Was the puppy born with a full tail or a bob?
A docked tail and a natural bob look much the same on an adult. If a natural bob matters to you, ask how the puppy was born and whether the parents have been DNA tested for the bobtail gene.
Corgi guide
Do Corgis
have tails?
Yes. Cardigan Welsh Corgis always keep a long, fox like tail, and many Pembroke Welsh Corgis are born with full tails too; the short Pembroke tail common in the United States is either a natural bobtail or the result of docking in the first days of life. Here is how the natural bob works, why Pembrokes have been docked, what the standards say and what a Pembroke with a full tail looks like.
The short answer
Are Corgis born
with tails?
Yes, though not always a full one. Cardigan Welsh Corgis keep their tails, and their breed standard describes one set fairly low and reaching well below the hock. Pembroke puppies are born either with a full length tail or with a natural bobtail, which can be anything from almost no tail to half length or more.
In the United States it has long been usual to dock Pembroke tails within a few days of birth, so a grown Pembroke here usually has little or no visible tail. A short tail on an adult tells you nothing about how the dog was born, because a docked tail and a short natural bob look much the same.
That is why the AKC's quick test for telling the two breeds apart is to look for a tail: if there is one, it is a Cardigan. The rule works in the United States but not in countries that ban docking, where Pembrokes keep their tails. Our Cardigan vs Pembroke guide covers the other differences.
Natural bobtails
What is a natural bobtail Corgi?
A natural bobtail is a short tail a puppy is born with. It is caused by a single change in a gene called T, which makes a T-box protein involved in forming the back end of the embryo. The change was first identified in bobtailed Pembroke Welsh Corgis in 2001 and has since been found in many other naturally short tailed breeds.
The bobtail is dominant, so one copy is enough to shorten the tail, and how short varies from dog to dog. Two copies are usually fatal before birth. A 2009 study of 360 dogs from 23 breeds found no dog carrying two copies, and in Swedish Vallhunds, litters from two bobtailed parents were about 29 percent smaller. A 2008 study of Pembrokes described two tailless newborn puppies with two copies that had serious spinal and anal defects, while X-rays of 19 adult short tailed Pembrokes found no congenital spinal defects.
In practice, one copy has not been linked to spinal problems, while pairing two bobtailed dogs carries a known risk. A DNA test shows whether a dog carries the bobtail gene, which is the only way to know for a dog that has been docked. For the conditions Pembroke parents are actually screened for, see our Corgi health problems guide.
Docking
Why are Corgi
tails docked?
Docking is an old working dog custom with poorly documented origins. One widely repeated explanation is an eighteenth century English tax on dogs that exempted working dogs, with a docked tail marking a dog as a worker. Other old justifications, such as preventing rabies or strengthening the back, have no scientific basis.
In the United States, Pembroke tails are usually docked within the first few days of life, either by banding, where a tight band cuts off the blood supply and the tail falls off over the following days, or by cutting. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America supports docking and recommends banding as soon after birth as possible, describing it as bloodless and causing little discomfort.
Veterinary bodies see it differently. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes tail docking done solely for cosmetic purposes and encourages removing it from breed standards. The AKC's position is that docking, as described in certain breed standards, is an acceptable practice that helps define and preserve breed character or enhance good health.
There is no national ban in the United States. Some states regulate the practice; Pennsylvania, for example, allows only a veterinarian to dock a puppy older than five days.
The standards
What does the breed standard say about Corgi tails?
The AKC Pembroke standard, approved in 1972, reads: "Docked as short as possible without being indented. Occasionally a puppy is born with a natural dock, which if sufficiently short, is acceptable. A tail up to two inches in length is allowed, but if carried high tends to spoil the contour of the topline." Standards written where docking is restricted describe the full tail instead.
| Standard | What it says about the tail |
|---|---|
| AKC Pembroke (US) | Docked as short as possible; a short natural bob is acceptable; up to two inches allowed |
| AKC Cardigan (US) | Set fairly low and reaching well below the hock; carried low, lifted when excited, never curled over the back |
| UKC Pembroke (US) | A natural bob or docked; a full length natural tail may be carried out behind, straight up or curved over the back in a graceful sickle |
| Royal Kennel Club Pembroke (UK) | Previously customarily docked; an undocked tail is set in line with the topline and may be carried above or below it; natural bobs can be any length |
| FCI Pembroke (Europe) | Short, preferably natural; an undocked tail is set in line with the topline and carried above it when moving or alert |
A full tail is not among the faults the AKC Pembroke standard says must be very seriously penalized, and that standard has no disqualifications. AKC registration does not depend on the tail, and AKC performance events such as herding, agility and obedience are open to Pembrokes with full tails.
