The Sealyham Terrier

This year's winner of Best in Show at Crufts 2009 was a Sealyham Terrier called Charmin owned by M & S Good and Middlebrooks:

The Sealyham Terrier is amongst the older breeds of Terrier and can be traced back to the mid-1800s. It originated in Haverfordwest in South Wales, UK. They were developed by Captain John Edwardes who developed a strain of dogs noted for their prowess in quarrying small game. The Sealyham was bred specifically to go after the badger which can be larger in size than the Sealyham Terrier itself. A white dog was desired by many sportsmen so that the dog was not confused with either a fox or otter as this could lead to the hunter's mistaking the dog for the prey and thus killing it. Today, the Sealyham is a companion dog and not normally used for hunting game.

<Charmin (photo from www.guardian.co.uk)

The first Sealyham Terrier club came about in 1908 and the breed was officially recognised in 1910. At one time, the Sealyham became one of the most popular terriers. Today however, it is listed by the Kennel Club as being one of the most vulnerable native breeds ( 1 st October 2008 ).

The Sealy is one of the smaller dogs but not too small... an adult Sealy reaches just below the knees. The Kennel Club breed standard for the Sealy states the general appearance should be free-moving, active, balanced and of great substance in small compass with a general oblong outline, not square. As with most breeds, there are some inherited problems such as eye problems, skin allergies and deafness to look out for.

The Sealy's double-coat consists of a dense, thick undercoat that protects him in all kinds of weather and a harsh outer coat.The double-coat is groomed by 'stripping' if one requires a show coat, either by hand or using a stripping knife. A pet coat is much easier as one can use clippers and scissors (with care of course!). Personally I prefer the Sealy's natural coat to the show coat, I find it much more attractive.

One famous Sealyham Terrier is Jennie, belonging to Maurice Sendak, who appears in his children's book 'Higglety Pigglety Pop!'.

In summary, the Sealy is a strong-willed dog with an independent and sometimes stubborn attitude but he is also a loveable companion. He is a busy energetic dog that likes to be doing something whether it is on the look out for rabbits and squirrels or saying 'hello' to his master. He will also get on well with children as long as the children respect his space.

Contributed by Sonia Bryant

Information gleaned from ' Sealyham Terrier' by Muriel P Lee and various websites found via Google

Other photos taken from ' Sealyham Terrier' by Muriel P Lee, Pet Love series.