Welsh Terrier Facts You Should Know (with Pictures).

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Welsh Terrier Breed Overview

The Welsh Terrier is a small-sized dog.

The adult Welsh Terrier stands 14 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder.

The Welsh Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group.

Dogs in the Terrier Dogs group, like the Welsh Terrier, were originally bred to go underground to hunt rodents and other small wild animals (vermin).

Terriers come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but all terriers are energetic, highly intelligent, and territorial. Terries also have the tendency to escape. They require a securely fenced yard.

The fact that Welsh Terriers belong to the Terrier Dogs group is one of the reasons why Welsh Terriers have the personality and temperament that they have.

The temperament of the Welsh Terrier is generally described as:

  • Alert
  • Friendly
  • Intelligent
  • Spirited

History of the Welsh Terrier Breed. Where Welsh Terriers came from

The Welsh Terrier was developed in the late 1800s in the heart of Wales.

The Welsh Terrier`s origins are unknown, but it is thought that the Old English Black and Tan Terrier was the breed`s grandfather dog.

This is a medium-sized breed that stands around 15 inches tall and weighs around 20 pounds on average; females are slightly smaller than males.

When the Welsh Terrier was created, it was bred to have desirable characteristics such as hunting ability, agility, and personality.

All of these factors combined to form the Welsh Terrier that we know and love today.

The Welsh Terrier was developed in the late 1700s in the heart of Wales.

The Welsh Terrier`s ancestor is thought to be the Old English Black and Tan Terrier.

This is a medium-sized breed that stands around 15 inches tall and weighs about 20 pounds on average; females are slightly smaller than males.

When the Welsh Terrier was created, it was bred with some very desirable characteristics, such as hunting ability, agility, and personality.

All of these factors combined to form the Welsh Terrier we know and love today.

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What the Welsh Terrier Looks Like

The Welsh Terrier has a somewhat square shape overall.

This is primarily due to his docked tail, which is the same level as his head when lifted vertically.

The bushy, curly beard, mustache, and bushy brows that live on his face add to his whimsical and unique appearance.

These characteristics give the jolly little dog the appearance of a bristly old man, which is sure to make people smile when they see him.

This breed`s fur is typically a combination of black, tan, and grizzle.

A black “jacket” is draped over the dog`s back, completing the Welsh Terrier`s fur pattern.

Triangularly folded ears and small almond-shaped eyes aid in revealing more of the dog`s personality.

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How Much is the Welsh Terrier Puppy?

How Much Welsh Terriers Cost

The average price of a Welsh Terrier puppy is $2850. The price of a Welsh Terrier puppy ranges from $1700 to $3834.

A lot of factors determine the price of the Welsh Terrier. These factors include what health records the Welsh Terrier puppy has, the lineage of the Welsh Terrier puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.

To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Welsh Terrier based on the many factors that determine the price of the Welsh Terrier puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Welsh Terrier puppy based on what you want in the puppy.

When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Welsh Terrier breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.

You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.

Best Welsh Terrier Breeders

Welsh Terrier Breeders in the United States

We have researched reputable Welsh Terrier breeders that you can buy a puppy.

Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Welsh Terrier breeders in various states in the United States.

On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.

A few of these breeders are listed below.

  1. Southwest Puppies

    Puppy Price: $2500

  2. Walnut Ridge Kennel

    Puppy Price: $2,500

  3. Swan Creek Welsh Terriers

    Puppy Price: Check with breeder

  4. Marcy Harris

    Puppy Price: $Ask

  5. Veto Airedale and Welsh Terriers

    Puppy Price: Check with breeder

Adopting or Rescuing the Welsh Terrier

You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Welsh Terriers included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.

These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.

In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.

Below is an adorable Male Welsh Terrier named Buddy that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Welsh Terriers like Buddy on pefinder.com.

Welsh Terriers like Buddy are available for Adoption! It is cheaper to adopt. Image from petfinder.com

You can find more Welsh Terriers that are available for adoption on petfinder.

Welsh Terrier Growth

Welsh Terrier Growth

New Welsh Terrier owners need to know about the growth of their Welsh Terriers. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.

Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Welsh Terrier will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Welsh Terrier early.

See our calculator for predicting how big your Welsh Terrier puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Welsh Terrier at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Welsh Terrier

Welsh Terrier

What Colors do Welsh Terriers Have?

Welsh Terriers come in the following beautiful primary colors:

  • Black
  • Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
  • White / Cream

Welsh Terriers come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:

  • Brown / Chocolate
  • Red / Chestnut / Orange

Welsh Terrier Litter Size

Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 4 different Welsh Terrier birth litters.

