Welsh Terrier for a ten year old?

[SoGladofYou]

A couple of questions about Welsh Terriers. Our son would like a Welsh Terrier puppy. We’ve never had a dog before although I had one as a youngster many years ago. I’ve heard that Welsh Terriers are best kept on the lead when walking as they have a tendency to tear off. DS says he is fine with this. Is there any other reason why they wouldn’t make a good pet for a 10-year-old?
And, being novices to the world of puppy buying, what are the best websites to look for one on?
Thank you in advance 😊

No dog at all for a 10 year old
Get one for the family if everyone is on board but don’t get one for a child. Encourage him to be involved but he shouldn’t be walking the dog alone

Mmm someone with knowledge of Welsh terriers will hopefully be along shortly but in the meantime, I'm sorry but your post screams out to me that you've done very little research and as you're new to dog owning, never mind a puppy, that you're being very naive. Terriers in general are prey driven and will be off like a shot if they get a whiff of something. They can also be quite stubborn. All dogs have personalities so it's down to the individual but all need a lot of time and attention.

As PP said, your son at 10 years old the dog won't just be for him. It needs to have the whole family on board. 10 year olds are notoriously whimsical and will promise to do anything but the reality is that they will
probably get bored very quickly walking a dog in the rain. In a few short years your son will be a teenager and will likely have lost all interest (not everyone is like this but lots are, totally natural).

Dogs are incredibly tying. You can't leave them for more than a few hours. Puppies need to be taken out for a wee probably every 20/30 mins when toilet training.

Oh and in looking for one, you need to find a reputable breeder, please do not buy from a puppy farm even though you can hand over the cash and have it immediately, this is what is wrong in our society, we buy stuff without thinking and it's the animal who suffers.

Look for breeders, call them and talk to them.

I've got a terrier and there is no way I have time in my day to walk her the amount she needs off the lead. And she's nine now.

She gets at least ninety minutes a day an hour of which she races around.

We got our dog when my dc were nine and twelve. They had wanted a dog for years and years and they were (and are) great kids but the dog is our dog. We do the bulk of the walking, especially in winter when they don't get home in daylight hours.

If they want to go to a sleepover or out all day or whatever....they can and do. Dh and I have to think about the dog.

None, you don't buy a 10 Yr old a dog! Sorry but puppies need as much attention as a newborn inc taking out to toilet every 30 mins, training from Day 1 etc then at least 2 walks of approx 40 mins per day. No 10 Yr old I know would commit to all of that so you need to accept that you will be taking on the lion's share of the grunt work.
Terriers are a working breed so need appropriate breed specific training + mental stimulation as well as walks.

No dog for a ten year old.
Puppies are hard work, bite and chew. And that’s before you add the prey drive of a terrier into the mix.

You need to get in touch with breeders not trawl websites for puppies.

I'm not going to comment on buying for a child but Welsh terriers need a level of understanding beyond others IME. I have a terrier (Border) and had a terrier hound cross.

Absolutely trainable but you have to be really committed and really put the graft in. They also have a tendency to be reactive through having low frustration tolerance and also being long workers so that needs careful management as puppies (again, absolutely workable with the right training).

Both my terriers/mixes have fantastic recall but it's been a lot of work and constant reinforcement. It's more about building a great bond than training as such. They need to WANT to be with you. It's also about management.

You can have a terrier as a first dog but if you want to let if off the lead, or do anything with it out and about you need help IMO from someone who understands them.

I have a patterdale x and he goes offlead everyday . Aside from the whole don’t buy a dog for a child , don’t buy a dog if you personally are not prepared to put in the many hours of work that it takes to train the dog to be a lovely family member. Absolutely no reason why a Welsh terrier can’t be recall trained ,it may mean you can only let it off in certain places but that’s better than nothing .

Thank you for your replies everyone. Having looked at my post, I can see that I worded it somewhat clumsily. We have been thinking about getting a dog for months now. If we decide to go ahead, of course the whole family would have to be on board. It is my son who actively wants a dog, However, we know it would largely fall to us, his parents. DS isn’t allowed out on his own & he certainly wouldn’t be walking the dog without one of us.
My cousin has a Welsh terrier which our son has fallen in love with. It would fit the bill in terms of size, amount of exercise needed, and the fact that it is non-shedding because I have eczema.

If you go ahead then register interest with a reputable breeder, don't buy off the Internet as 99% will come from puppy farm.
Be totally realistic as to the input any pup requires in the first year ie some aren't reliably toilet trained until they are 8 months old, daily training + weekly group or 1-2-1 training (essential for any working breed), cost of boarding if you want to go away without the dog etc etc etc.
Then buy the book Easy, Peasy, Puppy Squeezy + a breed specific training book and read them so you are fully prepared.

I think they do shed - they are wire haired like my Border. She needs hand stripping every 6 months or to keep her in a show coat she needs the long guard hairs taken out every few days (which is what we do). She does shed a bit. Welsh terriers are the same.

If you want a terrier and want more biddable and trainable then Borders, Cairns and Westies may be a better bet and all have a very similar coat. Welsh are quire hard wired terrier. A good breeder is key, like any dog as they will be honest about the bad bits as much as the good!

Firmly Team Terrier here and they can make fabulous family pets but they can be very different and have different levels of trainability.

We have a 5 year old patterdale cross, he's the most brilliant dog, but he is a LOT of terrier. He has 3 x walks a day, one of which is 60mins off lead in the woods chasing and trailing. He can be reactive if dogs approach him when he's on the lead, has selective recall and pleases himself sometimes despite consistent training.
Welsh terriers IME are feisty, territorial and smart. Gorgeous dogs but not for the faint hearted or those short of time.
All dogs have the potential to shed and even if you get what you're told is non-shedding, the dander can cause issues. Animals are furry and their fur gets into their environment, that's just a fact of life.

Dogs and DC work well with the right training. It's like any other time-consuming hobby with a 12-15 year commitment.

Have a look at young KC website for a bit of inspiration!
It's very rewarding and lovely to watch as they built up that unbreakable bond.
Both my DC are involved in doggy training, one has done Good citizen dog scheme up to Silver. DS (13) is currently training Doggy #2 for agility.

As you are novice dog owners, I wouldn't go for a terrier. Look for something a bit calmer and mor biddable.
Yes, they can make great pets but they also have an independent streak. The 2 welsh terriers I know are bonkers and dog aggressive. Not a breed I would choose.

Realistically, this is going to be your dog so as long as you're prepared for everything that comes with owning a terrier, go for it.

They're feisty, have a high prey drive and do shed hair, though the amount of shedding is minimal compared to many other breeds. They also need a fair amount of exercise and mental stimulation.

Do you have the lifestyle for a puppy? Are you home to let it out to the toilet every thirty minutes and to stop it becoming destructive? Can you commit to two walks a day, everyday? Can you afford insurance, food, vaccinations, flea/wormer - plus things like a dog walker, kennels or boarding if you go on holiday? Does your son understand that getting a dog means no more days out to places like theme parks, no more evenings out after school because someone will need to be around for the dog etc?

I have a young Welsh Terrier. The puppy stage is a challenge (but loads of fun), I don't have children but WT absolutely loves them and wants to say hi to every one we pass. Super gentle, waggy tail, happy for them to touch him etc. has good recall, lots of fun to play with in the garden but settles down in the evenings on the sofa. Needs a lot of stimulation (training, chew toys) which if your son is happy to do (great bonding activities) that should be fine. Would echo to go to a responsible breeder as they breed for character as well as looks :)