Welsh Terrier

Video: Welsh Terrier

History of Welsh Terriers

The pedigree of the breed goes back to the XVII century, when wire-haired black-and-tan terriers roamed the fields of English Wales. Initially, the belligerent, sonorous dogs were bred by farmers who needed compact animals that combined the "qualifications" of guards and rat catchers, but at the same time were content with a ladle of liquid soup. Subsequently, several new breed lines "sprouted" from Welsh dogs, including the Welsh family.

Over time, the genus of the Old English black-and-tan Terrier faded away, giving way to more tenacious and agile descendants. Perhaps that is why, since the middle of the XIX century, increased attention has been paid to the "pumping" of the external and working qualities of Welsh terriers – by 1886, the breed already had its own standard, pages in stud books, and a fan club. The descendants of the Welsh rat catchers came to Russia after the Great Patriotic War, but they did not arouse professional interest among dog breeders. As a result, the shaggy "emigrants" lived ordinary, unremarkable lives of pets who did not leave behind purebred offspring.

The real breeding of Welsh Terriers in the USSR began in the 70s, when breeding individuals were brought to the country from abroad. At that time, the domestic livestock came from foreign producers of Glai-Eric, Axel, Glory-Mercy and Judita-Jojo, so soon the breeders were faced with a shortage of fresh genes – all the animals tied by Soviet breeders were closely related to each other. Fortunately, already in the 80s the problem was solved by importing breeding Welsh Terriers from Sweden, Germany and Finland, which significantly improved the external indicators of Russian breed lines.

Breed standard

At the first acquaintance with Welsh, I really want to write him down as a relative airedale terrier - the same shaggy rectangular muzzle, the same stiff coat on the body and the same hunting bearing. In fact, the breeds have only a distant ancestor in common – the Old English black-and-tan Terrier. At the same time, representatives of both families have never been crossed among themselves, not to mention the working specializations that Welsh and Airedale have absolutely different. In particular, the Welsh terrier has always been "sharpened" for mink hunting, whereas its competitor from Yorkshire more often practiced catching river otters.

Head

Welsh Terriers have a flattened, moderate-width skull, a harmoniously developed, but not excessively long muzzle and an emphatically smooth stop.

Teeth and jaws

Strong, strong teeth close into a "scissors" bite. Massive, well-defined jaws are distinguished by good depth.

Nose

The lobe is neat, painted in a uniform black tone.

Eyes

Welsh Terriers are characterized by small almond-shaped eyes without obvious bulge and roundness.

Ears

The Welsh have elegant high-set ears: medium-sized, regular V-shaped, tightly fitting to the temples.

Neck

The neck of the Welsh Terrier has a slight graceful curve and smoothly passes into the shoulders. The neck muscles are developed, but not excessively.

Housing

The Welsh Terrier is a compact dog. The animal's back is short, with a strong loin; the chest is moderately wide and deep.

Limbs

The Welsh have strong, even legs with low-hanging hocks, which provide the animal with a free, energetic swing and linearity of movements. The dog's shoulder blades are long, strongly retracted; the pasterns are powerful and straight, and the elbows move freely along the body. The hind legs look massive because of the muscular elongated hips, while the paws have a miniature cat shape.

Tail

Historically, the Welsh, like all terriers working in burrows, had their tail docked. Today, this procedure is prohibited by European associations, therefore, modern representatives of the breed have high-set tails of normal length, rushing vertically (the so-called merry tail is considered a defect). If the tail is docked, which is still found in Russia, its tip should not be above the occipital protuberance of the pet.

Wool

The slightly disheveled "clothes" of the Welsh terrier consists of an undercoat and a wire-like, rough awn. At the same time, the coat layer is very dense, not lagging behind the animal's body.

Color

The Welsh terrier can be black and tan or must have a "fur coat" of the color black grizzly with tan. At the same time, black markings on the fingers are prohibited, and a black color below the hocks of the dog is also not desirable.

Defects and disqualifying defects of appearance

The disadvantages of the exterior include excessively large dimensions (height above 39 cm at the withers), mermaid paws, anatomical deviations from the standard (long / sloping croup, puffiness, weak withers, etc.). The ban on exhibiting in the ring applies to Welsh terriers with cryptorchidism, depigmented lobe, lips and eyelids, atypical colors and the structure of the coat, as well as cowardly and overly aggressive dogs.

