The Sealyham Terrier ( cy, Daeargi Sealyham) is a rare
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
breed of small to medium-sized
terrier
Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...
that originated in Wales as a
working dog
A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.
Definitions vary on what a working dog is, they are sometimes described as any dog trained for and employed in meaningful work; other times as any dog ...
. It is principally a white-bodied,
rough-coated breed, developed in the mid-to-late-19th century by Captain John Edwardes at Sealyham House,
Pembrokeshire.
Following the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
, it surged in popularity and was associated with Hollywood stars and members of the
British Royal Family. Its numbers have dropped significantly since then, with the breed listed as a
Vulnerable Native Breed by
the Kennel Club
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also oper ...
; an all-time low was recorded in 2008 when only 43 puppies were registered in the United Kingdom. This decline has been blamed on an influx of foreign and
designer
A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans.
In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...
breeds, and the Sealyham's reduced usefulness as a working dog.
This breed is equally suitable as a family dog or a
working terrier
A working terrier is a small type of dog which pursues its quarry into the earth. According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the name dates back to at least 1440, derived from French ''chien terrier'' 'digging dog', which is from Medieval L ...
, given the right training. It is affected by few breed specific breed disorders, with the only two prevalent conditions being
lens luxation
Ectopia lentis is a displacement or malposition of the eye's crystalline lens from its normal location. A partial dislocation of a lens is termed lens subluxation or subluxated lens; a complete dislocation of a lens is termed lens luxation or lux ...
and
canine degenerative myelopathy
Canine degenerative myelopathy, also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy, is an incurable, progressive disease of the canine spinal cord that is similar in many ways to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Onset is typically after the ...
. A DNA test is now readily available to identify dogs who carry the gene that causes lens luxation and breeding programs can be adjusted.
History
The breed was developed between 1850 and 1891 by Captain John Edwardes, at
Sealyham House
Sealyham Mansion, overlooking the little River Sealy, is a Georgian country house in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Wolfscastle and to the southeast of Letterston. Known for the creation of the Sealyham Terrier there in the 1800s, the house served a ...
, near
Wolfscastle
Wolfscastle ( cy, Casblaidd), also spelt Wolf's Castle, is a village and community in Pembrokeshire, between Haverfordwest and Fishguard, in southwest Wales. It was historically in the parish of St Dogwells.
Geography and transport links
Wol ...
in the Welsh county of
Pembrokeshire. Originally the breed was used for pest control, to hunt
small game
Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, ...
, and to eliminate
vermin
Vermin (colloquially varmint(s) or varmit(s)) are pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary by region and enterpri ...
, particularly badgers, which he usually relocated.
[ The ]Welsh Corgi
The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is derived from the Welsh words and (which is mutated to ), meani ...
, Fox Terrier (Wire), and the now extinct English White Terrier
The English White Terrier (also known as the White English Terrier) is an extinct breed of dog. The English White Terrier is the failed show ring name of a pricked-ear version of the white fox-working terriers that have existed in Great Britain ...
all played a part in the make up of the Sealyham,[ although Edwardes did not keep records.] He wanted a small white dog with a strong jaw, and a wiry coat. The white coat was particularly prized, as it meant that the hunter in the field could distinguish the dogs from the quarry.[ Edwardes culled weak dogs, and bred the stronger ones.] After Edwardes' death in 1891, other breeders began to work with Sealyhams,[ including Fred Lewis, who promoted the breed.][
]
The breed was shown for the first time in 1903, and the Sealyham Terrier club was created in 1908; the breed was officially recognised by the Kennel Club
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also oper ...
in 1911.[ The Sealyham Terrier now is recognised by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world.] During the early stages of its recognition, the breed was alternatively known as the Welsh Border Terrier, or the Cowley Terrier.[ Mason (1915): p. 34] The American Sealyham Terrier Club was founded in 1913.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Sir Jocelyn Lucas used the dogs to hunt badgers
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by th ...
which he usually relocated. At this time he also used Sealyham Terriers for hunting otters, stoats and squirrels. Deciding that he wanted a better hunting dog than the Sealyhams, bred for conformation showing, he cross-bred the dogs with the Norfolk Terrier. This resulted in an unrecognised breed of dog he called the Lucas Terrier
The Lucas Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier type which originated in England in the late 1940s. The breed was created by Sir Jocelyn Lucas at his Ilmer Kennels in Watford, Hertfordshire. All living authentic examples can trace th ...
, which he described as "death to rats and rabbits".[
The Sealyham surged in popularity after the ]First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
in the UK and the United States.[ Within the Hollywood film industry, the Sealyham became a fashionable dog to own by the Hollywood elite. The terrier was owned by actors ]Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...
, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
, Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
,[ and by writer ]Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
. Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...
owned one which he named Archie Leach – Grant's real name.[ ]Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
had one of his Sealyham Terriers seen in his 1941 film '' Suspicion''. Alfred Hitchcock can also be seen at the start of his 1963 film, '' The Birds'', walking two of his Sealyham Terriers in a cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
, although he also owned a third Sealyham not featured in the movie. The British Royal Family also favoured these dogs; King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Q ...
owned a dog named Jack.[ In 1959 one Sunday newspaper reported in the UK: "A notice has been posted in ]Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the Duke of Clarence, the future king William IV.
Over the years, it has undergone much exten ...
and Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original c ...
giving explicit instructions that when Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...
has breakfast in bed, her two Sealyhams must be brought to the room along with her breakfast tray."[ These two dogs were called Pippin and Johnny, and were looked after by the ]Queen Mother
A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...
when Princess Margaret fell ill.[ In the 1960s, children's author ]Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...
owned a Sealyham named Jennie, which he featured in his 1967 work ''Higglety Pigglety Pop!''.
