Sealyham Terrier: everything you need to know about the breed

The Sealyham Terrier is an English breed of dog that has evolved from a brave hunter into a friendly and cheerful human companion. Today this breed from Wales is known far beyond the borders of Great Britain. It is chosen by movie stars and celebrities, acquired by members of royal families. Keeping puppies and adult Sealyham Terriers does not create much trouble for the owner - they are smart enough, easily get used to keeping order in the house, and are always in a good mood.

For Russia, the breed is still considered exotic - the officially registered livestock numbers just over a hundred individuals.

The Sealyham Terrier owes its origin to the exceptional love of the inhabitants of the British Isles for burrow hunting. To catch the animal, in addition to large beater dogs, a compact dog was needed that could follow the predator underground. Here terriers were especially highly valued - dogs with excellent tenacity, passion and fearlessness. In Wales, hunting for badgers was a particularly popular entertainment, and here breeders of the 18th and 19th centuries experimented quite boldly with breeding suitable breeds of dogs for these purposes.

One of the problems that needed to be addressed was the stealthiness of most small dogs. They often suffered from their own brethren - in the heat of the hunt, large dogs pounced on terriers, not distinguishing them from the beast. A well-known breeder of that time, John Tucker Edwards, began to look for a solution. He decided to breed a white dog with a hard coat and compact size. But the first attempts were unsuccessful - a cross between Cheshire Terriers and Welsh Corgi gave offspring too unstable, heterogeneous in appearance.

But John Edwards, even when he failed, was persistent in his pursuits. As an experienced breeder, he did a lot of work on the mistakes and was able to find a more correct combination of blood. Breeding work also became stricter - dogs with signs of marriage were removed from breeding.

After the death of Edwards, his business was not abandoned - the daughter of the breeder, Victoria, was engaged in further breeding. Thanks to her, Sealyham Terriers got a more modern appearance. The genes of West Highland White Terriers, Fox Terriers, Bull Terriers were added to the blood of Cheshire Terriers and Welsh Corgi. The resulting livestock consolidated the qualities that this breed is famous for today: a snow-white coat with a mother-of-pearl tint, the excitement of a hunter, loyalty, lack of fear, viciousness towards the beast.

The first demonstration of the Sealyham Terrier at the show took place in 1891 in Wales. The breed was awarded its own rings by 1903, having become widespread in its homeland. After another 5 years, lovers of Sealyham Terriers formed their own club. The American Kennel Club evaluated and classified the new companion dogs in 1911. But the official international standard for Sealyham fans had to wait a long time - it was adopted only in 1954.

According to the FCI classification, the breed is assigned 74 numbers. She belongs to the group of small terriers, not subject to working tests. The latest version of the standard was adopted in 2009. Puppies and adult Sealyham Terriers are described as agile, active, compact dogs with a balanced physique and an elongated body.

The breed is characterized by the following parameters:

• a head with a wide skull, a slightly convex crown, an elongated powerful muzzle, smoothed cheekbones;
• jaws strong, large, square, with long teeth, closed in a scissor bite;
• ears are medium, drooping, with slightly rounded tips, located on the sides;
• the nose is black, brightly pigmented;
• eyes are dark brown, rounded;
• the neck is muscular, well-defined, rather long and thick;
• limbs straight and short in front, long behind, with pronounced muscles;
• the back is straight, medium length;
• the chest is clearly defined, deep;
• the tail is short, curved at the tip, directed upward;
• height at the withers - 30-31 cm, weight - 8.2-9 kg.

The upper guard hair is hard, "wiry", rather long. Below is a soft undercoat of pure white. Dogs are not prone to shedding profusely. Their wool does not cause allergic reactions, is devoid of a specific smell.

The color of the coat implies a predominance of white with a pearlescent tint, the presence of spots on the ears and head is allowed. The desired shade of markings is blue-gray, zoned, fawn, brown, cream. Black is acceptable, as is mottling, but is considered undesirable for fixing in offspring.

Sealyham Terriers are considered excellent companions - they are benevolent, responsible, trying to protect the owner from other people's attention. Despite their small stature, they are quite mobile, they can keep company on walks. But Sealyhems are not at all docile lap dogs. Possessing the obstinate character of a classic terrier, they show stubbornness when trying to train. Even knowing the commands perfectly, they always make decisions on their own execution.

The developed intelligence of Sealyham Terriers is often not spent too rationally, spending mental abilities on inventing tricks and fun.Their need for movement, communication, play is much higher than that of other breeds. Tireless inventors, sealyhems will not let the owner get bored, they will become full participants in children's fun. In a difficult situation, the dog will also find a way out, using his own ingenuity.

The watchdog qualities of the breed are highly rated. The compact Sealyham Terrier has a loud voice, is sensitive and alert to any sources of danger. With such a watchman, you can not be afraid that a stranger will enter the territory unnoticed. In addition, dogs have a developed sense of territory - on a farm or in a private house, they become indispensable guards, preventing attacks by foxes, martens and other small predators.

