Overview
The Welsh Grey was a shaggy, long-haired sheepdog native to Wales. It resembled the working Bearded Collie and the ancestors of the Old English Sheepdog, with which it probably shared heritage.
It is thought to be extinct now, last seen on Welsh hill farms in the 1980s.
History
Welsh Greys were used by shepherds and by the drovers who took livestock to England. From the early twentieth century all types of Welsh sheepdog declined as the Border Collie took over herding work.
Dogs were still found in the upper Towy valley into the 1980s. Some are thought to have travelled with Welsh settlers to Patagonia, where they contributed to the Patagonian Sheepdog.
Appearance
A shaggy, long-haired dog, similar to working strains of the Bearded Collie. Its coat was grey, as the name suggests.
Temperament
It worked in a loose-eyed, noisy way, quite unlike the Border Collie, and used a distinctive short bark to move stock. It was a robust, independent worker well suited to hill farms and long droving journeys.
Care and exercise
As a working farm dog it was kept for its job and lived outdoors with the flock. Its long coat would have needed regular brushing.
