Corgi TV discussion

[Stephen]

I'm not sure why some of you want Michael to go on TV and speak negatively (in the eyes of the viewers) about corgis especially if he's going to be there with his walking club. What would this say to the viewers? It just sounds like they just want some info on the Queen's dog breed of choice. I don't think Michael should be on the show saying how only a few have what it takes to own a corgi. It may come off as a little elitist. Besides, life with corgis is great. That should be the focus...and Michael's corgi trivia.

Michael, good luck! I'm glad people are out there doing what they can to promote corgis.

Btw, this thread has gone way off topic.

[glencorgi]

Oh good grief ... no one is suggesting Michael go on television and say corgis are snarky, snappish little beasts (a reputation they DO have among many places, btw). The topic of the show is why the Queen is so "rapt with corgis." For the answer to that question the logical place to begin looking for the answer is Susan or at least that is what I would think.

Now let me clue you in on a reality. ANY time a breed makes a highly visible appearance in a media outlet - television, movies, etc., there is always the oooooh and aaaaaah factor that occurs and an element of John Q. Public who go, "oh I want a cute widdle doggie like that!" Been there, done that, got the t-shirts from fielding the telephone calls and e-mails. I am also on the receiving end after someone bought a Michaelesque promotional spill hook line and sinker. I am also out in the public quite a lot doing breed information (promotions, if you will) booths and have had my 5 minutes of fame being interviewed after a raid and seizure in an abuse and neglect case where corgis were involved.

Michael asked for unique qualities of corgis and Paula suggested"...being opinionated, bullheaded and shedders." IF someone is doing an accurate and honest protrayal of a breed's qualities, these are the type of things that should be included. While you and Michael are seeing these as negatives, others of us see them as endearing and appealing traits. Well maybe not the shedding, but that too is like an inside running joke among corgi owners.

One of the most unique combinations of unique qualities I know is -- underneath the "quite simply cute, cool and cuddly" dwarf dog is the heart and mind of a working dog and with that comes a clever mind, willfulness, opinions and often a stubborn streak. While you are seeing these as negatives, to many they are endearing and attractive traits because we realize these are qualities which also give them their personality and make them highly trainable and able to succeed in areas such as obedience, agility and most importantly our valued pets of choice. The combination of the traits which made them successful in their work and valued around Welsh farmsteads are the same ones at least some of us appreciate about the breeds today. To shorten it up, you've got a 25 - 30 pound dog give or take, that was bred to move cattle that outweighed it roughly 1,000 pounds or so; and the corgi won. That heart and mind is still in our couch potatoes today.

And true, IF one owns multiple corgis (more than a pair) more often than not they will fit perfectly well together as a crew - just as the Queen's Corgis do.
She has typical multiple Pembroke pack dynamics and behaviors in her corgis.

As we are often reminded this is international forum and input was received globally. One hopes that the presentation will be honest, accurate and responsible and not filled with made up hypothetical scenarios because the presenter has no knowledge or experience in a topic. The old saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and we've seen some serious laspes of responsible discerning judgement on the part of the presenter, all of us at Go Corgi would like to see a well done program.

Debbie

[PaulaK]

Apologies to all for starting a ruckus.
Paula

[glencorgi]

Paula,

I see that you have nothing to apologize for. You made a sound realistic suggestion that anyone doing a responsible presentation on a breed should/would include in their descriptive blurb of a breed.

Debbie

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by glencorgi

Oh good grief ... no one is suggesting Michael go on television and say corgis are snarky, snappish little beasts (a reputation they DO have among many places, btw). The topic of the show is why the Queen is so "rapt with corgis." For the answer to that question the logical place to begin looking for the answer is Susan or at least that is what I would think.

Now let me clue you in on a reality. ANY time a breed makes a highly visible appearance in a media outlet - television, movies, etc., there is always the oooooh and aaaaaah factor that occurs and an element of John Q. Public who go, "oh I want a cute widdle doggie like that!" Been there, done that, got the t-shirts from fielding the telephone calls and e-mails. I am also on the receiving end after someone bought a Michaelesque promotional spill hook line and sinker. I am also out in the public quite a lot doing breed information (promotions, if you will) booths and have had my 5 minutes of fame being interviewed after a raid and seizure in an abuse and neglect case where corgis were involved.

