Sealyham Terrier: everything you need to know about the breed

Sealyham Terrier is an English breed of dog that has evolved from a brave hunter into a friendly and cheerful companion of man. 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 the royal families. Keeping puppies and adult silihem terriers does not create any particular trouble for the owner - they are smart enough, they easily get used to keeping order in the house, they are always in a good mood.

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

By its appearance, the Sealyham Terrier owes the exceptional love of the inhabitants of the British Isles to a burrow hunt. For the production of the beast, in addition to the large dog-beaters, a compact dog was needed that could follow the predator underground. Terriers - dogs with excellent tenacity, excitement and fearlessness were especially appreciated here. In Wales, hunting for badgers was a particularly sought-after entertainment, and here the breeders of the 18th-19th centuries experimented with breeding dog breeds suitable for these purposes quite boldly.

One of the problems that needed to be addressed was the invisibility of most small dogs. They often suffered from their own brothers - in the heat of hunting large dogs pounced on terriers, not distinguishing them from the beast. The famous breeder of that time, John Tucker Edwards, began to look for a solution. He decided to breed a white dog with a stiff coat and compact dimensions. But the first attempts did not bring success - a mixture of Cheshire terriers from Welsh Corgi gave offspring that was too unstable and heterogeneous in appearance.

But John Edwards, even having failed, was persistent in his aspirations. As an experienced breeder, he did a lot of work on the bugs and managed to find a more correct combination of bloods. Breeding also became more rigorous - dogs with signs of marriage were bred.

After the death of Edwards, his case was not abandoned - the breeder’s daughter, Victoria, was engaged in further breeding. Thanks to her, silihem terriers have a more modern appearance. The genes of West Highland White Terriers, Fox Terriers, and Bull Terriers were added to the blood of Cheshire Terriers and Welsh Corgi. The resulting livestock secured the qualities that this breed is famous for today: snow-white with a pearly shimmering coat, passion of a hunter, fidelity, lack of fear, anger towards the beast.

The first demonstration of the Sealyham Terrier at the show took place in 1891 in Wales. The breed won its own rings by 1903, having received wide distribution in the homeland. After another 5 years, lovers of silihem terriers formed their own club. The American Kennel Club of the new companion dogs was rated and introduced into the classification in 1911. But the official international standard for lovers of silihem had to wait a long time - it was adopted only in 1954.

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

The following parameters are characteristic of the breed:

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

The upper outer hair is hard, “wire”, long enough. Below is a soft undercoat of pure white color. Dogs are not prone to molt profusely. Their coat does not cause allergic reactions, devoid of a specific smell.

The color of the coat implies a predominance of white with a pearly shimmer, spots are allowed in the ears and head. The desired shade of marks is gray-blue, zonary, fawn, brown, cream. Black color is acceptable, as well as mottling, but is considered undesirable for fixing in offspring.

Sealyham terriers are considered excellent companions - they are friendly, responsible, try to protect the owner from someone else's attention. Despite their small growth, they are quite mobile, they can be a company on walks. But silihems are not complaisant doggies at all. Possessing the obstinate character of a classic terrier, they are stubborn when trying to train. Even knowing the teams perfectly, they always decide on their implementation.

The developed intellect is often spent not too rationally by terrier, spending mental abilities on inventing tricks and fun.The need for movement, communication, games they have much higher than other breeds. Tireless inventors, silihems will not let the owner get bored, they will become full participants in children's amusements. In a difficult situation, the dog will also find a way out, using its own ingenuity.

The watchdog qualities of the breed are rated very highly. The compact silihem terrier has a loud voice, is sensitive and wary of 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 that prevent 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 indispensable companion for kids and adolescents, it will be happy to participate in any fun, games and entertainment. A nimble little pet will allow you to occupy a hyperactive child and will never offend him. But with other dogs, silihems do not get along too well, dogs demonstrate aggression against larger relatives, they are quite cocky.

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

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

There are also enough shortcomings for silychem. He is easily carried away and quickly loses interest, is obstinate, obstinate. But in general, a small faithful dog is a wonderful pet that can please its owner for many years.

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

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

The rest of the silihem terriers are extremely healthy. Dogs have strong immunity, are not afraid of cold weather, are active and cheerful up to old age.

In the diet, silihem terriers are unpretentious, but there are certain points that are worth remembering. The animal should receive high-quality hypoallergenic food, allowing you to replenish energy reserves throughout the day. If you choose a ready-made diet, preference should be given to fodder holistic without grain additives or based on rice.

Natural nutrition is also acceptable. It is recommended to combine lean meats, vegetables, oat or rice groats in the diet. Dogs are given cottage cheese to replenish calcium reserves. The optimal feeding regimen is twice a day, without additional delivery of treats during the day. Due to the tendency to overeat, the nutrition of silihemes 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 siliche terrier involves the regular following procedures

1. Trimming - for show dogs, plucking dead hair is the right way to care for the coat.Silihemes themselves practically do not fade, but to prevent the appearance of tangles, it is necessary to carry out the procedure as the outer hair and undercoat grow. For trimming, you can purchase a special machine or seek 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 is trimmed and excess hair is cut in the area between the fingers. In the hot summer, many owners prefer to process the body of the animal "under the machine." But experienced owners do not recommend cutting silihem terriers, mentioning a significant deterioration in the quality of the dog's coat.
4. Bathing - it is rarely required and is carried out exclusively using harmless hypoallergenic drugs. The skin of silihem terriers is very sensitive, it requires careful selection of shampoos and other dog cosmetics.
5. Ear cleaning. It is carried out every 2 weeks with a shell inspection for plaque, ticks, and other parasites.
6. Teeth cleaning. The jaws of the silihem terriers need regular sanitary monitoring. 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. Claw cutting. They themselves do not grind, so a nail clipper should be purchased as soon as possible. The claws growing in the pads can cause severe discomfort to the animal.
8. Eye care. They should be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist, if necessary, the owner will have to carry out special hygiene care. Lacrimation, profuse purulent discharge are cause for concern. Normally, it is enough to simply remove accumulating lumps in the corners of the eyes with a cotton pad.
9. Treatment for skin and intestinal parasites. Sealyche 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. Dog Beard Cleansing - it is carried out after each meal to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Sealyham terriers are pretty smart dogs that can quickly memorize large amounts of information. Their training initially looks easy. But the dog can become stubborn in the process of training. The same type of team quickly bothers him, the dog begins to get bored.

Experienced dog handlers prefer not to put silihems into the category of difficultly trained breeds. It’s enough for a dog to simply create a convenient mode for classes, offer a treat, and praise him on achieving a result. Sports and running loads, participation in agility will be useful. Exclude during education should be aggression, violence over animals. The obstinate terrier will not appreciate this attitude, it will close.

It is necessary to begin the education of silychem at an early age. By the age of 3 months, a smart puppy will be able to keep order in the house, she will know her name, place, and will run up to the call. It is better to start serious training on reaching 9-12 months, clad it in the form of a game. It is not recommended to lower the dog from the leash in the city because of the developed hunting instinct - the dog can rush in pursuit of the cat, get lost.

See the next video for more on the Sealyham Terrier.