A Sealyham Terrier photographed in 1915
The Sealyham was once one of the more popular terriers,[ and one of the best known Welsh breeds. Today, however, ]the Kennel Club
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also oper ...
(UK) lists the Sealyham as amongst the most endangered native breeds. In 2008, registrations of new puppies with the Kennel Club dropped to an all-time low of 43, placing it among the bottom three on the list of Vulnerable Native Breeds
There were only 37 Skye Terrier puppies registered with the Kennel Club in 2010
Vulnerable Native Breeds are a group of dog breeds originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and identified by The Kennel Club (KC) as having annual registration ...
. In October 2011, British magazine '' Country Life'' highlighted the breed on its front cover, with the heading "SOS: Save our Sealyhams", and launched a campaign to save the breed. End of year figures for 2011 showed that 49 puppies were registered with the Kennel Club in the UK, keeping them within the bottom three on the list of most endangered breeds.
Another notable Sealyham Terrier, Ch. Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice, also known as Charmin, won Best In Show at Crufts in 2009, but his victory was not televised as the BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
had dropped the coverage of the competition earlier that year, following the controversy after the channel showed the documentary ''Pedigree Dogs Exposed
''Pedigree Dogs Exposed'' is a BBC One investigative documentary, produced by Jemima Harrison, which looks into health and welfare issues facing pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom. It was originally broadcast on 19 August 2008.
The Kennel Clu ...
''. He had previous won the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in the United States in 2007, and the World Dog Show in 2008. While in retirement, Charmin attended many shows as a spectator until he died in October, 2018.
Sealyham terriers have also been featured on social media channels, contributing to a gain in notoriety of this rare breed. On Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
, Ivor the Sealyham terrier (2007-2020) posted weekly photos, updates and videos of his walks in Wales, gaining over 20,000 fans worldwide.
Harry Parsons, founder of the Working Sealyham Terrier Club, has stated that, "To sustain a breed...you need between 300 to 500 puppies a year".[ The Kennel Club has blamed the decline of the breed on the availability of designer dogs and newer breeds such as the ]Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu (, ; literally " Hsi Shih dog") is a toy dog breed originating from Tibet and was bred from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso.
Shih Tzus are known for their short snouts and large round eyes, as well as their long coat, floppy e ...
, and the banning of tail docking which has reduced their ability as working dogs.[ Paul Keevil, formerly of the Kennel Club's vulnerable breeds committee explains: "Traditionally, soon after Sealyhams were born, their tails were docked by half their length, because they were small working dogs and they quite often got stuck down holes, meaning that they required short, strong tails for the owner to be able to pull them out."][ As of 2010, the breed is ranked 152nd out of 168 breeds according to registrations by the ]American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster ...
. By 2017, the breed ranked 150 out of 190 breeds registered by the American Kennel Club.
Appearance
Sealyhams measurements vary by breed standard according to particular countries. The Kennel Club breed standard
In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athlet ...
states that the height of a Sealyham Terrier should not exceed , measured at the withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ...
or at the top of the shoulder blade. The ideal weight for a Sealyham is for females, or for males.
They have a white double coat
A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles ...
which requires regular brushing with a wire comb in order to prevent matting. It has a dense undercoat, while the outer coat is wiry and weather resistant. Markings on the face can be in a variety of colours including lemon, black, brown, blue, and badger, which is a mix of brown and black. Heavy body markings or patches or excessive ticking on the coat are discouraged. Sealyhams are low to the ground, and in muddy weather their long coats can become quite dirty.[ Sealyham coats are groomed by hand stripping, in order to keep the coat from becoming too soft. However, if they are not shown, Sealyhams can be clipped and this is often the preferred grooming approach for pets. As with many terriers, Sealyhams have essentially non-shedding coats.
]
Temperament
Although happy in the company of others, they are fine if left alone. Sealyham Terriers are suited for both the town and country.[ They can be strong willed, occasionally vocal,][ and boisterous but also full of personality and affectionate.] While they make for loyal family companions, they can be trained to be working dogs, making them excellent mousers or ratters. They can also be taught as puppies to get along with other animals, including cats and birds.
Harry Parsons described his Sealyhams thus: "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."
Health
This is a hardy breed with few breed specific health problems. The main hereditary problem highlighted by the American Sealyham Terrier Club is an eye condition called lens luxation
Ectopia lentis is a displacement or malposition of the eye's crystalline lens from its normal location. A partial dislocation of a lens is termed lens subluxation or subluxated lens; a complete dislocation of a lens is termed lens luxation or lux ...
, for which there are DNA tests. Genetic testing can now readily determine if the condition will be passed on and most breeders test both parents before breeding. Lens luxation is a condition in which the lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
slips out of position in the eyeball due to the weakening of the fibers
Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...
that holds it in place.
This in turn blocks the flow of fluids in the eye, leading to a painful increase in intra-ocular pressure (glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye re ...
) and often irreparable optic nerve
In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve is derived fro ...
damage, leading to visual field loss and eventual blindness.
As of November 2011, the Kennel Club has not highlighted any specific concerns regarding the breed's health to conformation show judges. Due to the low numbers of the breed, two of the most prevalent problems facing the breed today is the popular sire effect
The popular sire effect (or popular stud/sire syndrome) occurs when an animal with desirable attributes is bred repeatedly. In dog breeding, a male dog that wins respected competitions becomes highly sought after, as breeders believe the sire posse ...
and the general problem of genetic diversity within the breed.
References
;General
;Specific
*
External links
*
{{Welsh dogs
FCI breeds
Terriers
Rare dog breeds
Dog breeds originating in Wales
Vulnerable Native Breeds