Sealyham Terrier: character, description of the breed, behavioral characteristics, care and reviews from owners

History of the breed

The Sealyham Terrier was bred in the 50s of the 19th century. He owes his appearance to retired captain John Edwards. Owning several Otterhounds and terriers, Edwards was not completely satisfied with their hunting qualities, so he decided to breed a short-legged, small, but very strong and active white dog.

Quite quickly he got what he was looking for, dogs of this type were similar to modern Sealyhams. In the character of animals, Edwards wanted to see aggression, courage and malice, so that they could fearlessly enter into battle with a badger or other rodent, for example. After careful examination and selection for physical characteristics, Sealyham Terrier puppies and juveniles were bred first to rats, then to ferrets. Those who failed the test were mercilessly rejected.

When creating the breed, the blood of the Welsh Corgi was mixed to improve tracking, the Fox Terrier for hunting passion and fearlessness, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier to improve the coat - hard and thick, protecting from bad weather and attacks from the victim.

The result was a breed distinguished by its ardor and courage in hunting rodents, otters and badgers. The Sealyham Terrier breed, whose kennel John Edwards named Of Sealy, quickly became famous and spread throughout the world. In 1911 it was recognized by English dog breeders. And in 1912, an official standard for this breed appeared.

Where to buy a Sealyham Terrier puppy?

If you want to buy a Sealyham Terrier puppy with a good pedigree and then perform with him at shows, naturally, then you need to buy a dog from a kennel. Thank God, there are enough of them in our country and in neighboring countries. If you want to save your finances, then you can buy a Sealyham Terrier from an ad on the Internet. It is not a fact that the quality of the puppy will be worse than in the kennel, but the price will be noticeably lower.

Average

sealyham terrier price

in Russia is about 20,000 rubles, the maximum price for a Sealyham Terrier puppy can be 30,000 rubles. Buying Sealyham

terrier

first of all, you are acquiring a reliable friend, so you shouldn’t skimp, it’s better to save on something else. You can't skimp on friends. They say friendship is not for sale - this is true, but not in the case of the Sealyham Terrier.

Description

Like all representatives of its species, the Sealyham Terrier has excellent physical characteristics, developed muscles, a strong long neck and powerful bones, which, with proper training, makes it a star of exhibitions.

He has beautiful thick and, most importantly, non-shedding fur, so you can have a pet not only in your home, but also in your apartment. The dog must be white, with small markings on the face and ears. In exceptional cases it may be yellowish. Since Sealyham Terriers have an inner undercoat, they can withstand sudden changes and low temperatures well.

Their funny features are thick white whiskers and small shiny black eyes with thick eyebrows drawn over them, giving the dog a menacing and authoritative appearance. The nose is black and large. The tail is short, docked, and directed vertically upward.

According to exhibition standards, the height of an adult should not exceed 31 cm, weight - no more than 9 kg (males), 8.2 kg (females). Of course, there are other generally accepted standards for this breed.

Appearance

The Sealyham Terrier is a strong, well-balanced dog of short stature with a white, coarse coat. Outwardly it gives the impression of great power contained in a small body. Stretched case. The height at the withers is no more than 31 cm. The weight of males is about 9 kg, females are about 8 kg.

The Sealyham Terrier and Scotch Terrier gave rise to another breed of dog - the Czech Terrier. The skull is slightly convex, wide between the ears. The muzzle is square, long, powerful, with a heavy jaw. The nose is black. The teeth are straight, strong, scissor bite. Cheekbones are not protruding. The eyes are deep-set, round, medium in size, dark in color. The ears are medium sized, rounded at the tips, and hang loosely close to the cheekbones.

The neck is long, muscular and thick. The body is flexible, of medium length. The back is strong and straight. The chest is deep and wide, well let down between the front legs. The ribs are well sprung. The tail is set high and carried vertically. Can be docked to medium length, thick, with a rounded tip. In its natural state, the tail is thick at the base, tapering towards the tip, and of medium length.

The coat is hard, wiry, and long. The undercoat is well developed. The color is white or white with spots on the head and ears of light red, fawn, brown or blue.

