Welsh Springer Spaniel
About the Welsh Springer Spaniel
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Medium (25-50 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 17-19" |
| Weight | 35-55 lbs |
| Coat Type | Double |
| Coat Length | Medium |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
High (60-90 min/day)
60 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Moderate - Weekly
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $1,000-$1,800 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,300/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Welsh Springer Spaniels may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- First-Time Owners
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- Long Work Hours Away
- Sedentary Lifestyles
Guides for your Welsh Springer Spaniel
The story behind the Welsh Springer Spaniel
Red and white spaniels have been recorded in Wales for a long period, appearing in old Welsh sporting literature and in art, and the type worked as a flushing and retrieving dog for hunters on foot across hills, moorland and dense cover. For much of the nineteenth century such dogs were shown alongside other spaniels and were sometimes called Welsh Cockers, since spaniel classification was based on size and working style rather than ancestry. The Kennel Club separated the Welsh Springer as a distinct breed around the turn of the twentieth century, and a standard was established. Numbers suffered during both world wars but recovered, and the breed reached North America, gaining recognition there. It remains far less numerous than the English Springer, kept both as a working gundog in Britain and as a family companion, with steady if modest registration figures.
Originally bred for: Flushing spaniel, upland gundog, retriever on land and water. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Welsh Springer Spaniel
Match the ration to a genuinely working spaniel, offered morning and evening and lifted when the shooting season begins. Feathering disguises a thickening middle, so run your hands over the ribs every few weeks and temper the extras.
Watch for: Nothing specific attaches to the breed. Heavy ears trap damp and restrict airflow, which explains most spaniel ear trouble far better than dinner does; where it keeps returning despite careful cleaning, ask a vet what else to explore.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Welsh Springer Spaniel
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a properly sized crate.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.