The Welsh Terrier is a breed of dog, one of many British terrier breeds. It was formerly bred for hunting fox, rodents and badger, but during the last century it has mainly been bred for showing. Despite this, it has retained its terrier strength of character and so requires firm, non-agressive handling. The Welsh Terrier originates from Wales and has been claimed to be the oldest existing dog breed in the UK according to the research of Julian Calder and Alastair Bruce for their book, 'The Oldest - in celebration of Britain's living history'. Its origins cannot be traced back to any particular breeds through DNA analysis and it is now disputed that it has some connection with the Old English Black and Tan Terrier. The Welsh Terrier was a latecomer to the British show-ring (being primarily a working dog) and was not officially registered until the 1800's. It is currently on the UK Kennel Clubs list of breeds that are in danger of dying out, having as few as 300 or so pups registered annualy, compared to the nations most popular breeds that are registered in their tens of thousands each year..

History

As the name implies, the Welsh Terrier was developed in Wales as an all around working dog several hundred years ago. This terrier was used to corner quarry or force it out of its holes and caves to an area easier for the hunter to shoot. He was also used in packs with hounds. To do this, the breed had to be bred for courage, especially since the fox, otter and badger were popular prey. Until the late 1800s, the Welsh Terrier enjoyed popularity in Wales but wasn't known in the rest of the world. In 1884, the first Welsh Terrier was shown in England and eventually imported to the United States. It was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a member of the terrier group.

Appearance and Size

The Welsh Terrier is colored tan on the head, legs and underbelly while having a black or sometimes grizzle saddle. The breed is a sturdy and compact dog of about medium size that can grow up to 15.5 in. (39.5 cm) with a weight of 20-22 lbs (9-10 kg). The tail is usually docked and is more preferred in order to complete the image of a square dog that is as tall as it is long. The body shape is rectangular, with Elongated, "brick-like" face. This shape is formed by the whiskers and beard. The hair contains two layers, an undercoat that insulates and an abrasive fur on top that protects against dirt, rain, and wind. Welsh Terriers are born mostly all black and during the first year they change the color to standard black and tan grizzle. This breed does shed. An undocked Welsh Terrier tail is only an inch or so longer than a docked tail and does not make a great deal of difference to the overall appearance. The coat does not moult out but old hairs will eventually be stripped out through play and movement etc if the coat is not regularly raked. Ungroomed coats can also fade and thin out as the old hair loses colour and texture. to keep a moult free house and a good coat on your WT it is necessary to rake out the coat on a regular basis.

Personality

The Welsh Terrier is a consummate terrier—a terrier in a nutshell—with a typical terrier temper. In the right hands, it is a happy, lively, and seldom shy or timid dog, but sometimes can have an attitude. Dogs of this breed can be devoted friends and can function either as city dogs or as country dogs. Welsh typically exhibit a hunting instinct: they chase anything that moves: dry leaves, cats, other animals, small children, almost anything. Welsh Terriers were developed to hunt independently and this required that they be very assertive and stoic dogs. As a consequence, developing obedience in a Welsh Terrier is a long term proposition and one has to convince the dog that the owner is the alpha male. Application of physical force should be done only in the extreme situations as Welsh Terriers, like most terriers, will not back down and will fight back. A quiet but persistent approach to ensure that Welsh Terrier in the end completes the command, in the end will establish who is in control. A Welsh Terrier is full of energy and it hardly ever becomes tired. Letting a WT have a run around the yard during the day is insufficient. If bored, they may explore and potentially cause mischief and damage. You need to challenge them and keep them entertained. For example, they love chasing toys to keep active and love swimming (a good example would be lake activities with their families). Welsh Terriers get along well with older children; they love to play and to follow a child as it plays. However, they will often tug at pant legs of young and old and in doing so will knock young ones off their feet. But if they are around young children at an early age will easily learn to play more gently.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Welsh Terrier" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.