by Keith Erlandson-3-
It is well documented that there existed at that time a large 'Celtic hound', possibly descended from the ancient molossus and in all probability the main ancestor of the Old English mastiff, later to find fame as a war dog which fought the invading Romans and afterwards, infamy as an unbeatable fighting dog in the arenas of ancient Rome. The Celts undoubtedly possessed herding dogs and my belief is that these people had smaller red and white hunting dogs. Falconry is an ancient sport and owing to artefacts discovered, it seems that the Celtic chieftains flew hawks and falcons, particularly the former as the Celts were a woodland people and doubtless flew the short-winged goshawks at rabbits, the natural quarry of this raptor. What better could a high-born Celt wish for to flush rabbits, hares and woodcock for his hawks than a spaniel-like animal? My belief is further compounded by the Celtic settlement in Brittany, Wales and Ireland. To this day, all these areas produce red and white hunting dogs. Brittany has its epagneul Breton, known to ourselves and the Americans as the Brittany. The original SANG PUR (ital.) Brittany was originally only red and white, but at the end of the Second World War,so few Brittanies of breeding age were available in France that crossing with other local pointing spaniels took place, whicb introduced black and liver colouration. Ireland has its ancient red and white Irish setter and later the more familiar Irish red setter emerged from the red and white taproot, frequently with accepted white markings on nose, chest and legs, like some cocker spaniels today. As far back as the tenth century, written records tell us that there were red and white spaniels in Wales which were the undisputed ancestors of the Welsh springer spaniels of today. Then there existed for a time the enigmatic 'Welsh cocker' over which there is confusion to this day, as many cockers are bred in Wales and frequently the uninitiated believe these products of the Principality to be Welsh cockers, which they are not. To the best of my knowledge the 'Welsh cocker' never was a Kennel Club registered breed but has been mentioned by various earlier writers and cynologists like Hubbard as being red and white. This would suggest that it evolved as a smaller sub-species to the Welsh springer, just as we have miniature poodles, schnauzers and dachshunds. It is said to have become extinct, like the so-called Devonshire cocker but I believe both varieties simply were absorbed into the breed of cocker spaniel prior to the Kennel Club's formation in 1873, as the red and white cockers we have today are distinct from the lemon and whites and orange roans. 'Stonehenge' in his 'Book Of The Dog' (1859), mentions the Welsh cocker and there is a lithograph of a 'Welsh' and 'English' cocker standing together.