Post by DogGoneGood on Mar 9, 2009 18:00:31 GMT -5
Group: I - Sporting
Origin: Wales
Date of Origin: 1600s
Purpose: Game Retriving and Flushing
Purpose Today: Companion, Gundog
Hardworking, water loving, and with outstanding stamina, the versatile Welsh Springer is an excellent companion and superb working gundog. In Wales and elsewhere, it has also been used as a cattle drover and sheep herder. It excels at flushing (or "springing") game birds. Unlike the English Springer, it has not diverged along seperate work and show lines, although it is almost equally popular for each purpose. Like all gundogs, it responds well to obedience training.
General Appearance:
A symmetrical, compact, strong, merry, very active dog; not stilty, obviously built for endurance and activity.
Size:
Approximate Height:
Dogs 19 inches (48 cm) at withers; Bitches 18 inches (46 cm) at
withers.
Weight:
Should be 35-45 lb. (16-20 kg).
Coat and Colour:
Straight or flat and thick, of a silky texture, never wiry or wavy. A curly coat is most objectionable. Rich red and white only.
Head:
A short, chubby head is objectionable. Skull proportionate, of moderate length, slightly domed, clearly defined stop, well chiseled below the eyes. Muzzle: medium length, straight, fairly square; the nostrils well developed, and either flesh coloured, liver, or black acceptable. Jaw strong, neither undershot nor overshot. Eyes hazel, or dark, medium size, not prominent, nor sunken, nor showing haw. Ears set moderately low and hanging close to the cheeks, comparatively small and gradually narrowing towards the tip, covered with nice Setter-like feathering. While the length of feathering on the ears is of little consequence, the
leather must be small.
Neck:
Long and muscular, clean in throat, neatly set into long and sloping shoulders.
Forequarters:
Medium length, straight, well boned, moderately feathered.
Hindquarters:
Strong and muscular, wide and fully developed with thick and muscular second thighs.
Hind Legs:
Hocks well let down; stifles moderately bent (neither twisted in nor out), moderately feathered.
Feet:
Round with thick pads, firm and cat-like, not too large or spreading.
Body:
Not long; strong and muscular with deep brisket, well-sprung ribs; length of body should be proportionate to length of leg and very well balanced; with muscular loin slightly arched and well coupled up.
Tail:
Well set on and low, never carried above the level of the back, lightly feathered and with lively action.
Faults:
Coarse skull, light bone, curly coat, loaded or poorly angulated shoulders, stilted movement.
Temperament:
The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a very sociable, cheerful, and friendly creature. This is a dog that makes for a great family pet and companion, suiting both the experienced and the inexperienced dog owner. These dogs are highly intelligent, quick to learn, responsive, and eager to please, all of which adds up to easier training. They are good natured dogs, with plenty of loyalty, affection, and love to give. The Welsh Springer Spaniel loves to be around his family, and enjoys interactive play and activity. He is a tactile dog, and is fully of sloppy licks and kisses for his loved ones. This is not a dog for those that want an aloof pet, or for those with little time to dedicate to their pet. The Welsh Springer Spaniel is very attentive, but also very sensitive, so training methods must always be calm and positive.
Health:
There are a number of health problems to look out for with this breed. This includes cataracts, epilepsy, glaucoma, HD, PRA, seizures, and thyroid problems. The parents of the Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy should have OFA and CERF certificates.
Life Expectancy:
12 - 14 Years
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.
Sources:
Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards - Welsh Springer Spaniel
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 221
Just Dog Breeds
AKC- Breed History
Origin: Wales
Date of Origin: 1600s
Purpose: Game Retriving and Flushing
Purpose Today: Companion, Gundog
Hardworking, water loving, and with outstanding stamina, the versatile Welsh Springer is an excellent companion and superb working gundog. In Wales and elsewhere, it has also been used as a cattle drover and sheep herder. It excels at flushing (or "springing") game birds. Unlike the English Springer, it has not diverged along seperate work and show lines, although it is almost equally popular for each purpose. Like all gundogs, it responds well to obedience training.
General Appearance:
A symmetrical, compact, strong, merry, very active dog; not stilty, obviously built for endurance and activity.
Size:
Approximate Height:
Dogs 19 inches (48 cm) at withers; Bitches 18 inches (46 cm) at
withers.
Weight:
Should be 35-45 lb. (16-20 kg).
Coat and Colour:
Straight or flat and thick, of a silky texture, never wiry or wavy. A curly coat is most objectionable. Rich red and white only.
Head:
A short, chubby head is objectionable. Skull proportionate, of moderate length, slightly domed, clearly defined stop, well chiseled below the eyes. Muzzle: medium length, straight, fairly square; the nostrils well developed, and either flesh coloured, liver, or black acceptable. Jaw strong, neither undershot nor overshot. Eyes hazel, or dark, medium size, not prominent, nor sunken, nor showing haw. Ears set moderately low and hanging close to the cheeks, comparatively small and gradually narrowing towards the tip, covered with nice Setter-like feathering. While the length of feathering on the ears is of little consequence, the
leather must be small.
Neck:
Long and muscular, clean in throat, neatly set into long and sloping shoulders.
Forequarters:
Medium length, straight, well boned, moderately feathered.
Hindquarters:
Strong and muscular, wide and fully developed with thick and muscular second thighs.
Hind Legs:
Hocks well let down; stifles moderately bent (neither twisted in nor out), moderately feathered.
Feet:
Round with thick pads, firm and cat-like, not too large or spreading.
Body:
Not long; strong and muscular with deep brisket, well-sprung ribs; length of body should be proportionate to length of leg and very well balanced; with muscular loin slightly arched and well coupled up.
Tail:
Well set on and low, never carried above the level of the back, lightly feathered and with lively action.
Faults:
Coarse skull, light bone, curly coat, loaded or poorly angulated shoulders, stilted movement.
Temperament:
The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a very sociable, cheerful, and friendly creature. This is a dog that makes for a great family pet and companion, suiting both the experienced and the inexperienced dog owner. These dogs are highly intelligent, quick to learn, responsive, and eager to please, all of which adds up to easier training. They are good natured dogs, with plenty of loyalty, affection, and love to give. The Welsh Springer Spaniel loves to be around his family, and enjoys interactive play and activity. He is a tactile dog, and is fully of sloppy licks and kisses for his loved ones. This is not a dog for those that want an aloof pet, or for those with little time to dedicate to their pet. The Welsh Springer Spaniel is very attentive, but also very sensitive, so training methods must always be calm and positive.
Health:
There are a number of health problems to look out for with this breed. This includes cataracts, epilepsy, glaucoma, HD, PRA, seizures, and thyroid problems. The parents of the Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy should have OFA and CERF certificates.
Life Expectancy:
12 - 14 Years
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.
Sources:
Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards - Welsh Springer Spaniel
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 221
Just Dog Breeds
AKC- Breed History
