Breed of the Day: Welsh Corgi

Corgis are one of my favorite breeds. My first introduction to this breed was through my friend's dog, Baily. I used to pet sit Baily and we'd have a great time running around the back yard, Baily trying to "herd" me. Corgis are definitely petit, standing only about 12 inches high and weighing under 30 pounds. They would be taller except they have unusually short legs. Corgis are working dogs; they herd livestock, cattle, ponies, sheep and supposedly geese and will hunt vermin. They nip are the heel of the animal (or in Baily's case, the human) to get them to move forward.

There are two types, Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Cardigans are the larger of the two with a longer body, rounded ears and a long tail. Pembroke have pointed ears and shorter tails, either through breeding or docking. Thankfully many countries are starting to ban tail docking. Both have a fox-like face and head and very agreeable disposition.

If you are an Anglophile like myself, you know that Queen Elizabeth of England has corgis. I came across this article about the passing of one of the Queen's corgie, Monty, who was buried in Balmoral (the Queens Scottish residence). If you watched the 2012 Olympics, you saw Monty in the James Bond opening show with the Queen.

Animal Planet's Dogs 101 about Corgis:


A cute entry written from the corgis' point of view: http://www.goldengatecorgis.org/articles/truth_article.htm
Wikipedia entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Corgi
The Daily Corgi - http://thedailycorgi.blogspot.com/

Breed of the Day: Maine Coon Cat

One of the largest breeds of domesticated cats, these gentle giants are a very popular. And very furry! They have 3 coats of fur and big bushy tails to help keep them warm in the snowy winters of the northeast. Average weight is 17 pounds but they can weigh up to 25 pounds and measure 40" long. Their coat can be a variety of colors. They also have big paws, said to help them walk in the snow. I know one Main Coon who is also polydactyl - he has extra toes on his paws and they are huge! They have a sweet and gentle temperament and are said to be skilled hunters.

There are a lot of theories of how Maine Coons came to be. I think I like the idea they came over with the Vikings and are are descended from the Norwegian Forest Cat.

Here's a video about them by Animal Planet.



Wikipedia entry on Maine Coons -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon
Maine Coon Cat Nation website - http://www.maine-coon-cat-nation.com/index.html 
Catster's entry on Maine Coons - http://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/Maine_Coon