[4] 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Corgi Puppies For Sale At Darlington Corgi Puppies For Sale At Darlington

BLACKFOOT — If those who own and show Pembroke Welsh corgis seem unusually friendly even in the heat of competition, blame it on the dogs. The canines’ easy-going personalities rub off on people.

“With this breed people are very friendly and very supportive of each other,” said longtime owner, breeder and judge Patty Gailey of Blackfoot.

Gailey has been showing corgis for 37 years and has owned many champions and grand champions. She was showing a couple of her corgis during Thursday’s action at the East Idaho Spring Classic Blackfoot Dog Shows held at the Eastern Idaho Fairgrounds.

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Her judging duties usually make it difficult for her to get involved in the competition, but she said when she has a dog that is closing in on championship status she makes and extra effort to make sure the animal earns the points necessary.

“I get out there when I have a dog close to grand champion,” Gailey said. “Like this one when he only needs three more points.”

The dog in question just cocked his head and looked happy.

Despite their short legs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis were originally a working dog used for herding. The breed originated in Pembroke, Wales and corgi means “dwarf dog” in Welsh. The dogs stand about 1 foot tall and weigh about 25 pounds on average.

But it’s their intelligence and friendly manners that endear them to their owners.

Gailey’s involvement with corgis led to her becoming a judge and trips to judge corgi competitions in Finland and Great Britain. Next year she’s headed to Australia.

“These little dogs have brought me more than I could have ever dreamed,” Gailey said.

Dorothy Sayers of Buhl was also at the Blackfoot dog show and she had two of her corgis entered in the competition. She has been showing the dogs for 30 years, owns six of them and loves everything about the breed.

“They’re all my family,” Sayers said.

Dog shows became part of Sayers’ life after he children grew up and left home. It began with her first Welsh corgi that people convinced her “just had to be shown.”

Although she was only showing two dogs this week in Blackfoot, all of the dogs made the trip from Buhl. Three of the six are champions, according to Sayers.

She spent some time fussing with the only male in the group, Ranger.

“He’s the king,” Sayers said with a smile.

Although Ranger didn’t place in the championship round Thursday, Sayers said she was still proud of him.

“They’ve got great personalities,” she said about the corgis. “They’re just great family dogs and they have a great sense of humor.”

Fellow competitor, Cherry Mathiason of Morrill, Neb., echoed Sayers’ sentiments.

“I like their personalities because they’re just such a cool dog,” Mathiason said.

The Nebraska native had brought one male and two females to the Blackfoot event. She said she had read about the dog show on the Internet and contacted other dog show enthusiasts about the possibility of coming to Idaho.

“There’s a good grapevine,” she said.

Mathiason has made the circuit of dog shows since the 1980s.

“It’s a blast, and we meet a lot of neat people,” she said.

The Blackfoot dog show event organized by the Eagle Rock Kennel Club of Idaho Falls and the Pocatello Kennel Club has grown dramatically the past few years. Gailey said the two kennel clubs had done an excellent job of working together.

“We’ve had some real progressive leadership,” Gailey said.

With dozens of breeds and hundreds of dogs on hand at the fairgrounds with events held in three, inside arenas and one outside, it was the friendliness of the little corgis and their owners that stood out.

As Mathiason groomed one of her dogs, Gailey had just finished first in a foursome showing of the corgis.

“Congratulations Patty,” Sayers shouted.

“Thanks Dorothy,” the Blackfoot breeder replied.
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