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Welsh Springer Spaniel Facts
- Group
- Sporting
- Affiliations
- AKC, CKC, UKC
- Height
- 17" - 19"
- Weight
- 30-50 lbs.
- Lifespan
- 12 years | Add yours
- Exercise Requirement
- Training Requirement
- Grooming Requirement
- Colors
- Breed Characteristics
Alternate Names
Starter, tarfgi.
Origin
The Welsh Springer Spaniel originated in Great Britain.
Date Of Origin
This breed developed in the 1600's.
History
The history of the Welsh Springer begins as far back as 7000 BC, when the first hunting dogs were employed by man. The likely ancestors of most of today?s domestic hunting dogs, these canines accompanied man on his hunting sojourns on the coastlines of Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland during the Mesolithic Age. By approximately 250 BC, the ancestors of the Welsh Springer had developed into the Agassian hunting dog, belonging to the wild tribes of Roman-occupied Briton. During the Renaissance, the "Land Spaniel," a Welsh Springer-type dog with red and white markings, was used for retrieving, and tapestries of the time depict a dog very similar to the Welsh.
After rising to great popularity in the 1700s and becoming a favorite hunting dog of the noble class, the breed lost its niche in the 1800s, replaced by the English Springer and other spaniels. However, a trend in selective breeding, spurred on by the newly popularized Darwinian theory, eventually brought back the breed to Victorian England, and the breed competed in the same class with the English Springer, the only difference at that time being color.
Imported to America in the late 1800s, the breed gained popularity and was recognized by the AKC in 1906. After rough times following the World Wars, it was believed that no Welsh Springers existed in the US, but importing revived the breed, and the Welsh Springer parent club was found in 1961.
Description
The Welsh springer spaniel is a medium-size, muscular, rectangular-shaped dog. The head is in proportion and moderately wide. It has medium-length drop ears, brown eyes, and a brown or black nose. The tail is docked or can be natural. The smooth coat is of moderate length; there is feathering on his chest, ears, back of legs, feet and belly. It is red and white with red freckles.
Temperament
This is a jovial, outgoing, and amenable dog. It is active, intelligent, and highly trainable when motivated. It is especially devoted to its family but gets along with almost everyone, including other dogs.
Uses
This breed is highly adapted to hunting and retrieving over the most difficult terrain and resistant to any kind of bad weather. It is said that for the Welsh springer spaniel, "it is always sunny". Its personality makes it a desirable companion.
Health Concerns
Cataracts, entropion, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, seizures.
Additional Information
It does best with a family or individual in a rural or suburban home.
Sources
The Howell Book Of Dogs
Publisher: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2007
Website: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/
Author: Liz Palika
Dog Bible
Publisher: BowTie Press, 2005
Website: http://www.bowtiepress.com/bowtie/
Authors: Kristin Meuh-Roe, Jarelle S. Stein
Simon & Schusters Guide to Dogs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster inc, 1980
Website: http://www.simonandschuster.com
Author: Elizabeth Meriwether Schuler
The New Encyclopedia of the Dog
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2000
Website: http://www.dk.com
Author: Bruce Fogle
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