A lot of people seeing Welsh for the first time are amazed by how the dog looks like, when they read information about the breed on the internet they learn that it is a wonderful, sociable dog and doesn’t show any certain type of aggression, what is more, they find out that Welsh is the perfect candidate to became a new family member. Yes, everything that was mentioned before is true. Welsh Springer Spaniel has wonderful ginger – white coat with many drops ( freckles ) on the muzzle and paws. Their fur is pleasant in the touch. The dog gets attached to the householders and accepts everyone, no matter if they are two-legged or four-legged. After Welsh will make their appearance in the house, there is no doubt that they will become a great friend as well as a householder, however, every rose has its thorns.

Springers are not that kind of dog, that can only be a decoration for the house. If we take a look at the classification of the FCI ( Federation Cynologique Internationale ) breeds, we are going to find Welsh under group VIII – flushing dogs, fetching dogs, and water dogs. Welsh can be found in this group of dogs not by accident, if Welsh Springer Spaniel was a breed only for the company, it would be classified in group IX –  decorative and companion dogs. 

As I mentioned before Welsh Springer Spaniel is classified in group VIII, so is a flushing dog. They are hunting dogs, working tirelessly in the harsh conditions and that was the main goal of creating this breed. The dog’s main tasks is to flush the birds from bushes and swamps, fetch from water and locate shot birds. Welsh that is deprived of a chance to work will suffer. Of course, not every Springer’s owner has to be a hunter, however, every conscious owner has to be aware of his pet’s needs, be mindful of the breed’s roots and provide optimal conditions for their dog, considering dog’s character.

Purchasing a puppy is only the beginning of our long-standing journey with the dog. Since the first day, we need to start working with them. I wrote on purpose “with them” not “on them”,  mainly because us, owners we need to learn how to cooperate with our best friend and systematically build a relationship with them.

Welsh is an intelligent dog, they learn fast, however, they are also very independent, so we can’t expect from them to be obedient like a German Shepperd, in fact, the best learning methods for the Welsh Springer Spaniel are those that are focused on rewarding. We also need to keep in mind that the first six months of a puppy’s life is the most important period. When taking dog into our house we need to book the first months of our time just for the puppy. In that time the dog’s psyche is shaping, and how we will work through this period is going to decide what kind of dog we will have in the future. Of course, it doesn’t mean that after 6 months our work is over. No, each day is a new challenge, we can expect a mature, shaped dog after around 3 years.

Welsh Springer Spaniels are very eager to work, want to be close with their owner, and do tasks for them. Welsh always wants to be close with the human, they don’t like staying home alone, sadly sometimes, despite the work that was done during the “puppy period”, leaving dog home alone can be impossible. This is the result of Welsh’s attachment and love that they have for us. Of course, those traits are highly desirable for all the owners, but we should be aware that we will have to turn our life-styles around after letting Welsh Springer Spaniel into our house. We need to take under consideration our fellow while planning vacations or longer absences from home. We need to show them our affection daily, not only by petting and hugging them, but also by various ways of spending time with them. Every walk should be intertwined with some sort of work, play or learn. It is also worth taking the dog by the water, so they have a chance to swim.

I am convinced Welsh is going to feel comfortable in an active people’s house, where there is always going to be someone who will give the dog a second of theirs time. It is worth considering signing up our dog for classes, from the very beginning, starting with puppy kindergarten. Our attention should be paid to the schools that offer stress-free training. Such schools pay particular attention to build our relationship with the dog, and what is more important educate us, owners. Thanks to this we get a rich resource of working methods, that we can use later during daily activities with our dog. It is also worth considering to take our dog to the hunting dog training, it can also be done by scent training, agility training, or any type of activity that will allow our dog to work and use their utility abilities.