Half the size, triple the fun

Headstrong little characters that turn heads wherever they go, Welsh terriers might look like miniature Airedales, but they have a personality entirely of their own, finds Katy Birchall

- Katy Birchall

ON a trip to Manorbier in Wales earlier this year, Norm and Lorrie Dupuis were warmly welcomed by local residents on entering a pub, but neither received as enthusiastic a greeting as that offered to their companion—their Welsh terrier, George. ‘Everyone said goodbye to him as we were leaving,’ Mrs Dupuis recalls. ‘When we returned to the same pub two nights later, we walked in and they all looked up and said: “Hello, George.” They were so happy to see him again. He was a hit.’

Mr and Mrs Dupuis began looking for a dog when they moved to London in 2019 and, during their research, came across the Welsh terrier. ‘We read that they had great personalities and loved the outdoors, so we got in touch with a breeder and went to meet George —it was love at first sight,’ enthuses Mrs Dupuis. ‘Welsh terriers are spirited, inquisitive, loving and happy dogs. George is such a character. We love living in London, but we like to get out into the countryside and he adores long country walks, no matter the weather. When we’re hiking along coastal paths in Cornwall and Wales, he’s in his element. We do get a lot of people asking what breed he is—he’s often mistaken for a puppy Airedale.’