Welsh Terrier

It is evident from the attitude of the Welsh Terrier, they are born to please humans and their in-borne intelligence makes them a spirited breed. In this article we will be exploring some exclusive behavioral habits, grooming routines and historical existence of this interesting breed.

Behavior

Even though Welsh Terrier having been considered sociable and welcoming pets, they are also commonly known for their excessive barking. This special and unique breed is highly capable of alerting you of approaching intruders and act as awe-inspiring watch dogs. Exclusive training is required with firm command. The most common behavioral problem encountered with almost all Terriers is dominance. They often deploy tricks in order to provoke the attention of owner and attempt to gain dominance.

A poorly trained or socialized Terrier can be extremely antagonistic. It is best to ensure your dog socializes with other fellow dogs, as well with humans, in order to enhance proper Welsh Terrier behavior and attitude.

Appearance

The Welsh is square in proportioned, medium sized and territorial. This breed is a compact and sturdy dog, which make us smile and laugh at its initial appearance.

A normal Welsh can grow to an approximate height of around 35-40 cm and weight of 22 lbs. Aside from the jacket portion, the rest of the body, including the underbelly, legs and head are either spread with reddish brown or ultra-mild tan. The jacket portion is either grizzle or black in color. Naturally occurring docked tail forces this special breed to resemble a square dog shaped structure.

Special whiskers and beard creates the illusion of a brick-like face.

The Terriers two-layered coat has numerous features. This breed doesn’t shed, but like other pets, Welsh should be given appropriate brushing and manual hand stripping. The soft dense wooly undercoat acts as an insulating medium and the wiry top layer helps to protect the breed from the environment.

Grooming

The color and texture of the coat is enhanced by manual hand stripping. Owners should make use of natural stripping methods rather using electrical clippers to remove dead hairs. A minimum of five clippings make up the basic requirement to provide a stunning look to this magnificent breed.

Like most dogs, care should be given to ensure their teeth are properly brushed, nails are cut once a month and ears cleaned with the proper lotions.

The combination of hand stripping and clipping will bring out the real magic in the look. The belly and butt portions should however be clipped. Don’t worry, it is common to notice your Terriers coat looking a bit dull or fade each time you clip. The scenario is entirely different when it comes to Terriers with a dark undercoat. In these cases, the owner will not notice any difference after clipping the hair.

The potential benefits from clipping are an eventual enrichment, lightening, thinning and softening of the coat.

History

The Terriers were bred in Great Britain and Ireland as essentially pest control agents. They were used to hunt pesky rabbits, foxes and rabbits among other things. The Terriers breed is found to be within the general modern/hunting genetic cluster, with some select dogs falling into the Mastiff genetic cluster along with such dogs as Labrador Retrievers and Pomeranians.

While their original purpose was to kill, they are now bred as either family dogs or show dogs. These beautiful creatures are also found to be on UKs list of breeds that are in danger of going extinct.