Corgi's seem to be the internet dog right now. But anyone familiar with the breed, should surely know how lovable they are before long before the whole internet meme started.
But something few corgi lovers know is that they also come in fluffy a.k.a. cardigan corgis. Mine is adorably so, though hair is more of a problem.
It's not a desirable trait in a working animal because that coat doesn't protect against the elements as well as the classic double coat does. It's not all about the show ring.
Anyone deliberately breeding a "fluffy" corgi should not be breeding, because they clearly care more about cute puppies than anything else.
In the grand scheme of breeding for terrible traits, this isn't one of them.
How many breeders are legitimately breeding a working line? I suspect not many. Most of these dogs go to comfy homes where they are coddled and loved until they die of old age. A slightly less durable long coat is not going to hinder their lives much.
Frankly, there are better issues surrounding dog breeding to get angry over than this one, see my footnote about how you can change it. Like, I dunno, breeding for unnaturally stubby legs under an otherwise stocky body.
When bred correctly their legs do a perfect job holding up their bodies. The biggest issue is that you can't have them jump onto too much high furniture.
They really shouldn't do much jumping, none is ideal, as puppies and as they get bigger definitely be cautious of heights. Fitness does help. When they're more fit they can take more. Not saying you should be letting a fit corgi jump off the headrest of a couch onto the floor, but if you are having a corgi jump down off things make sure you're keeping them fit and healthy.
If you buy from a breeder that strictly follows breed standards, then you can look for an AKC breeder's license.
This makes them a vetted breeder with certain standards (take those standards for what they are).
Though AKC licensed breeders are usually doing it as a hobby. These people are generally not in it for a profit. They are not going to be a puppy mill or anything because they care very much for these dogs.
An AKC breeder, however, will not intentionally breed a fluffy corgi. Because it's not the breed standard. So, while it may not be terrible to take one home as a personal pet, that's not really the problem since you are supporting a reliable and animal-friendly breeder if you go through someone who is accredited.
The problem is that you're supporting a breeder who is breeding for the sake of being "cute", which is how we ended up with all these "designer breeds" in the first place. Those have no real breed standard and are bred purely for profit.
I know a lot of people think that breed standards are messed up. With the fluff, it really doesn't make a difference. But some of the other breeds have really unhealthy traits that are considered good, while the restorative traits are bad. And that, in my opinion, is messed up. When there are standards that I don't agree with I make my voice heard. And so can you. I do this by emailing the specific breed's club.
There is an easy way to find out which club should be contacted. Just do a search for breed club (typically named "dog breed" club of "country") that has the power to make the biggest change.
Though, the cynic is me feels like this may be one of those things where we have to wait for the people in charge to not be in charge anymore and the younger generation of leaders may be more willing to let the change happen. I think a few years ago in the UK they changed the pug breed standard for muzzles from "short" to "relatively short" which is a change in the right direction (literally) so there is always a chance.