Character of the Welsh terrier

Welsh is perhaps one of the most "terrierist" representatives of his own group. Infinitely expressive, adventurous, and incredibly bullying in relation to other animals, this comrade is eager to keep up always and everywhere. Acquiring a breed for home maintenance, you should not give up before its hunting past: welsh terriers do not rush at children and do not show aggression towards adults. The only thing you will have to get used to is the waywardness of a mobile hustler. A true Welsh terrier has its own vision of any everyday situation and its own system of judgments, so it can be difficult to convince him.

The breed cannot imagine life without close contact with the owner. And to be more precise, the Welsh are generally ready not to part with the owner for days: a terrier who put his head on a slipper or a person's foot and fell asleep in this position is a completely ordinary picture. By the way, if you dream of a pet that can "mimic" the color of the wallpaper, with Welsh terriers you are definitely not on the way, because they are always visible and audible in the apartment. And it's also difficult to hide anything from the Welsh, so when you get a representative of this family, get ready to be "under the hood" of your pet every minute.

The Welsh Terrier does not get along with other dogs: this is a fact that needs to be accepted. In addition, he is the greatest provocateur who knows how to arouse hostile interest from sheepdogs, wolfhounds and other large-sized tribesmen, famous for their ferocity. However, the dog does no better with small representatives of the fauna – cats, hamsters and rats, seeing the welsh, run away with reactive speed. The Welsh terrier loves to arrange tough showdowns with creatures that are at least slightly inferior to him in size.

A modern purebred Welsh Terrier is almost always a gambler. Do not think that you have completed the mission by taking the dog outside and making him run after the ball. Upon returning home, the shaggy "meteor" will continue to demand a new portion of entertainment. He does this not impudently, but in the manner inherent in terriers, that is, every minute lying in wait for the owner who is distracted from business and reminding him of his own existence. Toys scattered around the house are another tricky way to catch a person in their nets. As soon as you kick the squeaker that has turned up under your foot, Welsh will regard the sound made by the toy as a signal to action and then it will not work to get out of the game.

Education and training

The Internet is full of funny videos, the heroes of which are terriers, turning on coffee makers, dusting furniture with a broom and polishing the master's shoes to shine. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that behind such shows there are months, or even years of hard work. In ordinary life, the Welsh, like all representatives of the terrier group, are not eager to learn and do not tolerate if they are forced to acquire knowledge. Therefore, the only way to interest the dog in training is to put them in a playful form. The main thing is that the four-legged scamp does not see through the trick and does not guess that serious work lies behind the alleged entertainment. Positive stimuli can also work wonders. Welsh Terriers are greedy for praise, and they are easily seduced by a tasty treat.

In the upbringing of a puppy, it is necessary to adhere to moderate firmness. From the first days of staying in the house, the baby must understand the system of prohibitions and strictly follow it in the future. At first, the Welsh Terrier will try to defend its own rights. For example, he will whine resentfully when he fails to lie on the bed, or he will begin to hypnotize with his eyes every piece that a person sends into his mouth. It is important not to be provoked and not to meet the dog's weaknesses. Any permissive action for an animal is identical to a small victory, which should be secured. As a result: today you have fished out a piece of meat from your own plate for the Welsh, and tomorrow the pet will jump on your lap to take the delicacy from the table on its own.

Train your puppy to approach on demand in a timely manner. By three or four months, the Welsh terrier should respond to the call of the owner, and you can control the animal with both the standard command "To me!" and simply pronouncing the nickname. However, it is not worth abusing trust, so if the animal is guilty, calling him for punishment is a gross mistake. Welsh is not a stupid creature and will quickly figure out what awaits him in such cases, so next time he will either skillfully play deafness or hide from punishment.

If the Welsh terrier has begun to make attempts to dominate, they must be abruptly, but without malice, stopped. For example, if a dog decides to grumble in response to demands or after the command "Sit down!" is abruptly torn from its place, it can be thoroughly shaken or pressed with a hand to the floor.

Important! Do not follow fashion trends and do not train a Welsh with an electric collar. This is a very painful accessory for the animal, which in the future can harm the already sensitive neck of the Welsh terrier.

To teach Welsh to the toilet, walk him more often. Puppies do not know how and cannot tolerate for a long time, so it is important to have time to take the baby out before he has time to make a puddle (immediately after sleeping or eating). If the ward did not make it to the walk and left the waste products on the floor, do not scold or spank him. The puppy will decide that going to the toilet in your presence is the height of bad manners and next time he will relieve himself in a secluded corner of the apartment. In general, with age, Welsh terriers quickly realize that it is more convenient to satisfy toilet needs on the street and look forward to the next walk.

