Welsh Springer Spaniel Dog Breed
Aliases: Welshie, velcro dog
Description
The Welsh Springer spaniel is a strong, medium-built dog with a crimson and whitish coat. The hair can be curly or flat, with lots of fur on the chest and most parts of the body. The head is fairly circular in shape. The ears are long and straight, and they are also covered with fur. The eyes can be red or black. The Welsh Springer is relatively smaller as compared to an English Springer, and relatively bigger against an English Cocker Spaniel.
The Welsh Springer spaniels can live in various habitats, and they can survive in rocky areas and in places where vegetation abound. This dog is well adapted to land and water, but it still depends on the terrestrial environment for survival, where it is very adept in hunting. Some Welsh Springer spaniels develop well in both individual physique and reproduction abilities when they are exposed to excellent light and temperature conditions, as well as the availability of food sources. They are important elements in both water and land food chain, since they are good hunters, but they are also potential food sources for other land organisms.
The Welsh Springer spaniel have been used for many years in hunting games, and because of this, they have been well-loved by sports enthusiasts and hunting game fanatics. A wide range of abilities and talents can be imparted to this dog including sprinting and brisk walking. Since the 1960s, the society has grown increasingly amazed and fascinated with the abilities of the Welsh Springer spaniel, and with that concern, a social awakening has emerged on issues of animal pain, suffering, fear, loneliness, boredom, and anxiety, which has in turn forced people to reckon with these notions.
The Welsh Springer spaniel also plays a central and essential role in research, testing and education for continued improvement and training of dogs, not only for the health and welfare of humans but for animals as well. Therefore, humane methods have to be observed during training, and researches conducted on this dog should only be promoted if they are for a meaningful cause.
Coat Description
The Welsh Springer has a crimson and white coat with a lot of fur. The fur is straight and silky, and it is never curly. At the ends of the ears, the back of the legs and the underside of the body, the furs are somewhat feathery.
History
The Welsh Springer spaniel is an excellent dog that originated from . It was first discovered some time before 1300 AD. The early details of the origin of the Welsh Springer spaniel are also the same with other spaniels that came from . During these times, the Welsh Springer spaniel was commonly known as a Cocking Spaniel. Kennel organizations were also not abundant, so various types of spaniels were often interbred. Later, two major breeds of spaniels came to the fore, and they were the Water Spaniels and Land Spaniels. The Welsh and English Springer spaniels transformed into independent dogs prior to the 20th century.
The Welsh Springer spaniel is characterized as an extremely durable dog, and it can stay active for a long time without showing fatigue in all types of environmental conditions or landscapes. Its name is derived from the popular notion that this dog has tremendous aptitude in discovering games. The dog\'s tail shows signs of intense wagging when it spots a game. The Welsh Springer can be lost when left in open environments, but this can be avoided through proper and consistent training which must be started and managed at an early age. The very jovial and active characteristics of the Welsh Springer spaniel make it a favorite pet among families. Some of its well-known capabilities include tracking, hunting and retrieving.
Owners of the Welsh Springer spaniel like to train their dogs for the purposes of companionship, sports and service. They believe that upon proper care and training, their dogs will develop into healthy beings with a longer life span. At such, the dogs can remain as great companions with which they can share various activities. The activities comprise of recreation, sports, entertainment, service and even rescue.
Temperament
The Welsh Springer spaniel is always a jolly and affectionate type of dog. However, this dog is very much reserved unlike the English Springer. It can act on its own, but can be enthusiastic when in the company of humans. One thing the owner can do is to constantly interact with this dog to enable it to get accustomed to human contact. The Welsh Springer can be involved in family activities, and it can be trained to perform errands. The dog is very teachable, and more so from an early age. This dog can be sociable and friendly with other types of dogs, and they make great playmates for children.
The Welsh Springer spaniel is also well known for its energetic ways besides its loyalty. They are seldom shy or aggressive towards their owners. The spaniel breed is well known for being lovable to all types of people, especially children. This dog can also easily adapt to new environments, but sometimes they don\'t really understand what their owners want them to do. Upon proper training, Welsh Springer spaniels can be taught to become very effective dogs.
Thyroid Disease - High Risk
The Welsh Springer Spaniel ranks #19 among all breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis prevalence. There is a high risk of obtaining a dog that will develop thyroid disease. For this reason you should make sure you, or your breeder, are testing all dogs before breeding. It may even be a good idea to test dogs that you don't plan on breeding so that any instance of disease can be traced back to breeding pairs and eliminated.
| Rank Among Breeds |
Number of Dogs Tested |
Percent of Dogs With Disease |
| #19 |
187 |
13.9% |
You can download the full report (on all breeds) by the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Here
Other Health Problems
The Welsh Springer Spaniel is almost always a strong and fit dog, but sometimes it may experience hip dysplasia, illnesses of the eyes and for those with huge ears, they can acquire various ear problems. The most typical lifespan of this dog is estimated at 12 to 14 years. Some Welsh Springer spaniels are also prone to epilepsy.
The dog's body has the ability or immunity to resist almost all types of bacteria or toxins that tend to damage the tissues and organs. Much of this immunity is acquired immunity that does not develop until the dog's body is first attacked by a bacterial disease or a toxin. And the immunity often requires weeks or months to develop. A portion of Welsh Springer immunity results from general processes, rather than from processes directly caused by specific disease organisms. Immunity in this dog can be active or passive. In active immunization, antibody production is stimulated by administration of antigen or by exposure to naturally occurring antigens such as bacteria, viruses or fungi. In passive immunization, preformed antibodies actively produced in another dog are given to the recipient in the form of serum γ-globulin. Most immunization cases of Welsh Springer dogs come in the form of active immunization.
Immunization programs on Welsh Springer spaniels against infectious diseases need to be developed on a geographic basis and administered to all dog breeds on the planet. Communication and education are imperative and culturally sensitive, community-based programs that convey information on how to recognize, treat, and seek appropriate dog care are required. This is particularly important for potentially devastating communicable diseases.
