- Black and tan for preference, or black grizzle and tan, free from black pencilling on toes.
- Undesirable: Black below hocks most
About the Welsh Terrier
Origin: Great Britain
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Small — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 9-10 kg
- Height
- 38-39 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Terriers
- Origin
- Great Britain
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Welsh Terrier?
Compact, sturdy medium-sized terrier with distinctive harsh wiry black and tan coat and lively, spirited expression. One of the oldest terrier breeds from Wales, known for its rugged build and friendly disposition.
Welsh Terrier history and origins
One of the oldest terrier breeds, originating in Wales where it was developed for hunting fox, badger, otter, and vermin. Originally known as the Old English Terrier or Black-and-Tan Wire Haired Terrier, it was formally recognized by The Kennel Club in 1886 and AKC in 1888.
Welsh Terrier appearance and size
Typically 9-10 kg and 38-39 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Terrier
- Behaviour and temperament
“Affectionate, obedient and easily controlled. Happy and volatile, rarely of shy nature. Game and fearless but definitely not aggressive although at all times able to hold his own when necessary”
Quoted from FCI standard n°78. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Small
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Terrier” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 1 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Welsh Terrier
What you get with the Welsh Terrier
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Terrier”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Affectionate, obedient and easily controlled”
- Longer-lived than a crossbred dog — median 13.8 years across 576 animals, against 12
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; McMillan et al. 2024, median age at death. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Welsh Terrier
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged undesirable.
Coat
Single coat undesirable
- Wiry
- Hard
- Very close and abundant
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°78 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Not exceeding 39 cms. Weight: 9 – 9,5 kgs”
- FCI gives a bound on one side only, so there is no range to state.
Quoted from FCI standard n°78. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Welsh Terrier in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Welsh Terrier
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Welsh Terrier on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Welsh Terrier owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Welsh Terrier breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.