It is better to engage in ring training of a pet in secluded places where there are no dogs and other people. So it will be easier for the Welsh Terrier to concentrate on the teams. Usually training starts with running (commands "Trot!", "Work!"). If the animal moves incorrectly and goes into a gallop, it should be pulled back (the command "No!"). From straight-line movements, you can move on to running in a circle, which is a more complex action. The commands "Ring!", "Inspection!", "Teeth!" are introduced after the Welsh terrier has learned to move at a proper trot.

Hunting with a Welsh terrier

In Russian realities, you can successfully walk on a fox with a Welsh. The breed is characterized by good viciousness and violently attacks the beast in the hole. However, it is better not to count on lightning success, since mature foxes can lead a dog by the nose for a long time, winding through underground tunnels. It usually takes several hours for Welsh Terriers to exhaust a red-haired cheat and drive her out under a shot. Especially the process is delayed if the burrow is old and branched.

The situation is even more complicated with badger burrows, which are sometimes occupied by fox families. It is not easy for a Welsh to navigate in this similarity of the Paris catacombs, and often, after being active for several hours, the dog loses interest in the enemy. That is why, when buying a puppy for hunting purposes, it is important to ask the seller how high the degree of viscosity of the baby's parents is. This quality, as well as malice towards the beast, is inherited and it will not be possible to raise it just like that, even with an experienced pro.

In Europe and America, classical hunting is not favored, preferring to replace it with bloodless entertainment. So, for example, in the USA, Welsh terriers are involved in such a sport as barnhunt (from the English barn hunt – barn hunting). The essence of the attraction is to simulate hunting actions with the help of a maze built of straw bales, in which cages with rats are placed. A Welsh terrier launched into a burrow is obliged to find rodents in the shortest possible time and inform the owner about it.

At the moment, barnhunt is recognized as an official sport by several cynological associations. In addition, it does not set class limits for participants (both show pets and pet-class welsh can compete). In Russia, such "quests" are not yet common, although some pioneers have already built straw mazes on household plots, where they successfully train Welsh terriers and their relatives.

Maintenance and care

A Welsh terrier puppy is a small energizer with an insatiable passion for pranks and destruction, so before transporting the baby to a new home, take care of buying space limiters. These can be dog cages, indoor aviaries and other structures that do not allow the animal to get out of the designated area. Of course, a pet should not sit for days in this kind of camera, but when leaving home even for a short time, it is more reasonable to protect the Welsh terrier from himself by limiting the range of movement.

As a litter in a cage, it is better to use old textiles, and not newspapers, which the Welsh are able to chew for the sake of interest. On hot summer days, Welsh terriers are not averse to refreshing themselves in a pond, so if there is no one nearby, you can arrange an artificial pool for the dog right in the yard by filling a flat shallow container with water.

Take care of buying the right collar and leash and take the Welsh to the busy streets where other dogs meet, in full walking gear. Remember that Welsh Terriers react very violently to even a minor provocation from four-legged pets. Keeping a dog in the yard of a private house, take a responsible approach to the choice of fencing. The Welsh terrier is extremely jumpy, not to mention that this friend manages to dig under the fence in a matter of minutes.

Hygiene

Conditional molting is something that happens to Welsh terriers twice a year. The breed does not fully shed its wool, therefore, in order for the cover to be renewed, the owner will have to do trimming (plucking wool) or entrust the process to an experienced groomer. The first trimmings begin at the age of a puppy: at three or four months, it's time to teach Welsh to calmly endure an unpleasant procedure for him. If you plan to polish yourself, buy a grooming tool: knives with frequent, medium and rough notches, flour cutters and other auxiliary trifles, including brushes and ring cutters.

Before plucking the Welsh terrier, it is necessary to comb according to the growth of the coat and against it, simultaneously disassembling the tangles, if any. In addition, you will have to prepare for the fact that a stunning result will not be obtained immediately. Keep in mind that a truly spectacular awn grows after several trimmings. At the same time, at first, Welsh terriers have to flaunt almost naked, because during the first tweaks of wool, they have to remove all the dead hair to the undercoat, which exposes the skin. Puppies and young individuals may have another problem – not wanting to shed the awn on the neck and chest. It is not recommended to be zealous and try to pull out the wool in such cases. Just comb these areas of the body every day and wait for the hair to start dying itself.

