The Welsh Springer Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog

By Read Books Ltd.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breed from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breed - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of the breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: The New Book Of The Dog by Robert Leighton (1907), Dogs Of The World by Arthur Craven (1931), Hutchinson's Dog Encyclopaedia by Walter Hutchinson (1935) and many others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Oct 17, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447490890

Book preview

1935

THE WELSH SPRINGER

The elevation of this Spaniel to the dignity of a class to himself in the Kennel Club Stud Book was announced in 1902, in the same honour-list as that of his relative the English Springer.

The chief differences of the Welsh Springer from the English dog are found in his more restricted size, in the shape of his ear, and in his colour being invariable.

No Welshman would deny that, in former days, breeds of red-and-white Spaniels were existent in several parts of England as well as in Wales. Symonds, for example, mentions them in Suffolk in the eighteenth century; and the picture of the Spaniels belonging to a gentleman (a dweller, however, on the Welsh border) who died in the middle of the eighteenth century, bears eloquent testimony that the red-and-white Spaniels of that period were of the same type as those of to-day, and gives them an authentic record in antecedence of the Clumber.

But the English red-and-white breeds have died out long ago; and South Wales seems to be the only region that has cherished and preserved them to the present day, which fact goes far to justify the claim of their fellow-countrymen that these Spaniels shall be for the future called Welsh, and that all red-and-white Springers shall appear at trials and exhibitions under this title. Anyhow, the antiquity of the Welsh Spaniels is proved by A Quartogenarian in his letter (Nov. 1833) to the Sporting Magazine, in which, referring to a yellow-and-white Spaniel, that had been given to Mr. Prowse Jones by an Officer, he adds who got it somewhere about Brecon of what was then there termed the old Welsh breed.

The enemies of this most sporting gundog seem to think it an almost conclusive argument against him that, till lately, he was unknown in the show-ring, and, indeed, outside his own sphere of influence; whereas the preservation of his type is due to his having thus escaped the attention of fanciers.

As workers these Spaniels have no superiors; and the methodical quartering, so merrily and so steadily executed by a team of four of them at the 1901 trials, delighted every one.

To Mr. Williams, of Ynisygerwn, the writer is indebted for the following notes, which are a supplement