Corgis did blow up out of nowhere. So why are they so popular?
A seemingly cute dog that was once unheard of how now become one of the most popular “dogs of the year.”
Just how did this fiasco happen? What made the corgi so popular? When did they become popular?
We’ll dive into each question and I’ll offer you my thoughts on the subject!
Table of Contents
First, let’s talk about the history of the corgi
Yeah, history’s boring.
But this is important to understand the rest of this article.
Corgis were first thought to have originated from Cardiganshire, Wales around 1200 BCE. They were used as herding dogs for over 300 years.
AKC recognition
Since then, they were recognized by the AKC in 1934 at the same time with the Bullmastiff, Lakeland Terrier, and Brittany Terrier.
We’re talking about the Pembroke Corgi here, which is the younger breed of between the two (the other being the Cardigan).
The Queen
Ever since then, there hasn’t been much news about corgis. Other than the Queen.
Since 1933, Queen Elizabeth II owned at least one corgi at any given time, at least until last year.
Whenever the Queen made the news, her dogs were shown alongside her multiple times.
Corgis become popular
Of course, given her popularity for the Royals, this quickly gave corgis a name to be recognized globally.
This popularity chart from Google Trends clearly shows an uptick in corgi interest over time. In just the course of 14 years, corgi popularity has nearly doubled.
Did you know: Corgis became the most popular in August 2017, reaching an all-time high in search volume since 2004.
Rise to popularity
Ever since then, corgis have maintained their popularity. and it doesn’t look like the corgi breed will be declining anytime soon.
The AKC noted that corgis because the 15th most popular dog breed in 2017, so this aligned perfectly with the chart above.
Before that, corgis were ranked the following:
- 2017: 15th place
- 2016: 18th place
- 2015: 20th place
- 2014: 22nd place
- 2014: 24th place
This means that corgis hit their high point in 2017 and have slightly declined in popularity since then.
But why are they popular?
Who knows. Lots of reasons. Most of them accommodate modern people.
The corgi is a modern dog that’s suitable for a variety of people.
1. Corgis are fit for apartments
This means that they can be adapted for apartments and homes.
This allows them to be kept for many dog owners that normally wouldn’t be able to own a dog.
2. Corgis are friendly and good with kids
Now families that have kids can also own a dog.
Again, this makes them available to many families.
Corgis are smart. This means easy to train and easy to housebreak, even though they can be stubborn.
3. Corgis are good guard dogs
Even though they’re small, they pack a punch.
They don’t care about how big the enemy is. If something doesn’t look right, you can be sure that your corgi can catch the problem and start barking.
4. Corgis are easy to feed
Even though each dog has preferences and transitioning foods can be troublesome, corgis have voracious appetites and eat like crazy.
They’re prone to overeating, but at the same time, that makes it easy to feed them. Just be careful of your food portions.
5. Corgis are cute
No explanation needed. This dog appeals to people all over the world.
With their extended dachshund body and lowrider, stocky feet, and pointy ears, they’re hard to resist.
This just makes them all the more desirable.
For the casual person, how “cute” a dog appears to be is everything.
So this makes a huge difference in popularity and desirability. And corgis are no exception. Even though corgis shed like crazy, that’s just corgi glitter.
6. They’re trending on social media
Ask anyone that owns a corgi about what happens when they bring their dog out.
Kids and adults both ask to take pictures or pet the dog. For some reason, the memes, attention, and crowds this dog breed draws is just crazy.
This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more popular the dog, the more attention the dog will draw.
Further reading
Some additional resources that you may find useful:
- Pembroke Welsh Corgis: 7 Fun Facts About the Dog Breed – AKC
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi Dog Breed – Facts and Traits -Hill’s Pet
- Welsh Corgi – Wikipedia
No wonder why corgis are so popular
With reasons like these, it’s pretty obvious why corgis are all the rage nowadays.
They’re accessible to nearly all families, suitable for apartments, pairs well with kids, make good guard dogs, and of course, are cute dogs.
With all the media publicity they’re receiving, we should expect corgis to maintain their popularity.
Roy has owned 14 dog breeds, with corgis being his absolute favorite. He’s a self proclaimed “corgi whisperer,” whatever that means. He enjoys hiking, videogames, binging on shows, and writing (that’s why he’s here).