Michael asked for unique qualities of corgis and Paula suggested"...being opinionated, bullheaded and shedders." IF someone is doing an accurate and honest protrayal of a breed's qualities, these are the type of things that should be included. While you and Michael are seeing these as negatives, others of us see them as endearing and appealing traits. Well maybe not the shedding, but that too is like an inside running joke among corgi owners.

One of the most unique combinations of unique qualities I know is -- underneath the "quite simply cute, cool and cuddly" dwarf dog is the heart and mind of a working dog and with that comes a clever mind, willfulness, opinions and often a stubborn streak. While you are seeing these as negatives, to many they are endearing and attractive traits because we realize these are qualities which also give them their personality and make them highly trainable and able to succeed in areas such as obedience, agility and most importantly our valued pets of choice. The combination of the traits which made them successful in their work and valued around Welsh farmsteads are the same ones at least some of us appreciate about the breeds today. To shorten it up, you've got a 25 - 30 pound dog give or take, that was bred to move cattle that outweighed it roughly 1,000 pounds or so; and the corgi won. That heart and mind is still in our couch potatoes today.

And true, IF one owns multiple corgis (more than a pair) more often than not they will fit perfectly well together as a crew - just as the Queen's Corgis do.
She has typical multiple Pembroke pack dynamics and behaviors in her corgis.

As we are often reminded this is international forum and input was received globally. One hopes that the presentation will be honest, accurate and responsible and not filled with made up hypothetical scenarios because the presenter has no knowledge or experience in a topic. The old saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and we've seen some serious laspes of responsible discerning judgement on the part of the presenter, all of us at Go Corgi would like to see a well done program.

Debbie

Oh, ok. I apologize for my misinterpretations. I know that we all have good intentions and want what's best for the corgi community.

Originally Posted by PaulaK

Apologies to all for starting a ruckus.
Paula

No need for apologies just like Debbie said.

[Michael Romanos]

I am please to see that a prompting from Stephen has provided one worthwhile response (from Debbie) - at least in part - to my original question on this thread. Thank you all.
I am all for the typical Corgi - and the typical Corgi in New Zealand and Australia at least, are not snarky or snappy - thank goodness. The WWCWC crew of Corgis get along just fine with each other and with people - well 33 out of the 35 anyway - and that is a tremendous average. The typical Corgi is more like Taylor than any opposite - so that is why Taylor is worth mentioning as often as I do much to Debbie's disconcernation.
Paula - you didn't start a ruckus. Another member decided to take advantage of an opportunity to downplay Corgis

[Michael Romanos]

Have heard that the film crew are going to film Government House in Wellington as a symbol of the monarchy and the Queen. When I told one of the producers that a Governor General, Sir Paul Reeves and his wife actually had a Corgi when they were living at Government House and were desperately unfortunate to lose their much loved female Corgi when she was run over by a Courier van on the Govt House property, the tv producer said that was very interesting and they would add this to the programme. The Reeves were subsequently given another Pem Corgi.

And here is something else that is interesting - the producer seemed to think that Corgis were snappy and I think she was relishing the fact that there was going to be a dozen Corgis from the WWCWC running around the grassy grounds outside the tv studios where some of the filming will take place before we go into the studio. She was imagining Corgis tearing into each other. Ha ha. It aint going to happen - the opposite will occur. How did this producer pick up the notion that Corgis are snappy. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for the programme - showing snappy Corgis and leaving people to wonder what the Queen sees in them. The WWCWC will put that myth to bed.

The producer also didn't know that Cardigan Corgis existed. So they will have to be explained and a very few words about the differences between them.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

And here is something else that is interesting - the producer seemed to think that Corgis were snappy and I think she was relishing the fact that there was going to be a dozen Corgis from the WWCWC running around the grassy grounds outside the tv studios where some of the filming will take place before we go into the studio. She was imagining Corgis tearing into each other. Ha ha. It aint going to happen - the opposite will occur. How did this producer pick up the notion that Corgis are snappy.

