Quite possibly one of the most adorable creatures to walk on little legs, the Corgi Dachshund mix has taken the internet by storm. This designer dog breed has existed for years, but 2022 is proving to be the year of the Dorgi. Is the Corgi Dachshund mix the right dog for you? Find out more as we discuss their appearance, temperament, history, and more in this article.
What is a Corgi Dachshund Mix?
A Corgi Dachshund mix is a cross between a purebred Dachshund and a Corgi. The purebred Corgi can be either a Pembroke Welsh Corgi or a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. However, it is more common to find Dachshund and Pembroke mixes.
The Dachshund and Pembroke mix or Dorgi breed is recognized as a designer breed by the Designer Kennel Club (DKC) and the American Canine Hybrid Club.
While the two Corgis look quite different from the Dachshund, all three share the same long back and very short legs.
Because Dachshunds and Corgis come in different types of coats, colors, and markings, it can be hard to predict what their puppies would look like. Some may have the long pointed ears of the Corgi which stand erect on their heads, or they could have the Dachschund’s floppy ears.
The same can be said about other physical traits like their size and overall temperament. A puppy that is full of surprises, a Dorgi dog is guaranteed to delight many dog lovers from anywhere in the world.
Other Names for the Corgi Dachshund Mix
- Dachshund Corgi mix
- Dorgi
Breed Overview
Pedigree: Mixed breed
Parent Breeds: Pembroke Welsh Corgi/ Cardigan Welsh Corgi; Dachshund
Breed Group: Herding/ Hound group
Breed size: Small to Medium
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Weight: 15 to 36 lbs
Energy level: Average to high
Lifespan: 12 to 16 years
The Appearance
While the Corgi and Dachshund both have their trademark short limbs and long backs, the rest of their physical features look very different from each other. As such, Dorgi puppies can be full of adorable surprises.
To give us an idea of the many possibilities that a Dachshund Corgi mix may look like, let’s take a look at the parent breeds’ appearance.
Size
Corgis are short, medium-sized dogs with large heads, heavy, long bodies, and short, thick legs. However, if you look closely, there is some difference in size between the two distinct Corgi breeds.
Recognized as two separate breeds by the American Kennel Club (AKC), there are a lot of differences between the Pembroke Corgi and the Cardigan Corgi. As far as size is concerned, both stand about 10 to 12 inches tall. However, Cardigans have a slightly larger and heavier bone structure.
Male Pembrokes weigh up to 30 lbs, while male Cardigans can weigh up to 38 lbs. Female Pembrokes weigh up to 28 lbs. Female cardigans weigh between 25 to 34 lbs on average.
According to the AKC, “Pembrokes have oval bone and a squared-off rear end giving them a more linear and rectangular feel. On the other hand, Cardigans feel curvier due to round bone and a sloping rear.”
The Dachshund, a German breed often called Doxie, Weiner dog, or sausage dog, is another breed recognized by the AKC. Like the Corgi, it also has a long body and very short limbs. The AKC recognizes two size varieties under the same breed: the standard and the miniature Dachshund.
Standard Dachshunds have an average height of 8 to 9 inches. Miniature Dachshunds are only about 5 to 6 inches tall. Standard doxies weigh an average of 16 to 32 lbs, while minis weigh 11 pounds and under.
The size of a Dachshund Corgi mix will depend on the size of the parent breeds, whether it has a standard or mini Dachshund dad and a Pembroke or Cardigan Corgi mom.
Because of the larger body size of either purebred Corgis, it may not be ideal for female Dachshunds to be used to breed Dachshund Corgi mix puppies. It would be safer for the larger of the breeds to be the mother of the puppies.
Head
The Pembroke and the Cardigan Corgis’ heads are described as foxy in both shape and appearance. They have large heads but they should be in proportion to their bodies. According to the AKC’s breed standard, “It should never appear so large and heavy nor so small and fine as to be out of balance with the rest of the dog”
The Corgi’s muzzle should be tapered but not pointed. The proportions should be three parts muzzle to five parts skull.
The Dachshund's head tapers to the tip of the nose when viewed from above. They have long, slightly arched muzzles.
Eyes
There are some very slight differences between the Pembrokes and the Cardigans’ eyes. Pembrokes have are medium-sized oval eyes that come in different shades of brown with dark brown or black rims.
