That's it...no more public forums for dog lovers

I have been a member of several public forums for dog owners. Many of them I no longer frequent, mainly because I find that most people are woefully dog ignorant and seem being on staying that way regardless of what information is being presented them. I have a few "buttons," one of which is that many people seem to think that because corgis are "little" dogs, that they are easy to take care of and unable to do serious work. 

While on Dogster's forums, a discussion again occurred which corgis were called "delicate" and one poster went so far as to say that one would have to choose between agility and Cardigans. The person who said that has a Pembroke Corgi MIX, and in my opinion was completely unqualified to make the statement. 

While its true that Cardigans aren't built like other dogs, what also is true is that statistically there are more Border Collies injured due to agility then there are Cardigans. There are also more injured Pembroke Welsh Corgis then Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Cardigan Welsh Corgis are few and far between, where as Pembrokes are a dime a dozen. 

Pembroke Welsh Corgis have a very high instance (almost as high as in German Shepherds) of IVDD, and their breeding base is almost 50% affected with DM. Unfortunately, since Cardigans haven't had a health survey in well over ten years, so the information available is dated and probably inaccurate. However, it appears that Cardigans are only 10% at risk for DM. 

This is not to say that Cardigans don't have health problems; that would be misleading. My point is that other breeds who are seen as healthy also have significant health problems, and yet they are seen in a different light. Border Collie agility dogs have an extremely high instance of cruciate ligament tears, hip dysplasia, and arthritis...yet Corgis are unfit to be agility dogs? 

Cardigan Welsh Corgis are created differently then other dogs, as previously mentioned, and certainly different then Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Their upper arms wrap about their egg shaped body cavity. Their pasterns turn out. Their front assembly acts as a natural shock absorber, as the breed was originally bred to drive cattle over a rough terrain. Cardigans are built to turn on a dime, and are extremely athletic, hardy dogs when bred correctly by a person or people who know and understand correct Cardigan Structure. 

From my personal experience in agility, my bitch Harper had more drive then any other dog in our class. Due to our tight bond (which is common with Corgis to their owners) she had an extreme willingness to work as well as great speed. My bitch is well structured, except for being out at elbows and a bit high on leg, and I daresay my dog is just as well structured as any other dog competing in agility. 

It has also been noted that no breed of dog was created for agility, originally. Certain dogs are created for physically demanding functions and are built to be agile and strong. Physically speaking, the herding group and the sporting group are ideal for agility. Not only are they bred to work over difficult, strenuous terrain but they are also bred for biddability. How biddable a dog is involves how well the dog works with mankind; how well it accepts and follows directions. 

Thus, Cardigans are just as able as any other breed to compete in agility, and do so in the upper echelons.