Photo by David Tisue – Pickels the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

For almost five years, I have had the incredible privilege of being the companion of a Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Pickles. Cardigan corgis are brilliant and happy dogs, and Pickles is all those things and much more. She and I have intense conversations about many things. For instance, what time is the appropriate time for her dinner? she may stave after all. Or who may be at the door that is here to visit her and give her belly rubs? If there is a noise outside in the front, that must mean that someone is there for her. I have often had to open the door to show her that there is nobody there. She needs to be shown that her public has not come calling. If someone is walking past our backyard fence, there needs to be an announcement on the fact that she is there to greet them and that the world isn’t okay unless she can let them know that. She must say hi to everyone, really, everyone at all times. The world will end unless that happens. It doesn’t have to be a long dialog, but an acknowledgment and greeting will suffice. There is not a mean bone in her body.

I first fell in love with the Cardigan Welsh corgis when I saw a Pembroke corgi win the best in show and noticed this other slightly bigger dog, but still with short legs that had a big bushy tail and gigantic ears, sitting next to the winner. It piqued my interest, and my love affair with Cardigans began. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is an entirely separate breed of corgi that comes in different colors and are just as loveable and intelligent as its smaller famous cousins. Cardigans are hard to find in America, as the Pembroke is by far the more popular breed. (Though why I don’t know, as Cardigans are better, just say’in!) I had to go through an interview process and drive 7 hours twice to meet the breeder before being excepted. I finally got “approved,” and my journey with Pickles began with a long drive home in traffic and a whinny sick puppy.

Pickles is my constant companion. She is not just a dog who likes to lay around and sleep near her owner. Oh no, this herding dog wants to be involved in everything. She is constantly watching and expressing her wants and desires. Sometimes when she wants something, she will scrunch her eyebrows and look intensely at you. Trying to use her corgi mind powers to make whatever it is known to me. You can see her mind furiously working to convince me of what she wants. Like she hasn’t been given a treat in the past hour, and she deserves one right now, or that it is time for a nap in the bedroom and without me lying on my bed, it’s just not the same as when she is there by herself.

This amazing black and white corgi has a critical social job. When people come over, she must continuously check in with everyone, stopping for a quick pat or a belly rub before continuing to the next person to ensure they are okay. It is never for a lengthy amount of time, but she has a job to do and check on her entire herd of humans over and over. She would make a fantastic waiter if I could strap a tray on her back. I think after a party she is more exhausted than me. Pickles is the queen of our neighborhood; everyone knows her by sight, and wherever we walk on our daily walks, she gets more greetings than me. After all, it is all about her. She even is excellent with people who are afraid of dogs. She seems to know when they are afraid and instantly rolls on her back submissively to help them be at ease. I have seen her go up to someone deathly afraid of dogs and get them to pet her, indicating that she is not a threat and instead a short furry human who can be loved. Sleeping with Pickles brings on a whole new adventure as to how a 36-inch dog can take over the entire bed. I often wake up to find her sprawled out on her back with me on the very edge of the bed.

She is also known as the gateway dog of the dog park. When aggressive puppies want to show dominance or are too rough, Pickles is remarkably great at putting them in their place without being too strong. She knows how to say no, much better than the socially awkward I. In fact, because of Pickles, I have met an incredible amount of people of various backgrounds that she can pull into a friendly conversation. I think we all could use more Cardigans in our lives. So, if you ever see this beautiful half-faced black and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi pulling her companion down the street, please say hi and join in her lively conversation.