I have a (very old) Welsh Springer. My parents bought him when I was growing up and he moved in with me when I bought my house.
They are wonderful dogs. They must have excellent training from the get go as they are stubborn, but incredibly intelligent so get bored very easily. Work on their recall early as they do need a good off lead run everyday to work their nose as well as exercise.
They are quite big dogs, larger than springers so lead work is a necessity as Alfie has pulled me off my feet a couple of times in pursuit of a rabbit/pheasant when he went through his teenage years.
He does pee when excited! Especially when meeting new people. Hard floors are a must. Balls off didn’t make a jot of difference to that.
Their coat needs to be brushed every couple of days, and you’ll need a groomer to trim them every 6 weeks or so in the summer. Less so in the winter. They moult a lot, but regular brushing keeps on top of it.
Always use a harness with them, they are prone to a condition called laryngeal paralysis. Alf had to have his larynx pinned back when he was 10. It means he is now susceptible to food aspiration so I have to be very careful with food and treats. It hasn’t affected his quality of life, I just need to make sure he doesn’t get too hot or cold, or bark too much. Which can be difficult! But it’s not impossible at all.
Make sure you meet both parents to get an idea of the pup’s personality. It’s not a sure fire way of knowing what they’ll turn out like but it helps.
Lots of calm socialisation with other dogs, cats, children, cars, busy spaces etc etc when they’re puppies. Even before jabs, just don’t put them down and don’t socialise with unvaccinated dogs.
They are beautiful dogs but definitely not for first time owners. You need to be well versed in working dogs mentality I personally think, because they can be bloody difficult to train, and can get out of control very easily. But if you’re confidant and have experience they make fabulous pets.
Any other questions let me know!