From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Welsh Terriers can have is 7 puppies. Also, the Welsh Terrier can have as few as 6 puppies per litter and as many as 9 puppies per litter.

The number of puppies that the Welsh Terrier will have depends on factors such as the age of the Welsh Terrier, the method of pregnancy, etc.

Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Welsh Terrier will have and how the litter size of the Welsh Terrier compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.

How Fast Welsh Terriers Can Run

How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.

Based on our analysis of the speeds of 31 different Welsh Terriers, the average speed of the Welsh Terrier is 20.3 mph (32.6 kmph).

The fastest speed on AKC record that the Welsh Terrier ran in a race is 25.4 mph (40.9 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Welsh Terrier is 14.99 mph (24.1 kmph).

Click here to see how the speed of the Welsh Terrier compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.

How fast Welsh Terrier can run compared to other mammals

Good Names for Welsh Terriers

Here are some really good names that are typical for the Welsh Terrier ranked by popularity:

  • Buddy
  • Ollie
  • Ac
  • Jackson
  • Tiger
  • Timmy

How Intelligent are Welsh Terriers?

Welsh Terrier
Intelligence Rank 53 out of 130 dog breeds
Trainability Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions

According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:

  1. Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.

  2. Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.

  3. Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.

Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.

Prof. Coren found that the Welsh Terrier has an obedience intelligence rank of 53 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Welsh Terriers in the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.

This means that Welsh Terriers tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.

However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.

See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:

Breed Intelligence Rank
Doberman Pinscher 5
Rottweiler 9
Australian Cattle Dog 10
English Springer Spaniel 13
English Cocker Spaniel 18
Brittany 19
Cardigan Welsh Corgi 26
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 27
Samoyed 33
Kuvasz 42
Scottish Deerhound 47
Dachshund 49
Rhodesian Ridgeback 52
Pug 57
French Bulldog 58
Italian Greyhound 60
Old English Sheepdog 63
Chihuahua 67
Shih Tzu 70
Afghan Hound 79

How Popular are Welsh Terriers with New Dog Owners?

Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.

The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Welsh Terrier.

The popularity of the Welsh Terrier averaged over the years is Number 108 out of about 200 dog breeds.

Popularity of Welsh Terrier

Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.

Health Problems in Welsh Terriers and How to Prevent Them

Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.

The Welsh Terrier is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.

From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.

Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.

If you want a Welsh Terrier puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Welsh Terrier breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.

The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Welsh Terriers for:

  1. Eye Examination
  2. Primary Lens Luxation

You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Welsh Terriers here.

How to Take Care of Welsh Terrier

How to feed your Welsh Terrier.

To take good care of your Welsh Terrier, you need to make sure that you groom your Welsh Terrier regularly.

Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Welsh Terrier regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Welsh Terrier`s preventative care.

Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Welsh Terrier daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Welsh Terrier.

Also, you need to feed your Welsh Terrier high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Welsh Terrier from getting overweight or underweight.

See our recommendations on what to feed the Welsh Terrier and how much food to feed the Welsh Terrier at different life stages.

Finally, you need to make sure that your Welsh Terrier has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Welsh Terrier needs to drink at different ages.

How much water your Welsh Terrier needs.

Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Welsh Terriers

If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Welsh Terrier.

We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Welsh Terrier:

Other Things to Know About Welsh Terriers

Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Welsh Terrier that you need to know about the Welsh Terrier breed:

  • Welsh Terriers do not have the tendency to drool.
  • Welsh Terriers do not like to be left alone.
  • Welsh Terriers cannot tolerate cold weather. They are vulnerable to the cold.
  • Welsh Terriers cannot tolerate hot weather. They are not suited for hot environments.
  • Welsh Terriers do not shed a lot. They are good for people with dog allergies.
  • Welsh Terriers require a lot of grooming and are not very easy to groom.
  • Welsh Terriers are not prone to nip and chew at things.
  • Welsh Terriers are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
  • Welsh Terriers are very friendly towards strangers.
  • Welsh Terriers are highly vocal. They have the tendency to bark and howl.
  • Welsh Terriers have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.
  • Welsh Terriers get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
  • Welsh Terriers get along well with other dogs.
  • Welsh Terriers are very healthy. They do not suffer from a lot of health problems compared to other dog breeds
  • Welsh Terriers are highly intelligent.
  • Welsh Terriers have a high prey drive. They do not get along well with other pets.
  • Welsh Terriers have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.
  • Welsh Terriers do things with high intensity. They can be very forceful.
  • Welsh Terriers require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
  • Welsh Terriers are very playful.
  • Welsh Terriers weigh 20 to 22 pounds when fully grown.
  • Welsh Terriers are 14 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.
  • Welsh Terriers have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.