Hi everyone!
I have a 18 week old Pembroke tri with a tail.
I love to take him out when I go places, but every single time that I go to PetSmart or stores like that, I always hear, "what kind of dog is he?"

I'm happy to answer it because I know most people have never seen a tri corgi in real life much less one with a tail... but after I answer with "he's an undocked Pembroke", is it really nice to give me a look like I'm crazy?
He is obviously a full bred corgi, just unusually marked and he has a tail.

I went to PetSmart last week and an employee looked at him and said, "Oh! A mixed dog! He's mixed with corgi and what else...?"
I told her "no, he is full bred, just has a tail."
She stared me down and had a look in her eyes like she was having war flashbacks! Pure shock.
She nodded and gave a grimace and walked off.
I was seething!

It's incredibly irritating and I hate feeling like they think I'm stupid because they are uninformed!
He's still so young and growing into his corgi-esque looks, but if you know corgis you can tell he's a corgi.

Has anybody else experienced this?
How do you handle it?
What is the proper response to these fools?
Should I start handing out pamphlets or something?

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I think a big part of the confusion lies with those commentators for dog shows. When it comes time for the corgis, they always say (like it's a script they all read) "there's the Cardigan. He's the corgi with a tail". I think this does a great disservice to the Cardi...he's more than a corgi with a tail, he's a distinct breed that's reportedly even older than the Pem. This also leads people to think that Pems don't have tails when in fact they do, and it's the breed standard for the AKC that leads them to be removed.

Docking is being banned in more and more countries. The UK, Australia, Finland to name a few.
As a Petco and ex Petsmart employee I wish people would stop generalizing on those store not having the rite information. I have worked at both and not everyone is ill informed. Spike goes to work with me everyday and we hold breed specific seminars weekly about all dog breeds not just corgis. I agree that some people get confused but its not something to get upset over. Just politely explain the difference and if you want you can go into the history of corgis for them.
Hey, cut them some slack. You can't expect people to be familiar with every dog breed. And you can mention that Pembrokes are not docked in some places for various reasons.
Or you can tell them he's an Andalusian Hemipode, a West Somethingfordshire Terrier, or a Berserkistanian Retrograde ("...most Berserkistanians don't have so much black, that's probably why you don't recognize him...").
I have a tri puppy with out tale (natural bob, so a bit longer stump) and i get the same thing ever wear i go. Sometime i get the odd person who knows she is a pure corgi, but most think she is a mix because they dont' know Pems can be tri. When they start giving me the look i say "your probably more familiar with the reds, as they are the more common color". And i then say she is still a puppy and isn't fully grown (she is petite like her mom and looks skinny, esspecially since he belly hair hasn't grown back much as she was just recently fixed). Then they tend to reply "oh i have never seen the tri's or a corgi puppy"
Kimberlie, I like that phrasing, so I'm going to steal it. "You are probably more familiar with ...."

Caitlyn usually draws the comment "I've never seen a corgi that color." If people will listen, I can discuss Cardis and their differences from Pems for hours. Caitie's mother is red, so most people assume she is Pem.
I think a lot of people just don't really know much on the subject. A lot of people don't know that pems get their tails docked. I have a tricolor pem and people will ask if he's a cardigan or a pembroke even though he clearly looks pembroke. A lot of people haven't ever even heard of corgis. If people want to be stupid and give you dirty looks or whatever I'd just ignore it, they're just jealous you have a cute pup and they don't ;)
I am sure it must be more difficult with a tailed Pembroke, but I can understand where you are coming from. I own a cardigan in a town of more than 25K where I have only seen 1 other cardigan in the last 7 years (and they were camping down at the park from out of town). No matter how many times I tell people that Frosty is a purebred cardigan welsh corgi, they still then immediately ask me what he is mixed with. I have to say at least 5 times in every conversation, no he really is supposed to look like that. It has been my experience that if you want to own a corgi, you must make an effort to develop a ton of patience to explain to the unknowing, because almost everyone I come across is unknowing about corgis, especially cardigans. It just makes it more confusing for people that there are two breeds. Have patience, count to ten, and enjoy the fact that everyone finds your dog soooo much more interesting than everyone else's dog. Pamphlets might not be a bad idea either, if you want to carry them around with you, lol, I know they have them, my breeder gave me one when I picked up Frosty.
I think with ever breed there will be some confusion. Like how owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers get upset when people call it a Pit Bull, or the confusion betweent he St. Bernese Mountain Dog and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Or the confusion between Mastif breeds.

Have any of you tri owners got the comment " it looks like a little verion of german shepherd" "it looks like a german shepherd with short legs" this comment i get atleast once a week at the dog park, and it makes me giggle but i am so puzzled buy it, i just don't see. Maybe becuase i now corgi's.
Maybe the erect ears and the muzzle shape? I guess? I don't really see the resemblance, haha
I get the german shepherd comments. I used to have a German Shep and I don't really see how they look like each other. The coloring is different. But I usually just laugh and point out she is a corgi. Usually that is followed by "aww she is just a puppy... how old is she?" To which I explain she is 2 years old and they just look at me dumbfounded.

I have learned that owning a corgi involves a lot of explaining, especially when you have a runt that fully grown weighs 19lbs. I have had people tell me I was ripped off and that she couldn't be purebread. I know in fact she is because I met both of her parents and have papers saying that she is. It all goes with having a corgi.
i get that all the time! lol i thought that only once but that is because he kinda did at the time, the comment makes me giggle to lol:) i think its because of the coloring and some corgis have longer noses and the ears stand up
I have no problem with it, like I've stated. I am not trying to generalize the employees, absolutely not. I love going to PetCo and PetSmart BECAUSE of how friendly and engaging the employees are! I just ran into a very rude lady. I am not upset, just annoyed, thanks to the horrible look she gave me. It's was like I brought in a cat and told her it was a Great Dane!

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