I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember, but my heart truly belongs to one kind in particular. Nearly twenty years ago, when my husband and I were newlyweds, we adopted our very first Corgi — a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Malachi. That was it for us. We fell completely, hopelessly in love. There is just something about those oversized ears, that sweet fox-like face, and those short little legs carrying around such an enormous personality.
It didn't take long for Malachi to gain some company. Soon we welcomed another Pembroke named Kendra, and then a third named Brady. Our home was full of Corgi — full of energy, full of noise, and full of the kind of joy that only these dogs seem to bring.
Life eventually carried us to Florida, and over the past two years our family has grown again, this time with three Cardigan Welsh Corgis: Dash, Sadie, and Willow. If you've never met a Cardigan, they're the older of the two Corgi breeds — a little sturdier, and easy to spot by their long, fox-like tail, which is the simplest way to tell them apart from their Pembroke cousins. But make no mistake: that unmistakable Corgi heart is exactly the same.
The way they reach for things with those short little legs, how endlessly loyal they are, the splooting — I could go on forever.
So what is it we love so much?
Start with the personality. Corgis are big dogs in small packages, and they know it. Ours will stretch and reach for a toy just out of paw's reach, entirely unbothered by the fact that their legs weren't built for it. And the splooting — those back legs kicked straight out behind them, belly flat against the cool floor — never fails to make me smile. Every single day they find a new way to be ridiculous, and I love them for it.
Then there's the intelligence, which honestly can catch you off guard. Cardigans are herding dogs through and through, and that instinct runs deep. Back when we kept pigs on our homestead, they had a talent for escaping the pen — and more than once, Dash trotted right out to help us round them up and move them back where they belonged, as if it were the most natural job in the world. He is never happier than when he has something to move along.
To this day, that herding instinct shows up in the funniest ways. Dash loves to "herd" us, chasing alongside the fourwheeler and the golf cart whenever we're out on the property, ears back and legs flying. (Thankfully, he's never once tried it with a car — some instincts, I'm grateful, seem to know their limits.)
And above all, there's the loyalty. Corgis are velcro dogs. They follow you from room to room, settle in wherever you land, and want nothing more than to be part of whatever you're doing. After twenty years and more Corgis than I can count on one hand, that steady, devoted companionship is the thing I treasure most.
Every Corgi we've ever had — from Malachi all those years ago to Dash, Sadie, and Willow today — has left paw prints on our hearts. These three are the reason Coastal Cardigans exists. We started this journey to share the breed we love so deeply, and to help other families find the same joy we've been lucky enough to know for two decades. Whether you're a lifelong Corgi person or just starting to fall for those big ears and short legs, I'm so glad you're here.