Plummer Terrier - Facts and Information

Appearance
The Plummer Terrier is a breed originally developed to hunt rats and other vermin. To be good at job like that, the dog must be small, very agile and athletic, muscular and sturdy and that is exactly what Plummer Terrier is like.
According to the breed standard, the ideal height of Plummer Terrier is between 12-13 inch, which is 31-34 cm. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. The weight is typically somewhere around 6 kg, which is 13 lbs.
The coat is short, lying close to the body and pretty dense. The dense coat does protect the breed from harsh weather and thanks to it, they can hunt outdoors for a long time without any problems. The Plummer Terrier comes in combination of great looking red and white.
The head is medium sized with dropped and round ears, dark and oval shaped eyes and strong jaws. The tail of the Plummer Terrier is carried high.
Personality
The Plummer Terrier was developed and used mostly for hunt, which is why they must have a temperament of a hunting dog. And indeed, the Plummer Terrier is a courageous dog with high prey drive and chasing instinct, that is willing to hunt above, but also below the ground. This is an active hard working dog with lively, alert, confident, spirited and fearless mind and great sense of smell and hearing, all very important characteristics for a hunter.
Of course, the Plummer Terrier is not only a hunter, but also loyal family pet. The Plummer Terrier creates a strong bond with its owners and is totally friendly towards its whole family. On the other hand, they tend to be alert and suspicious towards strangers and it can take a while before they accept a complete stranger as a friend. They are amazing playful and lively partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. They can also live with other dogs in the family, but other smaller household pets might be problematic due to the Plummers higher prey drive.
It is important to provide Plummer Terrier with enough daily physical, but also mental exercise, as this is rather high energy level dog breed. They will be always ready for any outdoor adventure and you must take them on daily longer walks accompanied with some playtime or fun training sessions. Without enough exercise, they will become bored and they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction.
History
The Plummer Terrier is still pretty young dog breed, developed only in the 1960s by Brian Plummer to hunt and carry out the role usually associated with any working breed of terrier. The breeds Brian Plummer used in the Plummer Terriers development were Jack Russell Terriers, Fell Terriers, Beagles and Bull Terriers.
Over the time, two distinct types of Plummer Terriers were developed, one smaller with snipe-nosed type and one larger with more bully like head. Plummer opted for the latter, and by the late 1990s decided that the breed needed a wider gene pool in order to reach its maximum potential. Bull Terrier blood of known ancestry was sought and outcrossed into the breed.
Health and grooming
The Plummer Terrier is usually pretty healthy dog breed and it is not unusual for them to live happy and active life well into their later teens. Average lifespan is somewhere around 14 or 15 years. Of course, they may suffer from some health issues, but none of the serious genetic health problems is very common in this breed. But ocassionally, they may suffer from for example heart and kidney problems, some eye problems, infections and allergies.
The maintenance and grooming is very simple with the Plummer Terrier. Even without any brushing, they will keep their coat in excellent condition. Of course, brushing them from time to time is only beneficial as it will minimize the shedding and remove loose hair and dirt from the coat, but no other grooming is necessary. Just like wiht all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.