Perhaps from the reputation that precedes the Queen's own corgis????? Earned or deserved or not ... it exists as I have mentioned time after time. - That's as close to a FRAP as I can find. And I think I have earned the right to say, "I told you so!!!!"

Perhaps that is one of the reasons for the programme - showing snappy Corgis and leaving people to wonder what the Queen sees in them. The WWCWC will put that myth to bed.

Could be an anti-royal agenda??

No surprise about their ignorance concerning the Cardigan breed either.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Debbie - you are a worry to the end. We have an outsider who thinks Corgis are snappy and hasn't ever heard of Cardigans. To you the outsider is all knowing with biting Corgis but ignorant about the two breeds of Corgis. Perhaps she is just wrong in both cases.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Debbie - you are a worry to the end. We have an outsider who thinks Corgis are snappy and hasn't ever heard of Cardigans. To you the outsider is all knowing with biting Corgis but ignorant about the two breeds of Corgis. Perhaps she is just wrong in both cases.

There are a lot of people who don't know or realize that there are 2 corgi breeds. I don't find it surprizing either that she didn't know about Cardigans.

And there are many that don't realize both breeds are "Welsh" corgis. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've explained that there are two breeds and that they're both Welsh Corgis. And that's here in the US where neither breed is rare.

And yes, even here in the US there are people who think all corgis are "snappy". And yes, it's partly due to the reports of the Queen's corgis.

Peggy

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Debbie - you are a worry to the end. We have an outsider who thinks Corgis are snappy and hasn't ever heard of Cardigans.

Michael, all I meant was perhaps this reporter/interviewer/outsider/whatever's knowledge of corgis was limited to what she had read and heard about the Queen's corgis. They do have a reputation that precedes them as being snappish. Whether it is deserved or not, it DOES exist.

To you the outsider is all knowing with biting Corgis but ignorant about the two breeds of Corgis. Perhaps she is just wrong in both cases.

NO, that is NOT what I said at all. The "I told you so" was in reference to even this reporter/interviewer/outsider/whatever's had an impression of corgis that you choose not to believe exists and often times it does come from reports of the behavior of the royal corgis.

I never said she was all knowing or even implied that and that she didn't know about Cardigans - no surprise there either.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

I think I'll go and watch TV.
My nephew and niece and their two dear little American kids ( one is named Jaxson ) from Carolina tell me they have to put up with alligators which are smaller and less aggressive than crocs but can be pretty lethal nonetheless, in their property a few times and running around the streets. One even got into a Catholic church while the priest was giving a sermon and the priest stopped midstream and in some kind of shock ( wet his pants he told the congregation). Perhaps we have another use for the biting, snappy, nipping Corgi?

[Michael Romanos]

Great news. members of the WWCWC have rallied around and there seems likely that we will have up to 17 Corgis for the TV programme. I have asked a couple of members to try and lose some weight off their Corgis. So if nothing else, the tv thing may do some good for a couple of overweight Pems.

[Clogs]

So....how did the corgi thang at Government House go? Did the little dears behave themselves? No reporters going home with bitten off fingers? Hmmm?

[Michael Romanos]

The tv filming of the Corgis did not go without a hitch. We arrived at 1pm for a 30 minute romp on the lawns around the studios as I had arranged. Then at 1.30pm we moved to reception only to be told that filming would not start yntil 3.45pm. Despite cups of coffee and biscuits and magazines, a lot of the owners took off to return closer to the time.
For the filming the Corgis and owners were set up in a semi circle with me and Taylor in the front being interviewed by a good looking and tall guy named Brendan Pongia. Brendan was a NZ basketball rep until recently and a high flyer on the Dancing with the Stars programme which only concluded last Tuesday. Anyway. for some reason or other, Taylor 'greased' up to Brendan in several times reaching up to him for a spot of affection before the interviewing started. I hope a little of this was captured by the cameras. The questions were largely based on what I had told the producer earlier in the month so the interviewer came out sounding knowledgeable. I did stumble on the small-dog but big-dog-outlook thing and if it had been a radio interview I would have given better responses to several of the questions.