The Cardigan is the larger of the two, with larger rounded ears and a foxy, flowing tail. The Pembroke features pointed ears and is somewhat smaller in stature. Historically, the Pembroke was a breed with a natural bob tail (a very short tail). Due to the advent of docking, the trait was not aggressively pursued, with breeders focusing instead on other characteristics, and the tail artificially shortened if need be.
Given that some countries are now banning docking, breeders are again attempting to select for dogs with the genes for natural bob tails. The coats of both breeds come in a variety of colours, although there are some differences between the breeds.