Corgi popularity boosted by Diamond Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth received her first corgi, Susan, at the age of 18. She has since become a famous fan of the breed, bringing more attention to it as the Diamond Jubilee approaches (CP PHOTO/Adrian Wyld) Those who spend a lot of time on the internet have likely noticed more corgi dog pictures over the past year than ever before.

The royally-beloved breed is in the spotlight right now, with new corgi-centric blogs, art pieces and photo galleries popping up online constantly. Some bloggers have even gone so far as to call these short legged canines "the new cat."

And it's all thanks to Queen Elizabeth's upcoming Diamond Jubilee, according to the UK's Kennel Club.

The club's recently released "Find A Puppy" website statistics show that the number of people searching for "Pembroke Welsh Corgi" has increased by 37 percent in the first four months of 2012, compared to the last four months of 2011.

Puppy registrations for the breed, long known to be a favourite of the Queen's, have increased 70 percent in the same period.

"Sadly dog breeds go in and out of fashion, so after a long period of worrying decline for the corgi breeds it is reassuring to see an increase in numbers," said Kennel Club Secretary Caroline Kisko in a press release.

"It is a wonderful tribute to the Queen that the popularity of her chosen breed and its cousin, the Cardigan Welsh corgi, has increased in her Diamond Jubilee year."

One British hotel group is paying tribute to the breed by offering all corgis a free stay at one of their hotels during the month of June.

"In honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Lake District Hotel Group has launched a very special offer for the Queens favourite dog!" writes Lake District Hotels on their blog.

The corgi breed was introduced to the royal family by King George VI in 1933.

Today, Queen Elizabeth is said to own three Pembroke Welsh corgis named Monty, Willow and Holly. She also has three Corgi / Dachshund mixes named Cider, Candy and Vulcan.

What do you think of the corgi breed? Does the Diamond Jubilee make you more interested in the breed, or could you care less? Let us know your family's favourite breed of dog is in the comments below!