Novice fans of the breed at the first pinch should be guided by grooming schemes that are easy to find on the Internet. They clearly illustrate how to properly capture the wool and in what order to trim the parts of the dog's body. For example, the legs of the welsh before the exhibition are almost never pinched to the undercoat, since the limbs of the show individuals should look like columns, otherwise the score in the ring will be reduced.

Important! Show dogs are plucked a couple of months before entering the ring, and this requires a special, more thorough trimming. If you are not yet able to properly "cultivate" the Welsh, it is better to entrust the exhibition pinch to the groomer, after carefully studying his portfolio.

Caring for the ears, eyes and mouth of a Welsh terrier is not difficult, but necessary. The most important thing is a timely examination of the organs of hearing and vision, as well as their hygiene. The sulfur from the ear funnel is removed with a clean cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine or miramistine. Dust lumps from the eyes in the morning can be removed with a clean cloth, and once a week it is useful to wipe the mucous membrane of the eyelid with cold tea or chamomile decoction. About once every three days, you will have to arm yourself with a toothbrush and dog paste to treat your pet's oral cavity. The process is simple, considering that veterinary pastes do not foam and after them you do not need to rinse the mouth of the welsh with water.

Feeding

Usually mixed and dry types of dog feeding are preferred by breeders who are regularly celebrated at international exhibitions – being in field conditions, it becomes troublesome to feed a pet with natural dishes. Breeders of working lines, on the contrary, prefer animal proteins, cereals and fresh vegetables to industrial "drying".

The traditional menu of an adult Welsh terrier consists of lean meat, tripe and offal, which are added to buckwheat and rice porridge cooked in broth. Fillets of oceanic fish also bring a pleasant variety to the diet, as well as fermented dairy products, but such delights should not appear in a dog bowl every day.

Pumpkin and carrots seasoned with unrefined vegetable oil are used as vitamin supplements. Welsh terriers love such salads if they are accustomed to them from an early age. Some individuals prefer heat–treated vegetables or sauerkraut - this is normal and acceptable. The main thing is not to try to replace animal protein with vegetable fiber.

Kelp, fucus, and fish oil, which have no contraindications and are well tolerated by the dog's digestion, can become an equivalent substitute for industrial mineral complexes. Homemade rye crackers or dried fruits are perfect as treats with which the animal is encouraged for success in teaching and training. The main thing is that the latter are not from a store where such products contain lethal doses of dyes, sugar and preservatives.

Health and diseases of Welsh terriers

The average Welsh lives up to 12-14 years. No serious hereditary diseases have been detected in the breed, except perhaps joint dysplasia, which is less common in shaggy "natives" of Wales than in larger dogs. Among the typical ailments of Welsh Terriers, experts note atopic skin diseases, which can provoke an unbalanced diet, hypothyroidism and epilepsy. Some individuals may have eye diseases – glaucoma, dislocation of the lens.

How to choose a puppy

• Choose active, inquisitive puppies of medium size. Too small or large Welsh are not the most enviable product.
• If you are looking for an animal with exhibition and breeding potential, give preference to undergrown individuals, since even a psychic is not able to predict the exhibition career of a two-month-old puppy.
• Pay attention to the degree of fatness of the litter. Welsh Terriers should not be thin or overfed.
• Ask what diplomas the offspring producers have. As a rule, parents with developed working (hunting) qualities have children with similar talents.
• There should be no white spots on the coat of the Welsh terrier. If the seller offers a welsh with a white stripe or a mark on the chest, assuring that there is nothing wrong with this for pet-category animals, do not give in to persuasion and refuse to buy.
• Specify which vaccinations the puppies received, and also find out what they eat. Responsible breeders feed the wards with a straight woman or "drying" of a super premium class. If, while walking around the kennel, you stumbled upon a bag of "Pedigree", do not expect to buy a healthy Welsh terrier here.

The price of a Welsh terrier

Welsh Terriers are not as common in Russia as we would like, so you will have to spend time looking for a puppy of the right class. The cheapest offers on the market are representatives of working lines, which can be purchased for a modest $70-$100. Usually these are puppies from producers who have achieved some success in hunting, but unremarkable in exterior terms. If you need a future star of exhibitions and dog shows, pay attention to registered nurseries like Siversky, which have been working with the breed for decades. For a kid with a decent pedigree and a promising appearance in such places, they ask from $250.