In the Field
Hunting with Welsh Springer Spaniels
The instinct has been bred into Welsh for hundreds of years.
Welsh Springers have not been separated into show and field types, and we hope that the division never occurs in the breed. The majority of Welsh Springers will become accomplished hunters if given the right training and exposure to birds, water, guns and field conditions.
Shane spends may hours training our dogs and hunts our Welsh in the field and exposes them to both bush and driven shoot environments.
The Welsh Springer Spaniel does not have the same flushing 
style as the English Springer Spaniel. The majority of Welsh, once they acquire the bird's scent, will work the trail diligently, alternating between air and ground scenting. Once close to the bird and many times just before the flush, a Welsh Springer will hesitate, pausing briefly. This brief pause is normally followed by a hard drive towards the bird to complete the flush.
Spaniels are sensitive and need gentle methods when working in the field. It is easy to ruin a spaniel with harsh or incorrect handling or training methods.
It is important to bear in mind that Welsh typically mature more slowly than do other Spaniels breeds and are are more puppy like almost to two years of age. While the Welsh enjoy training and working even a a young dog, owners need to keep in mind that a Welsh springer may lag a few months behind what would be expected of a year old English Springer; therefore their training 
has to be adjusted to work with their slower maturing nature.
There is not that much information specifically targeted to training Welshies in the field. For information on training your puppy or young dog, we highly recommend two American publications: -
"HUP! Training Flushing Spaniels the American Way"
by James Spencer, ISBN 157779043X
"Retriever Training for Spaniels"
by Pamela Kadlec, ISBN O97170309
