be avoided. Both Corgis were developed in Wales, the Cardigan being the older of the two.  It is conjectured that the Celtic, or pre-Celtic, tribes of central Europe were responsible for bringing a Cardigan-type dog to Wales around 1200 B.C.  It is descended from the Teckel or Dachshund family of canines. This family line is the reason why the Cardigan possesses a deep chest,and a definite, if slight, bow to its forelegs.The Cardigan is the Corgi that comes complete with a tail (it wags), whereas the Pembroke does not possess a tail (it wiggles).  The Cardigan got its name from the county of Wales from where its development took form, that being Cardiganshire.  It is a mountainous and remote country, where families had to work hard and long to make a living from their farms.  The Cardigan was used to help herd cattle and sheep on the steep slopes.  These dogs were used as protection for the farm and family members, and also helped in hunting for the evening's dinner. The Cardigan and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi each developed in relative isolation.  Interbreeding was not commonplace. It was in the early twentieth century that transportation was developed in that area so that the Welsh Corgi could travel beyond the county lines and get to be known to the outside world.
     In the 1920's the Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgi were seen in dog shows as one breed, and judged according to one standard. The similarities between the two Corgi are such that it can be deduced that the Pembroke and the Cardigan at some point in time had been interbred. In 1934 the Kennel Club (Britain) separated the two and judged them as separate breeds each with their own standards. When researching some pedigrees back to the 1920's and 1930's, it is interesting to find that some dogs whose names appear as both Pembroke and Cardigan.  One Pembroke, that was the "get" of both Corgi types, won at an early Cardiff show as a Pembroke, while his litter sister won at the same show as a Cardigan.
     In 1934 the American Kennel Club recognized the Cardigan as a separate breed and in 1935 the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America was founded.

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