The Sealyham Terrier is a short, strong dog. The head is long and wide, in proportion to the body. The skull is slightly convex with a slight offset between the eyebrows and a moderate stop. The nose is black with large nostrils. The teeth meet in a scissor bite and the jaw is square. Oval, wide-set eyes of a dark color.

The ears are wide, hanging, folded forward. The tail is set high and is usually docked. Cupping is illegal in most European countries. Double coat, top hard, white, sometimes lemon- or tan-tinged, with slight colored markings on head and ears. Height no more than 30 cm, weight maximum 9 kg. Life expectancy is about 15 years.

Sealyham Terrier

Sealyham Terrier breed standard

The English Kennel Club in 1912 developed the following main features of this breed:

Oblong body.
Convex skull with a wide gap between the ears.
Dark small shiny eyes.
Wide rounded ears located closer to the cheeks.
Scissor bite with a level, strong jaw.
Long, thick, very muscular neck.
The chest is wide, located low to the front legs, with convex ribs.
The paws are round, with thick pads.
The tail sticks up or is parallel to the body.
The wool is very thick, hard (like wire).
The color is completely white or lemon white, with small specks of chocolate or black allowed.

The dog is energetic, non-aggressive, with free, balanced movements.

Character and temperament

The Sealyham Terrier, whose character is considered by many dog breeders to be formidable and aggressive, is in fact a very loving, cheerful and mischievous dog. She is devoted to her family, loves children, and will want to be with you wherever you go. She is friendly towards outsiders as long as they act friendly towards her. He will definitely bark to the owner about the arriving guests. It can be aggressive towards other pets, but basically it is quite peaceful, since it has historically been accustomed to working in a pack.

Despite their, to put it mildly, small size (at the withers, such dogs rarely exceed 30 cm) and short legs, like all terriers, they are very active, impetuous and inquisitive pets. They make excellent runners and jumpers, and you will be extremely surprised where such a small dog has so much agility and energy.

They have a lively, quick-witted and curious mind, so they are easy to educate and train. The Sealyham Terrier breed is especially good at agility - competitions in overcoming an obstacle course for dogs.

It can be headstrong, like all terriers, but with proper upbringing and the authority of the owner it will become a very obedient pet. Truly noble dogs, which, by the way, were pets of the royal family of England.

Character traits

Sealyham Terriers have an easy-going and easygoing nature, which makes them popular as companion dogs.

They are valued for qualities such as:

Kindness and good nature
Loyalty and devotion
Peacefulness and tranquility
Lack of aggressive attitude towards other breeds and brothers
Courage and agility
Playful disposition
Love for young children and the elderly
Unobtrusiveness. The dog will not bother you if he sees that you are busy, he will find other entertainment
Does not require intense physical activity or long walks
Average aptitude for training. If the dog does not want to follow certain commands, it is impossible to force him
They have sufficient intelligence, but with high activity and playfulness they do not notice the owner’s commands
He performs well as a watchman, as he can loudly notify his owners about the appearance of a stranger, but he is unlikely to be able to cope with him, so he is a weak guard
Sealyhams love agility training (obstacle courses)

Breed Temperament

At home, Sealyham Terriers get along well with children, actively participating in games and fun. They accept other pets with the same due tolerance. They are not loud, they bark only to warn of danger.

Sealyham Terriers are distinguished by their special hearing and sense of smell, given to them by nature for hunting, so they are always on the alert. Terriers are quite trainable and quite manageable, but during the training process it is recommended to resort to persistence.

Personality

The Sealyham Terrier has a lively disposition, because despite its size, it is first and foremost a terrier. On the other hand, this dog is very funny, loves attention and love from people. But he himself gives love and affection to his family in abundance - in this sense, complete harmony reigns.

He has a strong character, can sometimes act in his own way and is not shy about expressing his emotions, including through barking. Although, the Sealyham's love of barking is not as pronounced as other small terriers. First of all, he is a very positive and kind dog. They have hunting instincts, which is not surprising considering what these dogs were bred for, so when going for a walk in the park, don't be surprised if your pet tries to catch a pigeon, cat or squirrel.

