SAR corgis?

[cliffdog]

Has anyone heard of such a thing?

Most people are surprised to find out, because I'm a big southern guy with an affinity for dobermans, APBTs, and hounds, but I really have a strong affinity for working corgis. I love their attitude, their drive, and their compact size. However, I've never heard of a purebred corgi doing SAR. My SAR trainer has an awesome, awesome little corgi/GSD mix who was certain to be certified in short order, but her career was cut short when she was struck by a car. I love that dog and it has me wondering if a dog without the GSD influence could be as capable.

I know there are some "corgi people" here, and I just wanted to ask if these robust little guys have ever participated in SAR... Or if this is one breed I should just forget about and stick with dobermans!

[Emily]

Let me contact Keeva's breeder for you. Keeva's dam is a "MAR" dog... that is, Missing Animal Response. Her breeder would know if any Cardis (at least) are working in SAR.

ETA: If I thought I have it in me, I'd try it with Keeva. She's drivey, loves to use her nose, and would be easy enough to carry if injured. But I just don't think SAR work is for me, alas.

[dreameyce]

Galaxy does lost dog SAR, but is not certified so I don't advertise, but she's trained for it and has given successful alerts/finds. We're possibly going to be doing work towards getting me certified this year but since there's only one legit person in the US doing that, and she's not actively doing that now we're rather stuck

There was a working woodland search SAR Cardigan, but I believe that dog has passed and I'm not sure if the handler is working another Cardi or not. I've also known of a couple Cardis trained in remains detection, but not sure if any were ever on-call (Since some handlers train, and never get called by PD's to go on duty...)

I don't own Pems, but I personally thing that the drivey Cardigans would be excellent SAR dog, esp for urban situations. Cardigans are bred for rocky terrain, with large well-padded feet which are not pron to injury (Unlike some other typical SAR breeds), are much smaller than most typical SAR breeds, and my sound working Cardigans can easily clear 3 feet in a jump. I've considered working towards SchI with Galaxy, but don't have access to a training club and am clueless about how to get us trial-ready without help! I don't think I could title farther, but she loves bitework, and will fly to hit sleeves like a stubby-Malinios which is adorable to watch

If you were looking for a working prospect Corgi, I'd go with a breeder with drivier, lighter boned dogs, as many Corgis are bred to have heavy bone, and be lazy. I prefer leggier dogs than often seen winning in the show rings, as they tend to get more ground under them when they move, and have better turning abilities. The original statements about Corgi heights was that you should be able to fit a fist under their chest, but even my small hands have trouble with most dogs in the ring, even fitting 3 fingers under some dogs in the ring today

I think the big thing is that if you're looking specifically for a specific task work, most people go to dogs with lines bred for that task. If you're serious about agility, you're recommended to get a BC, Pap, JRT, or other breed from agility lines. If you're looking for herding, same thing, you're recommended to go to a herding line. And there's just not many Corgi breeders breeding for only working dogs, and not many people seeking out Corgis specifically for working. So it comes down to if you find the right Corgi you have an exceptional 'do everything' dog who shocks the world, but most people go straight to the 'heavy hitter' specialized breeds/dogs for working traits, using dogs specifically purpose bred, instead of finding a drivey catch-all dog!

[cliffdog]

Thanks for the responses! I'd love to hear from Keeva's breeder.

I'm aware of the sad state that the breed is in, not really fit-for-function, but I'm confident I'll be able to find a good working breeder. I know they're out there! If it comes right down to it, I'll be willing to save up and import.

[stardogs]

I worked my Corgi mix in SAR for 9 months - she's 15.5" at the shoulder and after a seminar we were dismissed because she was "too small" and thus wouldn't be able to cover ground effectively?! I really think politics were more to play, but realize that some trainers in SAR believe that there is a minimum size requirement and while your group might accept the dog, they may bow to a "master trainer" after you've put in time and money. :P

[Taqroy]

Originally Posted by cliffdog

Thanks for the responses! I'd love to hear from Keeva's breeder.

Dreameyce is Keeva's breeder.

This thread is relevant to my interests. /resumeslurking

[cliffdog]

Wow, really?! That's crazy! While our group was mostly labs and GSDs, there were quite a few mutts, and some were quite small... My trainer has 3 smaller dogs. The guy in charge had nothing negative to say about them. In fact he once mentioned that a lost little girl might be less intimidated seeing my trainer's cute little terrier cross coming at her as opposed to my sister's 90-something rott mix, lol!

[cliffdog]

Originally Posted by Taqroy

Dreameyce is Keeva's breeder.

This thread is relevant to my interests. /resumeslurking

Oh, okay! Haha.

[stardogs]

Yea - it may depend on what flavor of SAR to some extent (the group I was with did wilderness, not disaster SAR), but in our case they thought she wouldn't be suitable for HRD either which makes no sense to me. Hence my thought about it being politics related, too.

While we don't have any dogs that size on our team, I have worked with a few small dogs in HRD. Some have a hard time on certain types of terrain, and they can sometimes wear out quicker because of it. But I have seen them do some really excellent work in an urban setting. That being said, I have not specifically worked with Corgis in SAR, just other small dogs.