Sealyham Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Sealyham Terrier was developed by Captain John Tucker Edwardes, who lived in Welsh County of Pembrokshire on an estate called Sealyham House. He started developing a new breed, that eventually become the Sealyham Terrier in the mid 1800s. The breeding goal was to create the best small game and verming hunter and the the breeds used in the development of Sealyham Terrier are Wire Fox Terrier, Welsh Corgis, English White Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terrier or West Highland White Terrier.
2) Hunter
The breeding goal of creating a great small game hunter was certainly achieved, because the Sealyham Terrier is even today used for hunting rabbits and pheasants or for controlling pest such as rats. They have great personality for hunting, because they are intelligent, but also independent, they have great senses, they are pretty courageous, have high prey drive and chasing instinct and they just love to hunt and work.
3) White coat
This breed is known for its great looking white coat, and even the coat is associated with their hunting utilization. Hunters and breeders value highly this white colored coat, because it ensures, that the dog is greatly visible and distinguishable from the quarry and it can be easily spotted by the hunter in the gray, green and brown terrain.
4) Companion
The Sealyham Terrier is not only great hunter, because they are also awesome companion dogs. It is guaranteed that you will never be bored with the curious, clownish and affectionate Sealyham. These dogs are absolutely devoted to its family and very very charming. Sealyham Terrier just love its people. They can also be good partners for older kids and they will most often enjoy company of other dogs in the family, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood. Other smaller household pets might be problematic, due to the Sealyham hunting instincts.
5) Rarity
Back in the beggining of the 20th century, this breed was quite popular and they were owned by some celebrities and well known people. They were associated with Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Talor or with British Royal Family. That changed in the second half of the 20th century, when their numbers started to decline, they were listed as Vulnerable Native Breed of United Kingdom and in 2008, there was ony 43 officially registered Sealyham Terrier puppies in the whole United Kingdom. It is certain that this is very rare breed, but thanks to the few dedicated Sealyham Terriers breeders, the breed did survived.
6) Terriers
Some people say, that Sealyham Terriers are little bit less active than other terriers, but they are still terriers with all the typical terrier characteristics. Those traits include high intelligence, but also stubborness and independent nature. Because of that, they are not pushovers to train. It is true, that they are capable of learning a lot of different tricks fairly quickly, but it is relatively hard to make them absolutely obedient, due to their independent mind. Just like other terriers, even Sealyhams like to dig and bark, they love to chase, they can be alert towards strangers and they are quite confident.
7) Name
The Sealyham Terriers name comes from the place, where the person who developed this breed, John Tucker Edwardes lived – the Sealyham House. This dog is also known under some other name, such as Welsh Border Terrier or Cowley Terrier.
8) Size
The Sealyham Terrier is a small dog with short, but very muscular legs, medium sized tail and pretty long body. The average height is typically around 30 cm, which is 12 inches and weight should be around 8 or 9 kg, which is 18 – 20 pounds. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
9) Maintenance
The Sealyham Terrier does require some grooming to keep its coat in good shape. This includes either regular brushing and clipping every few months, which is the easier option or regular combing and hand stripping, which will prevent the coat from becoming too soft. Because this is low to the ground dog, they can get dirty quite easily. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.
10) Health
Another great fact about the Sealyham Terrier is, that it is usually very healthy and hardy dog breed with only few breed specific health issues. Those include lens luxation and retinal dysplasia. The average lifespan of this breed is usually between 12-14 years.