ISFRYN GUNDOGS
FAQS |
My Spaniel was born in Wales, is it a Welsh Springer? Do Welsh Springer Spaniels have any health problems? What are Welsh Springer Spaniels like to train? Can Welsh Springer Spaniel Puppies still be docked? I have a docked puppy can I still show it? Are there any Welsh Springer Spaniel Clubs? Do Welsh Springer Spaniels need much grooming/trimming? Are there any good Welsh Springer Spaniel books? Do Welsh Springer Spaniels make good pets?
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What is the difference between Welsh Springer Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels? The WSS and ESS are two seperate breeds. There are around 400 WSSs registered each year as opposed to around 15,000 ESSs. ESSs are split into the slightly larger Show Strain and the smaller Working Strain. WSSs are sized in the middle, bitches approx 18ins and dogs approx 19ins at the wither and are a dual purpose breed (you show the same dogs as you work). WSSs come in rich red and white only and have comparitively smaller ears. ESSs come in black and white, liver and white, occasionally with tan markings normally on the face.. ESSs will work cover regardless just for the sake of it. WSSs tend to be a bit pickier and occasionally will only enter cover if there is something in there. ESSs have a: "What shall we do now? You want me to do that? Of course, anything else?" attitude. WSSs sometimes reply with: "OK, I'll do that in a minute, when I've finished what I'm doing here". |
My Spaniel was born in Wales, is it a Welsh Springer? If your spaniel was born in Wales, it does not make it a WSS. See above "What is the difference between Welsh Springer Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels?" |
Do Welsh Springer Spaniels have any health problems? Hereditary defects occasionally affect a small proportion of the breed. The main conditions are: epilepsy, glaucoma and hip dysplasia. You can find more information published by the Welsh Springer Spaniel Joint Health Group. http://www.wssc.org.uk/jhghome.htm |
What are Welsh Springer Spaniels like to train? WSSs take longer to train than working ESSs or Cockers. Success can be achieved by using kind, fun but firm methods. Repetition is the key to training any dog and you will find that if your WSS struggles with an exercise it is because you have not explained properly to it how to do the task in question. You cannot take any short cuts when training a WSS. |
Can Welsh Springer Spaniel puppies still be docked? Yes they can as long as the guidelines below are followed. |
I have a docked puppy can I still show it? You can still show a dog docked after April 2007 but only at shows where the public do not pay to get in. You will need to write to the KC for "permission to show". |
Are there any Welsh Springer Spaniel Clubs? There is the parent breed club, and three regional breed clubs: |
Do Welsh Springer Spaniels need much grooming/trimming? They are not maintenance-free dogs in the grooming department but on the other hand they do not necessarily need taking to a grooming parlour to keep them tidy and comfortable it is easily done at home. Ideally they should be brushed daily. The degree of trimming will depend on what you do with your dog, ie show dogs will need more trimming than others. A basic trim would be the underside of the ears, feet and under the tail. More trimming info can be found in the books listed via the link below. |
Are there any good Welsh Springer Spaniel books? |
Do Welsh Springer Spaniels make good pets? WSSs make excellent pets. They are very sociable and like to be involved with family activities. They are active dogs and like at least one good daily free run. They like to keep busy and be mentally challenged so some form of training is a good idea, whether it be for a well trained sociable pet, gundog work, agility, companion work or showing. Bored WSSs can be destructive and noisy. |
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