Quick Facts
Origin: Wales
Height: F: 12″-15″, M: 13″-15″
Weight: F: 15-20 lbs, M: 17-22 lbs
Color: Black, Red, Tan, Grey, Brown
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Temperament: Jaunty, playful, loyal, confident
Overview
Welsh Terriers made their start flushing animals out of their dens for formal hunts. They were so good, that they haven’t stopped. Welsh terriers flush out prey on hunts to this day. They are more often found as family pets now. They do love families but are not fit to be in homes with small children. They have been known to chase at the heels of toddlers. They are much better suited to older children who know how to appropriately assert dominance.
Pretty much any undesirable issue with this pup can be sorted with more exercise.
Celebrity Owners
Arnie Hammer, Caroline Kennedy, UK Chancellor Philip Hammond, Prince Edward of Wales, JFK
Fun Facts
- A Welsh Terrier was once “first dog” under JFK.
Health
Welsh Terriers are typically healthy pups. Apart from some food allergies, some health issues to be award of include:
- Cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma is caused by when the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye is increased.
- Epilepsy: The most common neurological disease in dogs, seizures affect about 1% of dogs.
- Primary lens luxation: Here, the tiny fibers that hold the lens suspended in the eye begin to degrade. Eventually, the lens can fall out of place.
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca: Also referred to as dry eyes, this refers to the dryness of conjunctiva that lines the eye under the eyelid.
- Legg-Calve-Perthes disease: This disease occurs at the head of the femur (the ball and socket joint in your dog’s hips. Here, the femur degenerates which can cause the hip to collapse and can cause arthritis.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Welsh terriers are considered hypoallergenic. Their double coat holds in most of its own natural shedding. To keep your pup looking fresh hand stripping occasionally and brushing weekly will do the trick.
Some owners opt to take their pups to groomers to have them clippered and cleaned instead of the potentially time-consuming hand stripping.
Bathe your pup around once every 3 months and not more than once a month. Keep their eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Clip your pup’s nails regularly and brush their teeth several times per week.
Cost
$1,000 – $4,000
Exercise
Welsh terriers have a chill attitude, but they also have lots of energy. Plan on 30-60 minutes of exercise per day. Keep your pup on a leash whenever you are out walking. They have a high prey drive and will likely take off after small animals.
The same goes for playing in the yard, make sure your fence is secure. This breed is prone to digging so make sure your fence goes at least 18” into the ground. Many owners decide to give their pups sandboxes so they can dig until their heart’s content.
Nutrition
Your Welsh terrier will eat around 1 cup of food per day over two meals. The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level. Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues. This breed is prone to food allergies, always read the ingredients before you buy!
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other pups is vital. This breed is very intelligent but also willful and stubborn. Bring your patience and positive attitude to your training sessions. Always dole out lots of treats and positive reinforcement.
Your Welsh terrier may need additional training to be calm with other dogs while leashed. Also work on a strong recall command in case your pup gets loose and after prey.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Minimal shedding
Great watch dogs
The "Ruff"
Strong prey drive
Stubborn in training