Breed Priorities – The Welsh Springer Spaniel

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258 – April, 2025

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is thought to be one of the oldest spaniels developed in Great Britain. There had been red and white spaniels identified in literature and art for centuries. In 1902, they were recognized as a separate breed in the United Kennel Club. AKC recognized the breed in 1906. The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America was formed in 1961.

Known as the Working Welshman, the breed works on land and water–and in packs. Type has been consistent over the years and internationally. It has not evolved into two styles; the same dog goes hunting and into the show ring.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is sometimes compared to the English Springer Spaniel and the Brittany although they are distinctly different. The Welsh is only red and white coated and is shorter than its English cousin. The Welsh is about the same height as the Brittany, but is rectangular rather than square and not as leggy. The 2023 AKC registration statistics has the Welsh Springer ranked as 132nd of 202 breeds.

We invited eighteen Welsh Spring Spaniel experts to take a survey on their breed’s priorities when evaluating their breed conformation. Sixteen agreed to contribute. By deadline, twelve completed (or mostly) surveys were returned. Those who participated in this project have been in the breed for an average of more than thirty-eight years. Those who judge have been approved to do so for twenty-three years on average. Some have judged their national specialty, and most have judged other specialty shows for their breed.

Welsh Spring Spaniel Virtues

The experts prioritized a list of characteristics taken from the AKC Welsh Springer Spaniel breed standard. Below is the list in sequence by the average of the experts’ ranks, with 1 being the most important.

Click here to read the complete article
258 – April, 2025

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