Tess and her Boyfriends

Tess has so many "friends" that we can never walk far without stopping to say hello or her insisting on a quick cuddle with everyone and a play with the passing pooch. And she does love the boys!

When we first ventured out to our local park she fell for a beautiful English Springer Spaniel pup called Sam. They adored each other but it was not to last! As they grew and needed more exercise we moved on to a new bigger area for dog walking where her loyalty soon changed.

She loves Bracken, another English Springer, Gus a beautiful Hungarian Vizla pup, and numerous Black Labs. Barney is a boisterous Bedlington Terrier but more like her brother. But her true love is Flash, a very handsome black and white English Pointer. Like all Welsh Springer Spaniels Tess has such good taste! They were besotted with each other the moment they first met and despite his powerful size they play beautifully together – he is so gentle with her. Now call me stupid but I have seen him see off another dog who dares to get too rough or frisky with his girlfriend. Honestly!

Other dogs may come and go but her heart will always belong to Flash!

Very funny Mike!

A guy is driving around the back woods of Cambridge and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: "Talking Dog For Sale."

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.

The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Welsh Springer Spaniel sitting there.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the Welsh Springer Springer replies.

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says "So, what's your story?"

The Welsh Springer Spaniel looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told MI6. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running."

"But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in."

"I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies and now I'm just retired." The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog?

"Ten Pound," the guy says.
"Ten Pound? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff."

Tess goes for a sleepover!

Welsh Springer Spaniels are known to be very sociable dogs, sometimes they can even be clingy. Tess follows me everywhere, and I mean everywhere! But she is maturing so we felt it was time she had a spell away from home. Luckily the opportunity presented itself when Nesta, a 3 year old Welsh Springer Spaniel at our obedience class, invited her for a ‘sleepover’. Tess knows her and her family well so we jumped at the chance to a have a night out at the theatre, knowing Tess would be in safe hands.

Saturday dawned and we met at our favourite spot, for a nice walk together. We then popped her into the boot of our friends car and drove away quickly, not daring to look back. Remember she travels on the back seat of my car usually (with a safety harness) so this in itself was a trial, but it apparently worked. We did miss her but what a treat to wander round the house leaving all the doors and baby gate open without having a dog at your heels! Just like the old days pre Tess.

The next day we all met up again. Out of the car jumped Tess, straight over to my Mum and husband but guess what?? She totally ignored me! This continued on the walk and for the rest of the day. So out of character but she was obviously repaying me for sending her away!! Just like a child!

But this was a small price to pay as the experiment had worked. She had a ball playing endlessly with Nesta and of course had been totally spoilt with lots of cuddles and attention. Apparently she loves Lego and didn’t really want to go to bed but all in all a great success. And boy did she sleep when she got home!

You’ll be pleased to hear she did eventually agree to speak to me again and can’t wait to visit Nesta and her family again. Or perhaps Nesta will come to us next time.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel

The Springer Spaniel was bred as a hunting dog, specifically for hunting rabbits, birds and other game in the undergrowth and getting them to run or fly and this is how the term “Springer” came into being and hence the name. In the Principality the Welsh Springer was know as a separate and distinct variety of Springer Spaniel and it’s roots can be traced with certainty to the eighteenth century although the term ”Spaniel” in fact dates back to around the 1300’s.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a strong, merry, active Spaniel easily identified by its rich red and white coat and comparatively small ears. It is smaller than the English Springer and larger than the Cocker Spaniel with dogs measuring approximately 19 inches and bitches 18 inches.

Whilst many Welsh Springer Spaniels are still used for hunting many are also kept as pets. They are happy to live in the home or kennelled with a companion but can become noisy if bored. At least one good free run every day is important. Even if not being trained to hunt, some training is essential in order to have a sociable and socialised pet. Welsh Springer Spaniels, in particular males, have immense energy and a strong nose for scent, even if you do not!

How popular is the breed? According to the kennel club, in 2006 there were 350 Welsh Springer Spaniels registered compared to 15,000 English Springer Spaniels which perhaps shows why the Welsh Springer Spaniel is less well known than the English.

For more information on the Welsh Springer Spaniel visit the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club’s web site at www.wssc.org.uk.