Love for children is another striking feature of the Sealyham Terrier. Such a pet will become an irreplaceable companion for kids and adolescents, will be happy to participate in any fun, games and entertainment. A nimble little pet will allow you to take a hyperactive child and will never offend him. But with other dogs, the Sealychems do not get along too well, the dogs show aggression towards larger relatives, they are rather cocky.

The Sealyham Terrier is one of the most beloved breeds in Wales, but rather contradictory information is circulating about it outside of England. Opinions agree that this dog has many advantages:

• compact size;
• spectacular appearance;
• paucity;
• courage and courage;
• human orientation;
• good contact with children;
• high level of physical activity;
• sociability and friendliness.

Sealyham also has enough drawbacks. He is easily carried away and quickly loses interest, obstinate, wayward. But in general, a small loyal dog is an excellent pet, capable of pleasing its owner for many years.

The average lifespan of the Sealyham Terrier is about 15 years, but many representatives of the breed are distinguished by longevity and are able to celebrate their 17th birthday. Among the threats to the health of a small dog are:

• high risk of obesity;
• development of eye diseases (cataracts, glaucoma, retinal atrophy);
• allergic reactions to bites of blood-sucking insects, unbalanced diet;
• deafness as a congenital malformation.

The rest of the Sealyham Terriers are extremely healthy. Dogs have strong immunity, are not afraid of cold weather, are active and vigorous until old age.

In nutrition, Sealyham Terriers are unpretentious, but there are certain points that are worth remembering. The animal should receive high quality hypoallergenic food, allowing it to replenish its energy reserves during the day. If a ready-made diet is selected, it is worth giving preference to holistic feeds without grain additives or based on rice.

Natural food is also acceptable. It is recommended to combine lean meats, vegetables, oatmeal or rice groats in the diet. Dogs are given cottage cheese to replenish calcium stores. The optimal feeding regimen is twice a day, without additional distribution of treats during the day. Due to the tendency to overeat, the diet of the Sealychem has to be controlled quite strictly.There should be no fish in the dog's diet - it causes indigestion in the breed. Bones are also excluded, since they provoke the formation of kidney stones, injure the stomach and esophagus.

Caring for a Sealyham Terrier involves the following procedures on a regular basis

1. Trimming - For show dogs, it is the plucking of dead hairs that is the right way to care for the coat.Sealychems themselves practically do not shed, but to prevent the appearance of mats, the procedure must be carried out as the guard hair and undercoat grow. For trimming, you can purchase a special machine or contact the services of specialists.
2. Combing wool... It is carried out every 3 days using special brushes.
3. A haircut - it is carried out if the dog does not participate in exhibitions. In other cases, only the beard is trimmed, the fringe on the tail and the excess hair is trimmed in the area between the fingers. In hot summer, many owners prefer to treat the animal's body "under a typewriter." But experienced owners do not recommend cutting Sealyham Terriers, mentioning a significant deterioration in the quality of the dog's coat.
4. Bathing - it is required infrequently and is carried out exclusively with the use of harmless hypoallergenic agents. The skin of Sealyham Terriers is very sensitive and requires careful selection of shampoos and other dog cosmetics.
5. Ear cleaning... It is carried out every 2 weeks with an examination of the shell for plaque, mites, and other parasites.
6. Teeth cleaning. The jaws of Sealyham Terriers need regular sanitary inspection. They need to be cleaned at least 3 times a week. Removal of tartar is carried out twice a year with a mandatory visit to the veterinarian.
7. Clipping the claws. They themselves do not grind, so the clipper should be purchased as early as possible. Claws growing into the pads can cause severe discomfort to the animal.
8. Eye care. They should be regularly examined by a veterinarian-ophthalmologist, if necessary, the owner will have to carry out special hygienic care. Lachrymation, profuse purulent discharge are cause for concern. Normally, it is enough to simply remove the accumulating lumps in the corners of the eyes with a cotton pad.
9. Treatment for skin and intestinal parasites. Sealyham Terriers are very sensitive to insect bites; their body must be protected from contact with fleas and ticks. Anthelmintic treatment is carried out at least 2 times a year.
10. Cleansing a dog's beard - it is done after every meal to avoid the growth of bacteria.

Sealyham Terriers are quite intelligent dogs that can quickly memorize large amounts of information. Learning them initially looks easy. But the dog can become stubborn during the training process. The same type of commands quickly bother him, the dog begins to get bored.

Experienced dog handlers prefer not to classify Sealyham as difficult to train breeds. It is enough for a dog to create a convenient regime for training, offer a treat, and praise when a result is achieved. Sports and running loads, participation in agility will be useful. Aggression, violence against animals should be excluded during upbringing. An obstinate terrier will not appreciate such an attitude, he will withdraw.

It is necessary to start the upbringing of Sealyham at an early age. By the age of 3 months, a clever puppy will be able to keep order in the house, will know his name, place, and will run up to the call. It is better to start serious training after reaching 9-12 months, putting it in the form of a game. It is not recommended to let the dog off the leash in the city because of the developed hunting instinct - the dog can rush in pursuit of the cat, get lost.

For more information on the Sealyham Terrier, see the next video.