The Welsh Hound ( or ) is a breed of hunting

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

of the foxhound

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

, indigenous to

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

History

The Welsh Hound is a native breed to the British Isles. From medieval times through the early part of the 20th century, the bards, who had always held a special place in Welsh society, sang odes to the hounds, often naming individual hounds, and praising their qualities. "The ancient laws of Wales codified during the reign of Hywel Dda (942 – 948 AD) give the value of the Welsh Hound as 240 pence trained, 120 pence untrained. By comparison a sound pack horse was valued at the same time as 120 pence."

Temperament

The Welsh Hound has been kept as a hunting dog, living and hunting in packs. It is adapted to hunting in rocky and mountainous terrain in its native Wales. It has been bred to hunt amid the Welsh for its speed, stamina and vocalizations. It is still used for drag hunting today. Welsh Hounds are expected to be immediately responsive to the huntsman's voice, but to learn commands from the responses and cues of the pack. They are known to 'talk' to the huntsman with various howls and barks signalling the progress of the hunt. While gentle, placid and friendly, they also make good house pets. They are hard to train and require consistency and firm guidance but are extremely loyal, gentle and tolerant with small children and other animals.

Breed recognition

The Welsh Hound is registered with The Welsh Hound Association, which has been keeping the breed's stud book since 1922, and maintaining the breed as purebred since 1928. The association was formed "for the purpose of preserving and promoting the Welsh Fox Hound as a specific British breed". The Welsh Hound was recognized by the United Kennel Club on 1 January 2006. Since the outlawing of hunting with dogs in Great Britain, various clubs have been offering registration for the Welsh Hound as a rare breed pet.

Appearance

Coat is hard and wiry, red with white patches. Similar in appearance to the (English) Foxhound. Height : 24 in/61 cm Weight : 75 lb/34 kg.''Dogs Of All Nations'' (1915, San Francisco), by Walter Esplin Mason, p. 35

References

{{Welsh dogs Rare dog breeds Scent hounds Dog breeds originating in Wales

History

Temperament

Breed recognition

Appearance

See also

References