Our Name
Wessex
‘Wessex’ encompasses a large catchment area that spans several counties and is not specific to Salisbury or any particular place. Wessex in Anglo-Saxon England had no fixed boundaries - it merely signified folk who were loyal to a king. The extent of Wessex fluctuated wildly during the period of its existence, making it hard to give an exact definition. The Encyclopedia Britannica lists Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset as the "permanent nucleus" of Wessex. Other sources also include parts of Berkshire and Devon within Wessex.
WAGS Dog Club accepts members from any area. In fact, we have one member who lives in Northampton! If you live outside ‘Wessex’, you are still very welcome to join us and, although most events are held within the Wessex area, our web site will allow you to keep up to date.
WAGS
Wessex Area German Shepherd Dog Club
Hence, we are known by the catch name WAGS Dog Club.
It has been pointed out that WAGS was an acronym used by the tabloid press to describe the Wives And Girlfriends of the England football team in the 2006 World Cup and is now in common use.
Despite that, ‘WAGS’ seems appropriate to a dog club.