Welsh Sheepdog

The Welsh Sheepdog — Ci Defaid Cymreig — is the loose-eyed working collie of Welsh hill farms, bred to gather sheep off open mountain.

History

It is the older Welsh herding type that the Border Collie displaced across most of Britain, and it survives because Welsh hill farmers kept using it: it works further out and more independently than a Border Collie, which suits gathering sheep off unfenced mountain. It is registered by the Welsh Sheepdog Society on working ability rather than appearance.

Temperament

The breed is known for being independent, hardy and strongly motivated to work, attached to its handler and businesslike about everything else.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and genuine work; without stock it is a difficult household dog. Coats vary and all are easy.

Health

Generally robust from working selection; nothing is widely documented as breed-specific. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.