Keeping a pet

Everything known about Sealyham Terrier dogs (character, description of the breed) confirms that they can be kept in an apartment without any problems. Wool does not shed, so it will not settle on furniture and clothes, and if someone in the family has allergies or has children, keeping Sealyham will not be a problem. At the same time, it is thick enough, warm, with an inner undercoat to withstand cold weather, so keeping it in your own home is quite possible. Plus the animal has virtually no odor.

Do not forget that the Sealyham Terrier is an active hunting dog; it definitely needs to release its irrepressible energy, so daily long walks are required. This is also necessary for her well-being. In addition to hot summer days, the dog tolerates high temperatures with great difficulty. But in winter you can walk longer; it is well adapted to cold weather.

Pet care

Despite the lack of shedding, for which the Sealyham Terrier breed is famous, coat care must be regular and thorough. Brush your dog daily with a rubber brush and massage the withers.

Animals of this breed should not be bathed more than once a month due to their extremely sensitive skin. Bath procedures should be carried out only with special dog shampoos. But they need to clean their ears regularly, 1-2 times a month.

It is also important for your dog to brush his teeth and wash his eyes with chamomile decoction every week. These are mandatory procedures.

Dog trimming

Regularly 1-2 times a week, do trimming - plucking out old hair in dogs that cannot shed on their own. Of course, in the first stages it is better to do this with a professional master, otherwise you can cause irreparable psychological trauma to the puppy, whom you will hurt due to inexperience.

In the future, it will be possible to carry out trimming at home, and not in a hairdresser, when the dog gets used to this process and understands that you are not doing it any harm (since in wire-haired dogs, dead hair comes off painlessly). If this is not done, the old wool will mat and create so-called tangles, which will have to be very difficult and painful to remove.

But under no circumstances should a haircut be given to the Sealyham Terrier breed, the description of which speaks of the hardness of the coat, since the animal’s hair can change its structure and acquire unusual softness and fragility. Therefore - only trimming.

Maintenance and care

Thanks to their compact size, dogs of this breed feel great both in a huge private house and in a small city apartment. If your pet lives indoors, don’t forget to walk him twice a day. Such walks are needed not only so that the animal has the opportunity to fulfill its physiological needs, but also to properly stretch its muscles and exercise a little.

Similar article: Description of the best watchdog and companion for the Lakeland Terrier

The Sealyham Terrier does not require special care: it is recommended to periodically examine the pet's eyes, ears, teeth and claws. At the slightest sign of discomfort, you should consult a veterinarian.

Particular attention should be paid to the terrier's coat. To avoid the formation of tangles, the wool is thoroughly combed twice a week. The animal can be cut as needed or at least once every 6 months. Show class dogs are cut more often.

Health and illness

Is the Sealyham Terrier susceptible to any illnesses? Illnesses rarely visit him. In general, this dog’s health is excellent: excellent immunity, endurance to low temperatures, heavy loads, etc. Congenital deafness in puppies is rare, but all breeds of dominant white coat color are not immune to this problem. Allergic reactions to some foods may occur, so the Sealyham diet should be balanced, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian about this. As a dog ages, it may begin to suffer from eye diseases, so we provide the animal with the careful care described above.

Historical reference

The birthplace of the breed is considered to be Great Britain, more precisely Wales. The territory, washed by the sea and dissected by bodies of water, was inhabited by both the nobility and ordinary poor people. One of the main trades of common people was hunting, the second most important was maritime trade. In addition, for a long time, in the territory of the kingdom, only the nobility were allowed to keep large dogs. And the poor could not afford the maintenance of large four-legged animals. An alternative was small dogs of the “terrier type”, which guarded the owner’s home and supplies from rats, traveled by sea with traders and were used in hunting burrowing animals.

Usually, a pack of large sniffer dogs and one terrier took part in the burrow hunt. Having discovered the beast, the bloodhounds surrounded the hole, and the little hero went into battle. As soon as the animal gave up and found itself on the surface, it died from the teeth of the dogs. The main problem was associated with this “methodology” - the terrier, which crawled out of the hole after the game, not only smelled like prey, but also did not look like a dog, its fur was caked with dirt. As a result, the valuable burrow hunter died from the teeth of his “comrades-in-arms,” which turned out to be not only a moral, but also a financial blow for the hunter.

