Welsh Corgi vs New Guinea Singing Dog - Breed Comparison

In 1957 the New Guinea Singing Dog was “discovered” in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea and he is found no where else. There is a lot of debate among scientists, taxonomists and biologist as to what is really a species and what is a subspecies. When the NGSD was found he was classified as a new canid species then in 2007 they were downgraded to a subspecies.

Today the NGSD is considered to be a wild dog and a primitive dog. They have lived in Papua New Guinea in the Highlands for thousands of years. They are closely related to other wild dogs, such as Australia’s dingo. They are today as they were a thousand years ago – wild. So wild that many counties have them in their zoos.

With the right care and enough socialization, they do very well as companion animals living with people. They are difficult to domesticate however and the person who owns one should be a part of the NGSD community in order to get support, share issues, and learn from others who have lived with these “wild dogs” for many years.

Any New Guinea Singing Dog found in North America or Europe is a direct descendent of two couples that were taken to zoos in China and Australia. The NGSD makes a howling sound that modulates and undulates through a wide series of tones. No other dog makes this musical sound. Rare even in New Guinea today, the Singer is thought to be the rarest of all dogs.

The only organization that recognizes the Singing Dog is the UKC and they are allowed in UKC competition. The NGSD now holds the classification of a domestic dog – a Canis lupus dingo - which is a subspecies of Canis lupus. In 2016 a group of 15 wild dogs were photographed for the first time ever. Prior to this the NGSD were never seen in more than pairs.

It is believed that they do not live and operate in packs, but rather solitary, pairs or family groups where both the parents do the work of raising the pups.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi were once considered to be two types of the same breed. Today they are recognized as very different breeds, but cousins of sorts.. They are alike in many ways and very different in others. The general information in terms of height and weight above applies to the more popular and better known Pembroke Welsh Corgi, developed as a herding dog from the spitz line in Pembroke shire, Wales. The Pembroke is famous for being the breed favored since childhood by Queen Elizabeth, the current queen of England. It’s believed that the Pembroke came to the country around the 10th century with Flemish weavers. The Cardigan is thought to have come with the Norse people and be a relative of the Sedish Vallhund.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, also a herding dog has their ancestry in ancient Celtic dogs. They are older than the Pembroke and hail from Cardiganshire, Wales.

Both breeds are friendly, smart and independent. Both dogs herd cattle and sheep. About the end of the 19th century, farmers in Cardiganshire began to raising sheep rather than cattle. The corgis were herding dogs for cattle. “Heelers” who avoid the cattle kicking them by nipping at the cattle’s heel. Pembrokeshore and Cardiganshire are counties in South West Wales that adjoin each other.

Then the move was made from cattle to sheep in Cardiganshire they bred their corgis with the Welsh Sheepdog where the merle color is said to come from, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. This caused the similarities between the two dwarf breeds. At the same time the distance grew between the two breeds and they grew into very distinct and different looking dogs. There are also some differences in their personalities.

The first corgi to appear at Crufts came in 1927 and in 1928 a Pembroke won a championship at Cardiff for the first ever corgi win. It was not until 1934 that the kennel club recognized them as separate breeds rather than a Pembroke shire type and a Cardiganshire type. From this point on the two are separate breeds with tremendous similarities. A Pem won the Reserve Best in Show at Crufts in 1955.

The first corgi came to the United States in 1933 by a breeder of Old English Sheepdogs. In 1934 the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized Corgis as one breed with 2 types. The Pembroke has always been the more popular of the two.

The New Guinea Singing Dog is a medium sized dog with short legs and a broad head. They are about average height and they are very limber and flexible. They can rotate their paws and spread their legs at much greater angles than the average canine. Thus, they can easily climb a tree. They can jump like a cat.

They have very reflective eyes that are shaped like almonds and have dark rims. The color of the eye can be dark brown to dark amber. It is also believed that they can see better than other domestic dogs in low light settings. Their pupils let in more light due to pupils that are wider than most other dogs.

