Welsh Springer Spaniel, for the first time, was officially recognized as a separate breed in 1902 by The British Kennel Club. That’s exactly when the determinations: English and Welsh Springer Spaniel were added to the Spaniel’s classification. To that date, Springers were determined as numerous groups of dogs, originating from Land Spaniel. The breed was supposed to serve hunters to flush out the birds from the bushes, so they could shoot them. The exact origin of the breed is unknown, however, it can be concluded without any doubt that the closest Welsh Springer Spaniel’s relative is the English Springer Spaniel, what is more, the breed’s country of origin is Great Britain. The breed also found its way to the United States, by the end of the XIX century, where it was recognized by the American Kennel Club, in 1906.

It is hard to specify the exact date of the breed’s origin, first records about Spaniels, that were resembling today’s Welsh Springer Spaniel, appeared already in the XII century. Most likely, that’s when Spaniels were brought from Western Europe to Wales, where the Welsh nobility got interested in this breed, while they were selecting individuals with specified character and looks.

The First World War was the most difficult period for the breed. None of the individuals with pedigree remained alive after the war ended. The establishment of the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club in 1923, in Great Britain, contributed to the breed’s reconstruction in the British Isles. Unfortunately, all of the club’s archives have been destroyed during the World War II raids. 

Unfortunately, the history of the breed is not particularly impressive in Poland. Before World War II, the Duchess Izabela Radziwiłłowa, who was known for her passion for Spaniels, used to take care of the breeding at the mansion “Mankiewicze”, in Polesie. After the outbreak of the war, all of the dogs were moved to Russia’s interior and for many years the breed vanished from Poland. It was until the ’80s, when thanks to Jolanta Kawecka, the restoration of the breed started occurring in our country. Today, there are only a few Welsh Springer Spaniels in Poland, however, the breed is gaining popularity in recent times.