Welsh Sheepdog Dog Breed

The Welsh Sheepdog is not a known member of any official breed group, but is similar in appearance and temperament to many breeds in the Herding Group. Purebred Welsh Sheepdogs are fairly rare, and not a lot of information is known about them; they are believed to have been developed in the United Kingdom centuries ago and have been prized for their strong livestock herding and guarding skills. As such, these dogs are best suited as working farm animals.

Some facts about the breed: Welsh Sheepdogs are medium-sized (height at the shoulders averages 17 inches, and weight 40 pounds), with short- to medium-length coats in a variety of colors. Here are some good (and not so good) qualities of these hard-working animals:

PROS:

• Excellent work ethic
• Intelligent and intuitive
• Easy to groom
• Great stamina and agility
• Responds well to training
• Terrific watchdog skills
• Excels in agility and obedience trials

CONS:

• Not very suitable as a family pet
• High exercise requirements
• Extremely focused, often to the point of stubbornness
• Can be controlling and dominant around children and other pets
• Rare, and thus hard to find/obtain

The Welsh Sheepdog breed is pretty rare outside its native Wales, so not much info is available about its behavior--particularly as a family pet, because so few of these dogs are utilized in that manner. What is known is that they are similar to various Collie breeds, and are very focused, hard-working, and athletic.

Numerous canine experts contend that Welsh Sheepdogs' history is as purely working animals; while not feral by any means, they're not as domesticated as most breeds, and thus won't make good family pets. With that in mind, these dogs are likely to be fairly unsociable in a household role. Their herding instincts and prey drives are very strong, so they will likely be difficult to manage when it comes to children and other pets; they will probably be quite destructive if left alone indoors.

On the other hand, Welsh Sheepdogs are incredibly athletic and intelligent, and will make both terrific herders of livestock and alert property guardians. Dogs of this breed are very skilled at agility and obedience; in the annual Welsh National Sheepdog Trials, for example, breed members regularly place very highly. This means, obviously, that any Welsh Sheepdog owners, regardless of the dog's role, will need to provide it with a great deal of physical activity.

Focused, intelligent, athletic, hard-working, independent, and at times stubborn, the Welsh Sheepdog temperament is one of activity and determination. Dogs of this breed are purely working animals, and are not known for their charm or social skills. In other words, Welsh Sheepdogs would much rather be herding livestock than relaxing indoors with their families. They will probably be pleasant enough if socialized with humans and other pets from a young age, but their primary instinct is to work--and work they will.

Welsh Sheepdogs are very intelligent and intuitive, and should respond well to any training. And don't take these dogs' smarts for granted! These sheepdogs have the ability to learn relatively complex tasks and commands, and may become bored and unresponsive if taught simple commands like "roll over." They normally learn very quickly; they do have somewhat of a stubborn streak, though, so training sessions should be kept short and to the point.

Dogs of this breed have also spent centuries overseeing and protecting livestock herds, so they will instinctively make great watchdogs--especially for property.

Welsh Sheepdogs are fairly rare, so very little health information about them is available. They are believed to be extremely healthy and hardy, and have no known inherited health issues.

Life expectancy for these dogs is 12-15 years.