The history of the breed began in the 19th century, when one of the fans of burrow dogs, John Tucker Edwards, decided to create a full-fledged working terrier with white hair. After all, it is easier for bloodhounds to distinguish a dog from prey, which stands out sharply against the backdrop of dirt and the landscape of the “fields”. The second requirement in the exterior was hard wool, to which dirt would not stick when working underground.

The first attempt at breeding a white terrier failed. Taking the Cheshire Terrier as a basis - a small white dog (this breed has not survived to this day), John began breeding work. To strengthen the bones, obtain the desired (elongated) body shape and shorten the paws, the Welsh Corgi was chosen as the second sire. To enhance anger and hunting instincts, terriers, common in the south of Wales, were introduced into breeding work. Numerous matings did not produce a stable exterior and the breeder was forced to admit defeat.

About nutrition

The health of any dog primarily depends on how it eats. If you feed your Sealyham with natural food or special balanced food, your pet will be strong. Feeding from the master's table is strictly prohibited:

sweets lead to tooth loss and diabetes;
fish leads to diarrhea, vomiting and parasites;
potatoes - to diarrhea;
yeast dough can cause rupture of the intestines and stomach;
dairy products can cause indigestion;
bones are not digested, there is a risk of kidney stones.

Ideally, of course, Sealyhams should be fed with special food for this breed; it will contain all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. And gradually introduce fresh meat (except pork), cereals, some vegetables, and cottage cheese into their diet.

It is important to monitor the number of meals and portions, because Sealyhams love to eat a lot and are extremely prone to obesity. Feed your dog no more than 2 times a day without feeding in between; given his size, more than that can become hazardous to health. But water should always be in the dog’s bowl.

Training

Despite his lively mind, intelligence and activity, training a Sealyham Terrier is a real challenge for its owner. On the one hand, they understand what is required of them and are quite capable of doing it, on the other hand, they do not want to act on anyone’s orders, even the owner’s, and resist training in every possible way. Therefore, if you want to have a trained, obedient dog, a professional dog handler should take part in raising your Sealyham. If you feel strength, perseverance and strength of character, you may be able to subdue the dog yourself.

Since this type of terrier belongs to the hunting breed, it is great happiness for them to run after some rodents or cats. An option for more serious training is overcoming an obstacle course (agility), here the Sealyham simply has no equal among its fellow terriers.

Remember to praise and reward your dog's obedience and compliance with commands, a small treat is best, but verbal praise will also work.

Basics of training and education

Teaching a dog various commands, on the one hand, is quite easy, because the dog picks up everything on the fly. But such a character trait as stubbornness can bring a lot of trouble to the owner. If an animal does not want to do something, it is impossible to force it.

You shouldn’t even try to train your dog on your own; it’s better to entrust this task to a professional. The owner of a Sealyham Terrier will achieve success in training only if he shows maximum perseverance and immediately shows which of the two is the boss.

Dogs need frequent training, and most of all they love mini-agility classes (obstacle courses). But during training in open areas, the dog owner must always be on guard, since the animal can break loose at any moment and run after another dog or cat, because the hunter’s instinct takes over.

When training a Sealyham Terrier, you cannot use rudeness or punishment, otherwise the dog will completely refuse to follow any commands. You can give your pet a treat as a reward, but if the dog is not in the mood and is not inclined towards a certain type of physical activity, no treats will help.

Popularity of the breed

The Sealyham Terrier breed, which has the best reviews, is gaining more and more popularity over time. And this is not surprising, because they are energetic, cheerful, cheerful and amazing dogs with a high level of intelligence and extraordinary devotion. At the same time, they are willful and have a difficult character, so the dog’s favor must be truly earned. Therefore, terriers will become a huge challenge for the owner, but also the most devoted beloved and amazing friend.

Therefore, Sealyhams are increasingly appearing in the families of celebrities, for example, they were with Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Cooper and many others, and are also favorites among some members of the English royal family.

Today they are popular not only in England, but throughout the world. They can be found in the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, Italy and even in Africa.