Cardigan Corgis eyes are wide-set medium to large eyes that are usually dark in color. Cardigans with blue merle coats may have blue or partially blue eyes – a trait not seen in the Pembroke Corgis.
The Dachshund has medium-sized, almond-shaped eyes. Often described as friendly and energetic dogs, their eyes are very dark in color and have dark rims, too.
Ears
A Dorgi can have the Dachshund’s floppy ears or the Corgi’s big, upright ears. Both the Pembroke and the Cardigan Corgis have ears that stand erect on their heads.
The only difference is the size. Cardigans have larger ears in proportion to the size of the dog. Their ears are also slightly more rounded than that of the Pembroke’s.
Tail
One of the distinguishing features of the two Corgi breeds is their tail. Pembrokes have their tails docked close to their bodies. Cardigans have long, foxlike tails. Meanwhile, Dachshunds are known for their curved tails.
Coat
Depending on the parents’ coats, a Dorgi puppy’s coat can vary greatly in texture, length, color, and markings.
The Pembroke and Cardigan Corgis have the same medium-length double coat that protects these herding dogs from the elements. They have dense, weather-resistant undercoats that are short and soft. The straight outer hairs are longer and courser. Corgis also have slightly thicker and longer coats around their neck, chest, and shoulders.
The Dachshund comes in three different coat types: wirehaired, longhaired, and smooth. The AKC describes the wirehaired Doxies coats as “uniform tight, short, thick, rough, hard outer coat but with finer, somewhat softer, shorter hairs (undercoat) everywhere distributed between the coarser hairs.” They also have their trademark beard and eyebrows that are longer than the rest of their coat.
Longhaired ones have long, slightly wavy, and shiny coats, while smooth Dachshunds have short, smooth, and glossy coats.
Coat Color and Markings
Below are the lists of coat colors and markings officially recognized by the AKC for the Pembroke Corgi, Cardigan Corgi, and the Dachshund.
Pembroke Corgi Coat Colors
- Black & Tan
- Fawn
- Red
- Sable
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Markings
- White Markings
Cardigan Welsh Corgi Coat Colors
- Black & White
- Blue Merle & White
- Brindle & White
- Gray & White
- Liver & White
- Red & White
- Sable & White
- Sable Merle & White
- White Merle
- Brindle Merle & White
- Red Merle & White
Cardigan Welsh Corgi Markings
- Ticked
- Tan Points
- Black Mask
- Brindle Points
- Black Mask & Ticked
- Brindle Points & Ticked
- Tan Points & Ticked
Dachshund Coat Colors
- Black & Cream
- Blue & Cream
- Blue & Tan
- Chocolate & Cream
- Chocolate & Tan
- Cream
- Fawn (Isabella) & Cream
- Fawn (Isabella) & Tan
- Red
- Wheaten
- Wild Boar
- Black
- Chocolate
- Fawn
Dachshund Markings
- Brindle
- Sable
- Piebald
- Dapple
- Double Dapple
- Brindle Piebald
History of the Corgi Dachshund Mix
The history of the Corgi and Dachshund mix is not clear. While Queen Elizabeth II is credited with popularizing the designer breed, it is not known whether others have crossed Corgis with Dachshunds before the royals did.
The Queen and Her Dorgis
Popularized by Queen Elizabeth II herself, Corgi Dachshund mixes have been associated with royalty since the 1970s. This Dorgi phenomenon started when one of the Queen’s Corgis named Tiny had an “illicit liaison” with Princess Margaret’s Dachshund named Pipkin.
According to the BBC, the Queen and Princess Margaret fell in love with the Dorgi puppies instantly and decided to mate the dogs again. Over the years, the royals owned about 10 Dorgi pups along with many Pembroke Corgis. Today, Dorgis are some of the most famous mixed breeds in the world as they are often photographed with the late Queen.
Just like any other mixed breed dog, the Queen’s Dorgis varied in appearance. Some had upright ears, while other dogs had floppy ears. However, all of them had long tails and were smaller in size compared to the Queen’s Corgis.
History of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi
The Cardigan Corgi is the older of the two Corgis. One of the oldest dog breeds to come from the British Isles, Cardigans predate Pembrokes by about two thousand years. The ancestors of Cardigans were Celtic dogs brought to Wales around 1200 BC.
The Cardigan Corgi dogs were found in the rough, rocky terrain of Cardiganshire in Wales. They are bred to have short legs, making them stand at the perfect height to nip the heels of cattle without getting kicked.
