Key Traits of the Welsh Sheepdog

The Welsh cousin of the famous Border Collie is much alike its famous counterpart but isn’t very popular as a pet. That’s to no fault of its own, however, as its breeders never really bothered to standardize the Welsh Sheepdog into a pedigree breed nor market is a pet. Instead, for countless centuries, Welsh Sheepdogs remained faithful and hardworking sheepdogs, just as they were supposed to, and were more than happy to leave their other British sheepdog coworkers to hog the spotlight.

What if you do want a Welsh Sheepdog as a pet, however – is the breed fit for family life? Let’s find out by going over the 7 key characteristics of the Welsh Sheepdog below.

1. The Welsh Sheepdog is a highly intelligent but also very independent breed

Like all herding breeds and like its Border Collie counterpart, the Welsh Sheepdog is a very intelligent breed. These dogs have been bred for centuries to perform complex herding patterns, to be herders, watchdogs, and guard dogs, as well as to help around the farm, doing many working tasks as a typical working dog breed.

Looking at all this, it’s easy to assume that this breed must be highly trainable, yet, that’s not really the case. The Welsh Sheepdog is different from many other herding breeds that are intuitively obedient. Instead, this sheepdog prefers to lead its humans and dictate the flow of the work day. This allows it to take the initiative when herding which can make the shepherd’s job way easier as the Welsh Sheepdog generally knows what it’s doing.

If you want to have such a dog as a family pet, however, this inherent willfulness and lack of obedience instincts mean that you’ll need to be very diligent with your dog’s obedience training. That should be done with every pet dog, of course, but is especially important and a bit trickier with breeds like the Welsh Sheepdog.

Skip this step or do it halfway and you may end up having to obey your dog rather than the other way around. This is one reason why Welsh Sheepdogs are generally not recommended for rookie dog owners. Still, even if this is your first dog you can still manage raising it right, just make sure that you do your research and start the obedience training early on.

2. These dogs need lots of exercise, more than many owners are ready to provide

One of the big things a lot of people fail to consider with shepherd breeds such as the Welsh Sheepdog is just how much exercise and playtime these dogs need. This isn’t a breed that’d enjoy chilling on the couch all day and then get only a couple of quick 20-minute walks outside. As a sheepdog, this breed is used to (and bred to) spending hours walking, running, and working outside every day.

So, what does this mean for you?

Essentially, if you want to keep your Welsh Sheepdog healthy and happy, you should make sure to give it a minimum of 90 to 120 minutes of outdoor time every day. This should be divided into two long walks to the dog park, preferably jogging there with you, as well as some interactive playtime in the park playing games and socializing with other dogs.

In addition to those 2 daily hours outdoors, your sheepdog should also get at least a bit of yard time every day. The bigger the yard is the better but it should always be well-fenced to prevent escapes and it should be full of fun things to do such as dog toys. Add some indoor playtime every day and you should be able to keep your dog physically and mentally stimulated enough.

If you don’t have a yard you can still have a Welsh Sheepdog but you should make sure to give it even more outdoor time in the dog park or jogging with you. Longer weekend hikes somewhere out of town will also be greatly beneficial.

3. There isn’t a standard look or coat color and type for this breed

As this isn’t a popular pedigree breed, the Welsh Sheepdog doesn’t have an established and standardized look – even it’s size can vary quite a bit. Overall, these dogs should be a bit larger and taller than the Border Collie but won’t be taller than 20 to 22 inches (50 to 56 cm). As for their weight, it should be around 35 to 55 pounds (16 to 25 kg) if your dog is in shape.

Welsh Sheepdogs have a somewhat “leggy” look thanks to their long legs, they are thin and athletic, hence the low weight/height ratio, and they have a fluffy and long tail that curls up toward the back. The colors can vary greatly due to the lack of a breed standard but will usually be either merle or a red & white or black & white bi-color.

4. The Welsh Sheepdog loves its work and isn’t happy when it’s bored

The Welsh Sheepdog doesn’t need exercise just for the sake of staying fit – this breed needs near-constant mental stimulation. This means getting new dog toys fairly regularly, coming up with new games to play, teaching your dog new commands and tricks, as well as giving it literal work to do.

Even if you’ve taken this sheepdog strictly as a family pet, there are still lots of work tasks around the house you can give your pooch – fetch me this or that, pull a toy cart with your child in it, gather the dog toys (or your clothes) off the floor, and so on. Giving such work tasks to your dog is crucial to keep it engaged and happy.

This is also extremely important if you want to avoid triggering your dog’s separation anxiety when you’re away from work. Generally speaking, overly smart, active, and social breeds like the Welsh Sheepdog aren’t ideal for people who need to leave their pets home alone for long.

5. This breed makes for an excellent watchdog but needs socialization if you want to keep it as a regular family pet

One important drawback of having this dog as a family pet is that it has a strong protective instinct and isn’t as friendly with strangers as some other shepherds. This makes the Welsh Sheepdog a fantastic watchdog but it also means that you’ll need lots of socialization with both strangers and other dogs if you want your sheepdog to be a social, outgoing, and well-behaved pet.

Do this early on and your dog should learn to get along with everyone new it meets. Skip this step, however, and your Welsh Sheepdog may get overly loud and aggressive every time it meets someone new.

6. Welsh Sheepdogs are quite healthy but they can experience some issues typical for most herding breeds

This breed has a pretty standard expected lifespan of 12 to 14 years thanks to its generally good health. As a working dog breed that hasn’t been overbred and inbred for pet owners, the Welsh Sheepdog lacks many of the hereditary issues present in other popular breeds such as the German Shepherd, for example.

Still, the Welsh Sheepdog isn’t immune to health problems and can exhibit some issues that are typical for most herding dogs. These include problems such as epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, atopic dermatitis, Collie eye anomaly, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), hip and elbow dysplasia, and a few others.

This can be a somewhat intimidating list but a lot of these conditions are avoidable or manageable with the right care. So, if you make sure that you’ve got a healthy pup by asking for health and hereditary certificates, and if you then simply feed and exercise your dog well, it’s more likely than not that your dog is going to have a long, healthy, and happy life with you.

7. Grooming a Welsh Sheepdog is pretty easy and low-maintenance but the breed

Even though the Welsh Sheepdog is a double-coated mountainous breed, grooming these dogs is far easier than what you’d expect from other herding breeds. Welsh Sheepdogs are far from hypoallergenic, of course, but they don’t shed that much and their coats can be maintained with one or two thorough brushings a week.

Bathing once a month should be enough for most dogs unless your sheepdog has managed to get extra dirty somehow. As for the dog’s other grooming needs, those are fairly standard – inspect and clean the eyes and ears once every few days, brush the teeth at least once a week, and trim the nails whenever necessary.

The Welsh Sheepdog may not have the Border Collie’s PR but it does have a lot of its awesome characteristics and, arguably, a couple of extras. If you want a unique, fun, and highly energetic jogging companion to have fun with and to get you out of the house every day, this breed is a great choice.

Do keep in mind, however, that these dogs require good training and socialization. Many experts don’t recommend them for first-time owners but anyone can be a good human for a Welsh Sheepdog if they are willing to put in the work.