The ears of the NGSD are lined with fur, pointed and erect. The are forward laying and can be rotated in order to hear even the farthest and faintest of sounds. There are dark guard hairs on the spine and back of the ears and tail. On young dogs the muzzle is black but by age 7 it is already beginning to turn gray.

They used to differentiate between the Cardigan and the Pembroke by saying the Cardigan was the one with the bigger ears and the Pembroke had no tail. In many parts of the world where tail docking has been banned, most Pembrokes now have tails. Only those born without don’t have them. Both dogs are long and low to the ground with big chests and short legs. This is because they are dwarfs. They are not little dogs.

Cardigan

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is heavier boned than the Pembroke, has large rounded ears and a flowing, fox like tail. The Cardigan comes in a variety of colors but never predominately white. He is double coated with a dense, harsh outer and a soft, short and thick undercoat.

Pembroke

Pembroke is smaller and longer than the Cardigan with pointed ears. They are intelligent, sturdy and strong with tremendous stamina. The tail is docked in the United States or the pups are bred not to have a tail. This was originally so that the cattle could not step on their tails and injure the dogs. The double coat on the Pembroke is short and weather resistant inner coat with a longer and rougher outercoat. He has the same deep dropped chest as the Cardigan. Both corgis shed voraciously.

Children friendliness

They could be, but it must be remembered that this is a wild dog.

Special talents

Varying the pitches when howling

Adaptability

It’s possible but not recommended. Leave them wild.

Learning ability

Highly intelligent but trainability is questionable unless well socialize and attached to their people.

Characteristics

1Children friendliness For the most part they are good but can be grumpy and bossy. They are bossy personalities

2.Special talents – heelers, will herd anything, he needs a job

3.Adaptability – Very. Can live anywhere but they do need to run and they bark a lot.

4.Learning ability – incredibly smart but stubborn. Respond well to training that is reward based.

Health Problems

Though the breed is not extinct – it is so wild and secretive that there is no history or record of any health problems. However, the small number of domestic companion animals have shown health issues in recent years.

Pancreatitis – can be chronic or acute. If chronic it needs to be treated and diet changed. If acute it is usually deadly.

Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness or arthritis.

Health Problems

The two breeds have many of the same health issues with the primary issue being

• Degenerative Myelopathy – a muscular neurological disease very similar to Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS. It is always fatal.

• Cancer is prevalent in both breeds.
• Most corgis die of old age.
• Kidney Failure
• More Pems have eye issues than the Cardis do.

• Some have cardiac issues while others may have hip dysplasia or Von Willebrand’s disease.

Feeding the puppy

In the wild both pups and adults are thought to eat small mammals and birds as well as fruits. In homes feed a high protein diet. Because of the tendency toward pancreatitis do not feed raw or under cooked meat. If feeding meet do so in small amounts well cooked, very lean. Stay away from the fat. Feed puppies very small amounts. ¾-1 cup high quality dry puppy food twice a day.

Feeding the adult

Same as the puppy when it comes to meat although you could give the adult a little more. 1 ½ cups od high quality medium breed dog food twice a day.

Points for Good Health

In the wild there is no indication of health issue. A very healthy breed.

Games and Exercises

The NGSD needs a lot of stimulation both mental and physical. They must have a daily walk and somewhere to run. They are escape artist in homes. Remember they can jump like cats and climb trees. If their head can pass through a hole, so can the rest of their body.

1Feeding the puppy prone to overweight, the pem needs ½ to 1 cup of small breed high quality food in 3-4 meals per day. The Cardigan needs ¾ to 1 ¼ cups of high quality small breed food in 3-4 meals per day.

2.Feeding the adult – Don’t overfeed them. The Pem need 1 cup per day of high quality small breed food in 2 meals per day. The Cardigan needs 1-1 ½ cups per day in one to two meals.

3.Points for Good Health stamina, longevity

4. Games and Exercises

They are fast, athletic dogs. Agility, CAT, Barnhunt. Herding trials, flyball and they just love backyard ball fetching. Confirmation and obedience, along with rally.