Bill Pferd - The Welsh Springer Spaniel
The first American book written about the breed was authored by William Pferd III and self-published in 1977. Bill Pferd and his wife, Jane, bred their Deckard Welsh Springer Spaniels in Morris County, New Jersey in the 1970's and '80's. They were early members of the WSSCA, and relatives of their dogs still appear in the pedigrees of many current dogs, including our own. The book, titled "The Welsh Springer Spaniel", it is now out of print and available only from book sellers who deal with old and rare books. The book is usually sold at a premium price, but is well worth the money to learn about the historic dogs in the breed from both the UK and America. The most interesting thing to me about the photos Bill included is how different the various lines of dogs were and how this developed into regional differences present even today. The dogs on the East coast had a very different look from dogs on the West coast even by the mid-70s. I love this book and I was privileged to buy a signed copy from Bill at a WSSCA Specialty banquet many years ago (it had to be 1980 or 1981!). He had a case of the books with him and was selling them after dinner. This is one of the best opportunities you will have to see the old dogs in your own pedigrees - get it if you can!
Linda Brennan - Welsh Springer Spaniel-A Complete and Reliable Handbook
The more recent American book is "Welsh Springer Spaniel--A Complete and Reliable Handbook" authored by WSS owner and Top Dog obedience trainer Linda S. Brennan of Columbia, New Jersey. This hardcover book was part of a dog book series published by TFH Publications, Inc. The series was requested by the "Petsmart" retail pet supply chain, so they could sell a complete selection of books about every AKC breed. The book is available from used book sites, including Amazon.com, and the ISBN is 079380762X. The book itself is printed on high quality paper with beautiful full color photographs of dogs of all ages. We're thrilled that Rysan Welsh Springers is a part of the book. Some of the photos were taken at our home by professional photographer Isabel Francais. The book includes photos of our puppies and adults taken over a 4 year period in the 1990s, They include photos of Spotty,Kayo, Kismet, other adult dogs including our terrier mix Sparky, and even some of us "humans". Yes, that's really a thinner version of me in a few of the photos. The book presents general information about the breed, including obedience, breed, and field trained Welshies. The information is accompanied by beautiful high-gloss photos, and includes routine care and training tips aimed at first-time dog owners.