Originating in Pembrokeshire, Wales, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an enchanting dog whose background is steeped in folklore. According to Welsh legend, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi sprang from the lairs of fairies and elves! As the legend goes, one day two children were out in the fields tending to their family's cattle when they found a couple of puppies. The children thought they were foxes, but recognizing something different about them, bundled them up and took them home. Their parents immediately saw that                                                                             the pups were not foxes, but dogs, and told their children that the pups were a gift from the                                                                               fairies that lived in the fields. The fairies used them to pull their carriages and sometimes ride                                                                             into battle. As proof that Pembrokes were indeed the mounts of fairies, the parents pointed                                                                               to the marks on their backs where the fairy saddle had been placed on their shoulders. The                                                                                 children were delighted and cherished their pups. As they grew, the dogs became treasured                                                                                 companions and learned to help the children take care of the family's cattle. For those who                                                                                 don't believe in fairy tales, there are historians who say that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is                                                                                     descended from Vallhunds, Swedish cattle dogs that were brought to Wales by the Vikings in                                                                             the 9th and 10th centuries. Others think they may have been descended from dogs that were                                                                             brought to Wales by Flemish weavers in the 12th century. Either way, the breed has a rather                                                                               misty historical pedigree. Farmers who kept working dogs in the past bred the best dogs for                                                                               the jobs they wanted them to do. They didn't keep good records about the matings. In the                                                                                 1920s, the UK Kennel Club recognized Corgis as purebred dogs. They were officially known                                                                           as Welsh Corgis when exhibited for the first time in 1925. At that time, Pembrokes and                                                                                       Cardigans were shown in the same class as one breed. Then, in 1934, the Kennel Club                                                                                         recognized the Pembroke and the Cardigan as two separate breeds. In that same year, the                                                                                     American Kennel Club followed suit. Pembrokes were first shown in the U.S. in 1936.                                                                                       Pembrokes have slowly gained in popularity in the U.S., and today, are among the top 50                                                                                   most popular breeds for family pets. They're also popular with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth                                                                           II of England, who received her first Pembroke Welsh Corgi from her father (King George                                                                                 VI) in 1933. The puppy's name was Rozavel Golden Eagle and was a playmate for Elizabeth                                                                             and her sister, Margaret. Elizabeth has loved the little dogs ever since, and currently has a pack                                                                           of them lounging around Buckingham Palace.