Welsh Springer Spaniel puppies

About the Welsh Springer Spaniel

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is an old Welsh gundog, a separate and older breed than the English Springer and always red and white. This is a compact, strongly built spaniel with a medium double coat, feathering on the legs and ears, and a workmanlike, tireless way of going in rough country. In character they are cheerful and affectionate with their own family, noticeably more reserved with strangers than most spaniels, and steady with children and other dogs once properly introduced.

They want real daily exercise and, just as much, company: this is a breed that becomes unhappy when left out of family life. A weekly going over with a soft brush, plus a comb through the feathering to catch tangles, keeps the coat right, and the drop ears need checking for signs of infection. Training goes well with a soft, reward based approach, because the breed is sensitive to a heavy hand. Their reserve with strangers can look like shyness, but skipping socialisation only makes it worse, so keep at it.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Autoimmune thyroiditis, screened by a thyroid evaluation
• Inherited eye disease including glaucoma and goniodysgenesis, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation with gonioscopy
• Ear infections in the long drop ears, found on regular ear checks
• Periodontal disease, kept down by regular tooth brushing

Your Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Welsh Springer Spaniel.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 15.9 to 24.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 24.9 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Welsh Springer Spaniel

Previous: Weimaraner · Next: Welsh Terrier

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Welsh Springer Spaniel breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/welsh-springer-spaniel/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Udo Tjalsma, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.