The Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed developed in the country of Wales. A similar breed is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The Kennel Club (Great Britain) classed the Pembroke with the Cardigan as two varieties of the same breed up until 1934, when the two were then classed as separate breeds. The Pembroke was seen in the United States for the first time in 1934, and was accepted for A.K.C. registry in the same year. This breed is a member of the Herding Group in the American Kennel Club. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America was founded in 1937.
     The exact history of the development of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed is lost and can only be speculated. The most accepted theory is one proposed by W. Lloyd-Thomas, a recognized authority on Welsh farm dogs. He believed that the Pembroke and the Cardigan were (are) two distinct, unrelated breeds.  The Pembroke is said to be a member of the Spitz family, which includes breeds like the Schipperke, the Pomeranian, the Keeshond, and the Samoyed.  This type of dog is characterized by pricked ears, a pointed muzzle, and a curly tail.
     The Cardigan is said to have evolved from the Dachshund, or Tekel class.  This group of dogs include the Basset Hound.  These types of dog are characterized by having long bodies, deep chests, short legs, and they have heavier muzzles than your typical Spitz-types.
     W. Lloyd-Thomas theorized that the ancestors of the Cardigan were brought to Wales by invading Celtic tribes from central Europe.  This probably occurred about 1200 B.C.
     The Pembroke possesses none of the identifying Tekel characteristics of the Cardigan.  W. Lloyd-Thomas further theorized that the Pembroke was introduced into Wales about 1107 A.D., by Flemish weavers.  He also maintained that the Pembroke Corgi was used by farmers in the flat lands and fields around Pembroke, Wales.  The Cardigan, however, was used in the hills and mountains around the town of Cardigan.  With mountains separating the towns of  Pembroke and Cardigan it is unlikely that the two Welsh Corgi  were ever seen in the same area, until improvements in transportation were seen in Wales. It is fact that until the Twentieth Century, these two breeds developed in relative isolation. To account for the striking similarities in appearance of these two breeds, W. Lloyd-Thomas attributed that to some enterprising boys who would sell Cardigan puppies to the farmers of Southern Wales.  It was the influence of these puppies that brought about changes to the Pembroke type.
     If you enjoy flights of fancy, you may be more apt to believe that the Welsh Corgi was in reality a gift from the "wee folk" of Welsh legends.  The Welsh Corgi was  used to pull their carriages and to be their steeds -  even today the Welsh Corgi possesses the marks over his shoulders of the little saddle used by his fairy riders.
     Whatever their origins, these dogs certainly earned their living the hard way.  It was not an easy life in the unyielding Welsh mountains, for the Welsh farmer, his family, nor for his dog.  The dog had to be multi-purpose.  Bird hunter, ratter, domestic duck and geese herding, cattle or sheep herding, sometimes even having to hunt his own food for dinner, it was a hand to mouth existence for all.
     Today the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is the smallest member of the Herding Group.
     A recent development in the breed is that Great Britain has recently banned tail docking.  The Pembroke Welsh Corgi can possess a natural bob, or it has its tail docked as a small puppy, to conform to the breed standard.  With this new law it should be interesting to see how this will affect the Pembroke standard in that country.