Sealyham Terrier facts for kids
A Sealyham Terrier
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| Other names | Welsh Border Terrier, Cowley Terrier | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sealyham Terrier (Welsh: Daeargi Sealyham) is a special type of terrier dog. It comes from Wales and was first bred to be a working dog. This means it helped people with tasks like hunting.
Sealyhams are usually white with a rough coat. They were created in the mid-to-late 1800s by Captain John Edwardes at Sealyham House in Pembrokeshire.
After World War I, these dogs became very popular. Even Hollywood stars and members of the British royal family owned them! However, their numbers have dropped a lot since then. The the Kennel Club now lists them as a Vulnerable Native Breed. In 2008, only 43 puppies were registered in the UK, which was the lowest number ever. This decline might be because many new dog breeds became popular, and Sealyhams are not used as much for working anymore.
Sealyham Terriers can be great family pets or working dogs if they are trained well. They don't have many health problems that are specific to their breed. The two main issues are lens luxation (an eye problem) and canine degenerative myelopathy (a nerve problem). Luckily, there's a DNA test for lens luxation, which helps breeders make sure their puppies are healthy.
Contents
History of the Sealyham Terrier
Captain John Edwardes developed the Sealyham Terrier between 1850 and 1891. He lived at Sealyham House near Wolf's Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Why the Breed Was Created
Captain Edwardes wanted a dog for pest control. These dogs helped hunt small animals and get rid of vermin, especially badgers. He often moved the badgers to a new location instead of harming them.
How the Breed Was Developed
Edwardes mixed different dog breeds to create the Sealyham. These included the Welsh Corgi, Wire Fox Terrier, and the now-extinct English White Terrier. He didn't keep detailed records of his breeding.
He wanted a small, white dog with a strong jaw and a wiry coat. The white coat was important because it helped hunters tell the dogs apart from the animals they were chasing. Edwardes only bred the strongest dogs and removed weaker ones from his breeding program. After he passed away in 1891, other breeders like Fred Lewis continued to promote the Sealyham.
Becoming an Official Breed
The Sealyham Terrier was first shown in public in 1903. The Sealyham Terrier club was formed in 1908. In 1911, the Kennel Club officially recognized the breed. Today, all major kennel clubs in English-speaking countries recognize the Sealyham Terrier.
Early on, the breed was sometimes called the Welsh Border Terrier or the Cowley Terrier. The American Sealyham Terrier Club started in 1913.
Sir Jocelyn Lucas and the Lucas Terrier
During the 1920s and 1930s, Sir Jocelyn Lucas used Sealyhams to hunt badgers, otters, stoats, and squirrels. He wanted an even better hunting dog than the Sealyhams that were bred for dog shows. So, he mixed Sealyhams with Norfolk Terriers. This created a new, unofficial breed called the Lucas Terrier. He said these dogs were "death to rats and rabbits."
Sealyhams in Pop Culture
The Sealyham became very popular after World War I in both the UK and the United States. Many famous people in Hollywood loved owning them. Actors like Tallulah Bankhead, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, and writer Agatha Christie had Sealyhams. Cary Grant even named his dog Archie Leach, which was Grant's real name!
Director Alfred Hitchcock featured his Sealyham Terriers in his films. You can see one in his 1941 movie Suspicion. He also made a quick appearance at the start of his 1963 film, The Birds, walking two of his Sealyhams.
The British Royal Family also liked these dogs. King George V had a Sealyham named Jack. In 1959, a newspaper reported that Princess Margaret's two Sealyhams, Pippin and Johnny, had to be brought to her room when she had breakfast in bed.
In the 1960s, children's author Maurice Sendak owned a Sealyham named Jennie. He even included her in his 1967 book Higglety Pigglety Pop!.
Current Status of the Breed
The Sealyham was once a very popular terrier and a well-known Welsh breed. However, today, the Kennel Club in the UK lists it as one of the most endangered native breeds. In 2008, only 43 new puppies were registered with the Kennel Club. This placed the Sealyham among the bottom three on the list of Vulnerable Native Breeds.
