Sealyham Terrier: character, description of the breed, behavior, care and owner reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

In Krylov's famous fable, where Moska barks at an elephant, the Sealyham Terrier could become the main character, since the distinguishing feature of this small dog is that it considers itself very large. At the same time, this beautiful breed, elegant, beautiful, energetic, can become an excellent companion and friend for those who will be able to appreciate it.

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. Having 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. Edwards wanted to see aggression, courage and viciousness in the nature of animals so that they could fearlesslyengage in a fight with a badger or other rodent for example. After careful examination and selection for physical characteristics, the Sealyham Terrier puppies and young were bred first to rats, then to ferrets. Those who failed the test were mercilessly culled.

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

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

Description

Like all representatives of its species, the Sealyham Terrier has excellent physical data, well-developed muscles, a strong long neck and powerful bones, which, with the right training, makes him a show star.

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

Funny themfeatures are thick white whiskers and small shiny black eyes with thick eyebrows pulled down on them, giving the dog a formidable and domineering look. The nose is black and large. The tail is short, docked, directed vertically upwards.

According to show 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.

Sealyham Terrier Breed Standard

The English "Kennel Club" in 1912 brought out the following main features of this breed:

• Elongated body.
• Strong skull with a wide gap between the ears.
• Dark little shiny eyes.
• Wide, rounded ears set closer to the cheeks.
• Scissor bite with a level, strong jaw.
• Long, thick, very muscular neck.
• Chest is broad, set low to the front paws, with prominent ribs.
• Paws are round with thick pads.
• The tail sticks up or is parallel to the body.
• Wool is very thick, hard (like wire).
• Full white or lemon white, with slight chocolate or black flecks 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, inin 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 strangers as long as they act friendly towards her. Be sure to bark to the owner about the guests who have come. Can be aggressive towards other pets, but generally quite peaceful as it has historically been trained to work 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, swift and inquisitive pets. They make excellent runners, jumpers, and you will be extremely surprised how 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 in agility - competitions for overcoming an obstacle course for dogs.

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

Pet maintenance

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, the content of silychem will notwill become a problem. At the same time, it is thick enough, warm, with an inner undercoat to endure the cold, so keeping it in your home is quite possible. Plus, the animal is practically odorless.

Don't forget that the Sealyham Terrier is an active hunting dog, she definitely needs to release her irrepressible energy, so daily long walks are a must. It is also necessary for her well-being. In addition to hot summer days, the dog endures high temperatures with great difficulty. But in winter you can take a longer walk, it is well adapted to the cold.

Pet care

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

You can't bathe this breed more than once a month because of 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 a dog to brush his teeth and wash his eyes with a decoction of chamomile every week. These are required 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, at the first stages it is better to do this with a professional master, otherwise you can cause irreparable psychological trauma to a puppy that you, out of inexperience,hurt.

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

But the haircut of the Sealyham Terrier breed, the description of which speaks of the stiffness of the coat, should never be done, since the animal's hair can change its structure, acquire softness and brittleness unusual for it. Therefore - only trimming.

He alth and disease

Is the Sealyham Terrier susceptible to any ailments? Diseases visit him infrequently. In general, the he alth of this dog is excellent: excellent immunity, endurance to low temperatures, heavy loads, etc. Congenital deafness is rare in puppies, but all breeds of dominant white coat color are not immune from 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. By old age, the dog may begin to suffer from eye diseases, so we provide the animal with thorough care, which is described above.

About nutrition

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

• sweets lead to tooth loss and diabetes;
• fish causes diarrhea, vomiting and parasites;
• potatoes - to diarrhea;
• yeast dough can cause intestinal and stomach rupture;
• 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, cottage cheese into their diet.

It is important to watch the number of meals and portions, because Sealyhams are very fond of eating a lot and are extremely prone to obesity. Feed your dog no more than 2 times a day without supplementary food in between, with her size, more can be hazardous to he alth. 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 test 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 master's, and in every possible way resist training. Therefore, if you want to have a trained obedient dog, a professional dog handler should take part in the upbringing of a Sealyham. If you feel strength, perseverance and firmness of character behind you, you may be able to subdue the dogyourself.

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

Remember to praise and encourage obedience and following your dog's commands, a small treat is best, but verbal praise is fine too.

Popularity of the breed

The breed of Sealyham Terrier, reviews of which are the best, is gaining more and more popularity over time. And this is not surprising, because these are energetic, cheerful, cheerful and amazing dogs with a high level of intelligence and extraordinary devotion. At the same time, they are capricious, have a difficult character, so the location of the dog must be truly deserved. Therefore, terriers will become a huge test 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 all over the world. They can be found in the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, Italy and even Africa.