Who Are We?
The founders of the Club wanted a Welsh name. Gaynor Green, who speaks Welsh, gave us the name from GLYN (which means valley) and DWFR (which is water- the “f” is dropped). We all had to go over water to get together somewhere in the tri-state area, hence, the name GLYNDWR . In addition, Owen Glyndwr is a famous Welsh patriot who fought off the English 600 years ago – a feisty fellow, much like our feisty friends!
Our History
Founded in January 1977 by five Welsh Terrier Club of America members (Freeman Ayers, Thelma Cottell, Bardi McLennan, Dr. Henry Pelzman and Sue Weiss), our first meeting, held in New Jersey, drew thirty interested WT owners, all of whom became Charter Members.
The Glyndwr founders recognized the fact that the majority of pups born to show breeders were destined for pet homes rather than show homes. In addition, Welsh Terriers were then, and are now, a relatively rare breed. It was very hard to find another Welshie household much less someone that knew a great deal about the breed. Glyndwr was formed to address the lack of resources available to those WT pet owners and to become the primary support source for pet Welsh Terriers in the Northeastern US.
The Present Day
Decades later, we are still a Club designed for the Welsh Terrier pet owner. While about 10% of our members also participate in the dog show world, the majority of Glyndwr people have their Welshies as family members and pets only. They just love their WTs.
Most of our Members reside in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, with a few as far away as Wisconsin and Maine. This Club continues it’s tradition of providing an extensive support network for its Members. No matter what is happening with your Welsh, there’s a Member somewhere who’s seen it before and can help out with advice. When you’re a member of Glyndwr, you’re never alone.
Our Members get their Welshies from a wide variety of sources … from breeders to rescue organizations to adoptions. They range in ages from puppies to elder statesmen. The one thing that they all share in common is the passion their human families feel towards them. Some of our Members have more than one breed. We have Scotties, Miniature Schnauzers, Westies and several other mixed breeds that are welcome members of Glyndwr along with their Welshie housemates.
Glyndwr is very much involved in seeing that Welshies stay out of harm’s way. Some Members have provided emergency foster homes for rescued WTs and a lot of others have welcomed them into their hearts as permanent members of their families. Glyndwr works with rescue organizations in many areas, including WTCares, the rescue arm of the WTCA.
We hold a number of social gatherings each year for the members … our beloved Welshies are welcome at every event! We try to pick locations that are convenient for the members and safe for our dogs. You can click here to see our current year’s calendar of events. While we are not a “show giving” club (we don’t hold AKC recognized dog shows) we stage “fun” shows for the members in conformation (the “traditional” dog show you see on TV) and rally-obedience.
We also produce a quarterly newsletter (the Glyndwr Welsh Times) which is sent to all members. It chronicles Club events, provides health and grooming info, has stories that run from hilarious to heartwarming and lets all Members know what is going on in their Club. We have people who belong just to receive the newsletter!
The Future
The Club is continuously evolving. Our mission is to serve the needs of our Welsh Terrier owning Members, in whatever way is most beneficial to them.
Our Officers and Board Members are very keen on listening and responding to what the Members want. For example, our Members gave us feedback that instead of bringing their own food to events they would rather pay a small cover charge and have the Club provide the food. That is now the norm at all of our get-togethers.
Our Members also indicated in one of our surveys that they wanted to see more enriched activities at our events. The Club added a Canine Good Citizen program (with our own AKC Licensed CGC Test Administrator), several grooming workshops and periodic participation in the American Kennel Club’s National Responsible Dog Ownership day.
Above all else, we continue our commitment to the well-being and happiness of our dogs. ”
About the Breed
http://www.akc.org/breeds/welsh_terrier/index.cfm