The hardy Cardigan would herd cattle during the day and serve as a flock guardian at night. They also moved herds from one place to another when needed. These highly adaptable dogs were once all-around farm dogs. They helped crofters or tenant farmers with their daily farm duties.
Aside from working as herders, Cardigans were also used as hunting partners and guard dogs.
History of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi
The Pembroke Corgi’s ancestors hail from a place called Flanders, which is now known as northern Belgium. In 1107, King Henry I of Britain invited a community of master craftsmen of textiles from Flanders to relocate to the southwestern part of Wales.
The craftsmen lived an agrarian way of life. Naturally, they brought with them everything they needed to settle into their new home. Along with their herds came dogs that became the foundation stock of the Pembroke Corgi.
Compared to Cardigans who worked in rough, rocky terrain, Pembrokes worked in the flatter, easier terrain of Pembrokeshire in Wales.
History of the Dachshund
Just like the Corgis, the Dachshund is a dwarf breed of dog that originated in Germany. This small-sized dog is believed that they are descended from dwarf mutations of taller bloodhounds and the now-extinct Bibarhund. Its history dates back 600 years.
The purebred Dachshund was bred to hunt burrow-dwellers like rabbits and badgers. Badgers are fearless creatures and will not back down from a fight to the death. For this reason, hunters needed a dog that was equally feisty and courageous.
Larger dogs won’t intimidate the ferocious badger, it would take a long time for them to dig a hole that would be big enough for them to fit into. As a small, short-legged badger dog, the Dachshund masterfully dug their way into badgers’ burrows and effectively flushed them out for their owners to hunt above ground.
Dachshunds have paddle-shaped paws to help them dig faster. Their deep chests allowed for increased lung capacity which they need when hunting underground. Despite being a small dog, the Doxie has a loud big dog bark to enable their owners to hear them even when they are underground.
After the success of smooth-haired Dachshunds in badger hunting, wirehaired Doxies were bred to work in thorny brier patches. The longhaired dachshunds were bred to be used by hunters in colder areas.
The Personality
Just like their physical appearance, Dachshund Corgi mix dogs’ personalities vary depending on the traits they inherit from their Dachshund and Corgi parents, as well as social and environmental factors. Both of the parent breeds were once working dogs but were used in different industries.
A Corgi and Dachshund mix may very well have a feisty, yet loving personality. Dachshunds are brave and loyal hunting dogs that are bred to hunt in packs. As pets, they tend to be very attached to their owners, and separation anxiety is common when not trained. Corgis are also loving and active dogs that enjoy being included in family activities.
Between the two Corgis, Pembrokes are said to be more outgoing and the Cardigans are a bit more reserved. A very energetic dog, the Pembroke has an infectious playful streak and loves to be involved in anything his or her owners are doing. Cardigans like to asses a situation first before deciding to partake.
A Corgi crossed with a Dachshund can benefit from early socialization and obedience training just like any dog. They promote good behavior and prevent unnecessary stress. Without training, certain situations can bring out a Dorgi’s hunting and herding instincts.
Bred to be herding dogs, both Welsh Corgis may try to herd small children by nipping at their heels if not properly trained. Dachshunds may chase smaller pets or other pets if not socialized enough. They also have a reputation for disliking unfamiliar dogs.
With regard to barking, Dorgis are predisposed to be quite mouthy. The Dachshund and two Corgis are known to be very vocal dogs. Separation anxiety may cause excessive barking when left alone for extended periods, or resort to destructive behavior when bored or stressed.
All of these traits can be inherited by a Dorgi puppy. They can be friendly and up for anything like the Pembroke, brave like their Dachshund parent, or highly adaptable like the Cardigan. One thing is sure, Dachshund Corgi mixes are intelligent dogs capable of many things from being excellent family dogs to courageous and hard-working dogs.
Their Health
The two Corgi breeds and the Dachshund are all generally healthy dogs that have an average lifespan of around 12-16 years. Every dog breed has some genetic conditions that they are predisposed to have. Crossing with another dog breed such as in the case of the Dorgi lessens the risk of developing such conditions.
While the Dorgi is a hybrid dog, it can still be prone to certain health issues such as back problems. The very short legs and long, low bodies of these small dogs can make activities like jumping or climbing up furniture and stairs potentially dangerous for them.
Gaining excess weight also puts more strain on their long backs. Feeding them high-quality dog food that is free from cheap fillers can help them maintain their weight and build strong muscles and joints that will better support their bodies.