Around the world
Where is tail
docking banned?
Cosmetic docking is banned or tightly restricted across much of the world, which is why Pembrokes in Britain, Europe and Australia increasingly have full tails. Laws change, so check the current rules if you plan to show or import a dog. Some examples:
- United Kingdom: banned in England, Scotland and Wales since 2007 and in Northern Ireland since 2013, with narrow exemptions for certain working dogs that do not include Corgis.
- Australia: banned in every state and territory.
- New Zealand: banned since 2018.
- Europe: banned in most countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland, some with exceptions for working hunting dogs.
- Canada: no national ban, but Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia prohibit it, and veterinary bodies in several other provinces bar their members from doing it.
- South Africa: veterinarians may not dock tails except for medical reasons.
Full tails
What does a Corgi with a full tail look like?
An undocked Pembroke tail is set level with the back. Depending on the dog, it may be carried out behind, held straight up, or curved up and over the back, especially when the dog is moving or excited. The UKC standard accepts all three and faults a tail curled tightly onto the back.
A Cardigan's tail is built differently. It is set lower and reaches well below the hock, and it is carried low when the dog stands or walks, streams out level at a run and lifts when the dog is excited, but it should never curl over the back. Longer hair on the underside gives it the look of a fox's brush.
So a Corgi with a long tail held high and curling is most likely an undocked Pembroke, while a long, low, brushy tail points to a Cardigan. Color helps too, and our Corgi colors guide explains which colors belong to which breed. A long tailed Corgi can also be a mix, and only a pedigree settles that.
Before you reserve
What should you ask a breeder about a puppy's tail?
If a tail, or the lack of one, matters to you, ask any breeder, us included, before you reserve rather than after. Practices differ from breeder to breeder, and you are entitled to a straight answer.
Will the tail be docked, and how?
If the breeder docks, ask at what age, by which method and who does it. Docking happens in the first days of life, so the decision is usually made long before families meet the litter.
Can the tail be left on?
If you would like a full tail, say so early, ideally before the litter is born. Some breeders will accommodate the request and some will not, and it is better to know before you commit.
Does the tail matter for showing?
If you hope to show in AKC conformation, ask how a full tail is likely to be viewed under the standard. For a family companion or for performance sports, the tail makes no difference.
Questions
Common questions.
Is a Corgi with a tail still purebred?
Yes, if both parents are registered Pembrokes or registered Cardigans. A full tail on a Pembroke only means it was not docked, and Cardigans keep theirs. A long tail is not proof of either breed, though: a Corgi mix can have one too, so the registration papers and pedigree are what settle it.
Does tail docking hurt puppies?
Views differ. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America describes banding in the first days of life as causing little discomfort, while the AVMA opposes docking for cosmetic reasons, citing risks such as pain, blood loss and infection. If you want a fuller picture before choosing a puppy, your veterinarian is a good person to ask.
How long is a Corgi's tail?
A Cardigan's tail reaches well below the hock, and the UK standard describes it as touching or nearly touching the ground. A natural Pembroke bob can be anything from almost nothing to half length or more, and the AKC Pembroke standard allows a tail of up to two inches. An undocked Pembroke tail is full length, set level with the back.
Will a natural bobtail Corgi have bobtailed puppies?
Some of them. A natural bobtail carries one copy of the gene, so when it is bred to a dog with a full tail, on average about half the puppies inherit the bob. Bobtail to bobtail pairings shrink litters and have produced puppies with severe spinal defects, so ask about DNA testing before such a pairing.
Keep reading
More Corgi guides.
Next step
Want to know more about the two Corgi breeds?
Compare them side by side in our Cardigan vs Pembroke guide, see how big Corgis get, or meet the puppies available now.