In October 2011, the British magazine Country Life put the breed on its front cover. The headline was "SOS: Save our Sealyhams," and they started a campaign to help the breed. By the end of 2011, 49 puppies were registered, still keeping them on the endangered list.
A famous Sealyham Terrier named Ch. Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice, also known as Charmin, won Best In Show at Crufts in 2009. He had also won the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in the US in 2007 and the World Dog Show in 2008.
Harry Parsons, who started the Working Sealyham Terrier Club, says that "To keep a breed going...you need between 300 to 500 puppies a year." The Kennel Club believes the decline is due to the popularity of designer dogs and newer breeds like the Shih Tzu. Also, the ban on tail docking has made them less useful as working dogs. Paul Keevil from the Kennel Club explained that Sealyhams traditionally had their tails shortened. This was because they were small working dogs that often got stuck in holes. A short, strong tail helped owners pull them out.
As of 2017, the Sealyham breed was ranked 150th out of 190 breeds registered by the American Kennel Club.
Appearance of Sealyham Terriers
The size of Sealyham Terriers can be a little different depending on the country's breed standards. For example, the Kennel Club says a Sealyham Terrier should not be taller than 12 inches (30 cm) at the shoulder.
The perfect weight for a female Sealyham is 8 kilograms (18 lb). For males, it's 9 kilograms (20 lb).
Their Coat and Grooming
Sealyhams have a white double coat. This means they have two layers of fur. The inner layer is dense, and the outer layer is wiry and can handle different weather. Their coat needs regular brushing with a wire comb to stop it from getting tangled.
They can have markings on their face in different colors. These include lemon, black, brown, blue, and badger (a mix of brown and black). Too many markings or spots on their body are not preferred.
Sealyhams are low to the ground. Because of their long coats, they can get quite dirty in muddy weather. Their coats are usually groomed by hand stripping. This helps keep the coat wiry and not too soft. However, if they are not show dogs, Sealyhams can be clipped, which is often easier for pets. Like many terriers, Sealyhams don't shed much.
Sealyham Terrier Temperament
Sealyham Terriers are happy to be with people, but they are also fine if left alone sometimes. They can live well in both cities and the countryside.
These dogs can be strong-willed and sometimes vocal. They can also be playful and full of personality. They are very loving. Sealyhams make loyal family pets. They can also be trained to be working dogs, which means they are excellent at catching mice or rats. If trained when they are puppies, they can even get along with other animals, like cats and birds.
Harry Parsons, who founded the Working Sealyham Terrier Club, described his Sealyhams by saying: "They make great companions, and the way they bond with their owners is almost magical. I keep six indoors, and if someone rings about an infestation and asks us to go ratting, they will know and are out of the door in a millisecond. If you train them, they'll retrieve. They'll do anything to please you."
Sealyham Terrier Health
Sealyhams are a strong breed and don't have many health problems specific to them. The main inherited problem is an eye condition called lens luxation. There are DNA tests available for this condition. Genetic testing can now easily tell if a dog will pass on this problem. Most breeders test both parent dogs before breeding.
What is Lens Luxation?
Lens luxation happens when the lens in the eye slips out of its normal place. This is because the tiny fibers that hold it in place become weak. When the lens moves, it can block the flow of fluids in the eye. This leads to a painful increase in pressure inside the eye, called glaucoma. Glaucoma can cause damage to the optic nerve, which can lead to vision loss and eventually blindness.
As of November 2011, the Kennel Club had not pointed out any specific health worries about the breed to dog show judges. Because there are so few Sealyham Terriers, two big problems for the breed are the "popular sire effect" and a general lack of genetic variety. The popular sire effect happens when one male dog is used for breeding too often. This reduces the overall genetic diversity of the breed.
See also
In Spanish: Sealyham terrier para niños