With your vet’s guidance, joint supplements, omega fatty acids, and probiotics can help keep your adult dog healthy and happy for many years.
To help dog owners prevent their Dorgis from developing health issues, here are the lists of medical conditions commonly seen in the Dachshund, Cardigan, and Pembroke Corgis:
Cardigan Welsh Corgi Common Health Issues
- Obesity
- Joint problems
- Metabolic disorders
- Digestive disorders
- Heart disease
- Back pain
- Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
- Elbow and hip dysplasia
Pembroke Corgi Common Health Issues
- Obesity
- Elbow and hip dysplasia
- Canine cataracts
- Patent Ductus Arteriosis
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD)
Dachshund Common Health Issues
- Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Obesity
- Patellar luxation
- Bloat
- Deafness
- Dental disease
- Ear infections
- Epilepsy
- Eye problems
Exercise Requirements of the Corgi Dachshund Mix
Dorgis need daily exercise to help keep them fit and lean, which will aid in preventing back problems. They need a moderate amount of exercise that will also give them a mental and physical challenge – something that dogs, especially Cardigans need.
It is recommended that Dorgis get a minimum of two walks of moderate lengths every day to help build strong muscles that will support their long backs. Off-leash playtime in a dog park can also help with socialization. Giving them enough daily exercise also helps prevent separation anxiety.
Dorgis should not be jumping from high places or running up and down the stairs to avoid back injuries. Here are some fun activities recommended for Dorgis:
Exercises/ Activities for Corgi Dachshund Mixes
- Walks (moderate length)
- Obedience training
- Fetch
- Interactive toys
- Herding
- Tracking
- Treibball
- Hide and seek
- Frisbee
- Rallying
Grooming Needs
Coat
The grooming requirements of a Dorgi will depend on the type of coat that it will have. A Dorgi with a smooth-coated Dachshund parent is likely to need minimal coat grooming. However, those crossed with a longhaired or wirehaired Dachshunds may require more frequent brushings or even an occasional hand-stripping.
Both the Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis have double coats, which means they go through a shedding season in the late spring and/ or early summer. During shedding season, Corgis need to be brushed daily. They also shed a fair amount of fur daily.
If your Dorgi inherits the double coat of the Corgi parent, you will need to brush them regularly. Baths help loosen shed dog hair. Your Dorgi’s coat should be brushed once completely dry.
Corgi coats do not need trimming even in the summer. The hair on the bottom of their paws may be trimmed. If your Dorgi is crossed with a longhaired Doxie, you may need to trim the beard and eyebrows when they get too long.
Teeth
Dental health should be a top priority for any dog. It is recommended that their teeth get brushed twice daily with toothpaste made for dogs. Never use toothpaste for humans on your pets as it contains ingredients that can be toxic to dogs or other animals.
Dogs’ teeth should be brushed at least three times a week. You can use no-brush teeth gels for dogs in between brushings. There are also water additives you can buy to help reduce plaque buildup and freshen their breath. These additives are flavorless and odorless. You just need a small amount poured into the dog’s water bowl.
Nails
Dogs’ nails should be trimmed regularly, especially if their daily exercise is not enough to keep the nails nice and short at all times. You may need to get their nails trimmed once every month.
Tail End
The Dorgi is truly an adorable dog that is fun-loving, affectionate, and very intelligent. A product of crossing formerly hard-working dwarf breeds, these dogs are fit for royalty and are special in every way.
Being a hybrid of the most well-known dwarf dog breeds, owning a Dorgi has certain requirements that other dogs may not have. They require the right amount of exercise to keep them at an ideal weight at all times, but not too much that they injure their long spines.
With parents that were bred to be herding and hunting dogs, they crave a lot of mental stimulation. But the adaptability of the breed does not mean that they won’t settle into a more relaxed way of life as an ideal family dog.
With early socialization and obedience training, Dorgis make great family pets that enjoy being included in family activities. They love being around their owners during playtime or even just laying on the couch.
We encourage you to check local shelters for Dachshund or Corgi mixes. If your heart is set on a Dorgi dog, a reputable breeder can provide healthy puppies that are born from breeding stock that has been tested for certain genetic diseases.
Overall, there is a reason why the Dorgi is one of the Queen’s favorite dogs. They are charming, witty, funny, and loving pets that any pet parent would be fortunate to have.
