If you really want a description of the Welsh Terrier’s overall appearance, look no further than its original name: the Welsh Black and Tan Rough Coated Terrier, which sums it up nicely. This game, workmanlike breed features in the ancestry of many newer terriers, while the Welsh was itself refined by the addition of Irish, Airedale and Lakeland bloodlines, according to the UK Kennel Club, which registered the breed in 1887.
This is one of the oldest pure-bred terrier breeds, dating back to at least the 18th century, with evidence possibly going back to as early as 1450 when a Welsh poet wrote of a “good black and red bitch to choke the brown polecat”. Like all terriers, its primary role was to go to ground after game, such as otter, fox and badger. However, this often entailed taking on these animals in physical combat, meaning that this is a little dog with massive courage.
Bred to work the high mountains and hidden valleys of Wales, this is a tough, sturdy and workmanlike dog, who can cope with harsh weather and loves to work. And while it started out as a farmer’s dog, the late President JF Kennedy had one in the White House, named Charlie, who was apparently his favourite dog.
Breed fanciers describe the Welsh as the least quarrelsome of all the terriers. He mixes the joie de vivre, bravery and fire of a terrier with the more dignified composure of larger working breeds, giving him an equanimous temperament, which is an asset to many a family home.
ERTE5D running Welsh Terrier
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Welsh Terrier: fact file
Kennel Club breed group: terrier
Size: small
Daily exercise: at least an hour a day
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Coat: medium; shedding
Colours: black and tan (puppies are born almost completely black); dark eyes.
Lifespan: more than 12 years
Bark: very vocal. They are prone to alert barking, being very quick to raise the alarm at the slightest sound or sight. Check out these tips to stop nuisance barking if this is becoming a problem.
Distinctive features: their wiry black and tan coat. They typically have folded ears, on a boxy head with a strong powerful jaw.
Temperament: happy and energetic, rarely shy; game and fearless.
Things to consider: bred to get the better of larger animals such as badgers if it came to a fight, they have sharp teeth and nails, so make sure you keep the latter well trimmed with some specialised nail clippers.
And given that this is a super working dog, they’ll need plenty of physical and mental exercise to keep them satisfied. Puzzle toys are a good option for when you can’t get outdoor exercise.
Training: with their heritage of homing in on game, this is a breed with a naturally high prey drive. You’ll need to work on that recall training, but luckily this is an obedient worker who loves to please.
Digging is their metier, so make sure your garden is safely defended from escape routes, and check out these tips to help stop unwanted digging.
Complete Guide to Welsh Terriers | Amazon Experienced Welsh Terrier owner Cathleen Peters Saito used interviews from more than a dozen top Welsh Terrier breeders to create an in-depth look at what it really takes to successfully live with, raise and care for a Welsh Terrier.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
