Welsh Springer Spaniel

Breed Type: Retrievers / Gun dogs
Country of Origin: Wales
Other Names: Welsh Spaniel, Welsh Cocker Spaniel
Size: Medium – Males 46 to 48cm high at the withers, average weight 20 kilograms
– Females 43 to 35cm high at the withers, average weight 16 kilograms.
Original Function: Flushing and retrieving game over land or water.
Temperament: Soft hearted, kind and confident, neither aggressive or nervous
Recommended for: Families looking for a fun companion
Lifespan:12-15 years
Care Requirements – Medium
Exercise Requirements – High

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is an excellent choice of animal for a family pet. They are beautiful animals in every sense. Visually their deep red and white coat is visually appealing as tis their long flowing coat, temperament wise they are loving and kind.

Initially bred as flushing/retrieving dogs they have been bred not to bark overly and have an natural desire to please. They are excellent swimmers and love a game of fetch. As a working breed they are generally physically very sound and live to a ripe old age with few problems.

Appearance
The Welsh Springer Spaniel has the typical compact and muscular build of most working spaniels. They are agile lives easy moving no strong they are not muscled bound. They are squarish in appearance most often slightly longer than tall. Previously tail is to be docked however tail docking legislation in Australia has since limited this.

Eyes are brown, yellow eyes are considered a fault. He is a is a small compared to the cocker spaniel that similarly dropping. They should be black or brown big noses are a full in the US though not in the UK. Jaw structure should be such that their bite is scissor like with an undershot jaw being a fault.

They only come in a single colour that is rich red and white. Any pattern is acceptable any percentage of red with white and red flecking or ticking. They are are some is mistaken for the English Springer Spaniel though they are a smaller and markedly differently coloured dog, they are more closely related to the Brittany Spaniel specimens of which are sometimes red-and-white whereas Welsh bringers are always red-and-white.

Temperament
The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a lovely breed are exceptionally friendly and affectionate. They are fun loving active, robust loyal and rarely show undesirable traits such as over aggression or nervousness. As such being so slow to anger or bite out of fear that excellent family pets especially to families with children and rarely seek to dominate other household pets. They do have a tendency to be high energy boisterous and bouncy thus they can in their excitement knock over young children or the elderly so they are perhaps not the best pet for such people.

They are intelligent and quick learners that they do have an independent streak. There will be sometimes wary with strangers. They are excellent fence climbers so if your next-door neighbour’s bitch is on heat expect your own spade male to make short work of gaining access over your typical Australian six-foot wooden paling fence.

Thoroughbreds as an active energetic working dog and require lots of exercise. They require a large yard however self exercising these animals is insufficient they need the mental stimulation of long walks and will happily play games of fetch or find and seek.
As was being kindhearted they do bond very heavily with their owners in some individuals will pine when their owners are away even if only for a few hours. So investigate them a friend.

Health
As a working bred breed they are generally very healthy. Health conditions such as hip dysplasia are sometimes seen so before buying a puppy speak to your breeder about the existence of this in their breeding lines and make sure you see the parents of your potential puppy. As with all long-haired breeds they can suffer from year infections and skin conditions around the ear so ensure they are kept clean and dry.

One genetic condition that is important to be aware of is entropion which is an eye disorder would deserve genetic malformation of the eyelids causing them to tell inwards towards the eye result in the eyes being irritated by the eyelashes. Dogs suffering from this condition will typically have weeping and often irritated eyes. There is no treatment other than surgery. Another eye condition they occasionally suffer from is glaucoma which if left untreated can lead to blindness.

The coat requires brushing regularly to keep it free of tangles and dead hair which will makes look unsightly and cause irritation. It should be bathed at least once a fortnight more often if their coat loses that shine.

There are numerous excellent breeders of Welsh Springer Spaniel is in Australia they should have little trouble in finding a suitable Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy for a pet should you choose this breed keeping in mind the high energy levels and sensitivity your short are a loving addition to your family.