Most Famous Corgi Lovers: Tasha Tudor

The late Tasha Tudor was an artist and author, and a great protagonist of living a simple life, unfettered with modern technology.

Her home in Corgi Cottage was the subject of many photographic essays. Mrs. Tudor lived a life of joyous simplicity, always with her corgi friends around her.

There is no other dog that can compare to a corgi. They're the epitome of beauty. Apollo can't hold a candle to my Owyn. He has royal blood, the same sire as Queen Elizabeth's corgis, that's why I named him Owyn Tudor after my ancestors. Corgis are Welsh in origin and there are two kinds: Cardigans, which are heavy-headed and have tails that go all the way down, and Pembrokes, like mine, that have no tails and are more refined.

My very first corgi was bought by my son Tom for ten guineas from a Reverend Mr. Jones, a vicar in Pembrokeshire, who shipped him over in a tea chest. It was love at first sight and I was determined I had to have more. I've had up to thirteen or fourteen at one time, which causes a lot of commotion underfoot, especially when people come to call.

They're such characters- a mixture of a dog and a cat, I think. They especially don't like to be scolded in public. They talk back; they growl and show their teeth and pretend they're frightfully savage. However, they never criticize. You're always beautiful to them.

How could you resist a corgi? Look at their faces. I find them thoroughly adorable, particularly when they're little. And in the winter it's very cozy to sleep with a nice warm corgi in the small of your back to cut the drafts. We always had a medley of doggies when the children were growing up -- collies, wolfhounds, terriers, and then corgis above all. I find them irresistible. They are my trademark.