GlebTyrs Kennels

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is an inhabitant of the county of Wicklow, which is on the eastern seaboard of Ireland. This Irish valley with it’s heather, fern, and bracken severe, stretches out in all of its distinction encircled by protective mountains. The glen of Imaal has its own tales and legends of history and wars. It was known to be a point of splendid accomplishments and powerful actions of courage. It was here in this valley, in an unfrequented area, with impoverished soil, that the Lowland and Hessian soldiers from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, where presented this land for their service to Queen Elizabeth the First.

The farmers that eventually descended from these soldiers bred all of the qualities of the much larger canines into this small companion dog and the fact that the Glen of Imaal Terrier positively thrived under these demanding circumstances demonstrates in the breed a disposition of toughness equal to that which was the same as the personality of its first owners.

First and foremost, a farming and hunting animal, the Glen of Imaal Terrier earned a reputation for gameness. For as long as the people of Eire can remember, the terriers from that section of the earth have been, and still are, notable for their courage, they had to be; when going to ground to hunt badger and other vermin.
Of all the indigenous Irish breeds of terriers seen today, the Glen of Imaal Terrier is the least identified, but still it is the single type bred out of Ireland that is low enough to the earth to enter and challenge the badger in his den. This breed has always been a working terrier, and was bred for this purpose.

Part of their history is also known to have been spent with numerous hours at the dog-wheel. This contraption was a treadmill that rotated the meat on a spit as it cooked. It was propelled for hours by this energetic little dog. Their small size, low fronts, and strong rears made them ideally matched to this chore, and earned for them the nickname the 'Turnspit Dog

Many of the past older generations remember that their grandfathers kept these dogs and recall that the breed has changed little since then. In DOGS IN BRITAIN by C.L.B. HUBBARD, there is a photograph of a group of Glen of Imaal Terriers and their owners taken in 1933. The animals in this picture are surprisingly similar to the Glens that are found today.

The Glen of Imaal Terrier was certainly the last of the four terriers of Ireland to gain recognition upon their native soil. In 1933 the Glen of Imaal Terrier was exhibited for the first time in Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day, in Dublin. They were next recognized by the Kennel Club of England in 1975, the States Kennel Club of America in 1987, and the United Kennel Club (U.K.C.) in 1994, and the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2001.

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GLEN OF IMAAL BREED STANDARD

General Appearance
The Glen of Imaal Terrier, named for the region in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland where it was developed long ago, is a medium sized working terrier. Longer than tall and sporting a double coat of medium length, the Glen possesses great strength and should always convey the impression of maximum substance for size of dog. Unrefined to this day, the breed still possesses "antique" features once common to many early terrier types; its distinctive head with rose or half-prick ears, its bowed forequarters with turned out feet, its unique outline and topline are hallmarks of the breed and essential to the breed type.

Size, Proportion Substance
Height - The maximum height is 14 inches with a minimum of 12 and a half inches, measured at the highest point of the shoulder blades. Weight - Weight is approximately 35 pounds, bitches somewhat less; however, no Glen in good condition and otherwise well-balanced shall be penalized for being slightly outside the suggested weight. Length - The length of body, measured from sternum to buttocks, and height measured from the highest point of the shoulder blades to ground, to be in a ratio of approximately 5 (length) to 3 (height). The overall balance is more important than any single specification.

Head
Head - The head must be powerful and strong with no suggestion of coarseness. Impressive in size yet in balance with, and in proportion to, the overall size and symmetry of the dog. Eyes - Brown, medium size, round and set well apart. Light eyes should be penalized. Ears - Small, rose or half pricked when alert, thrown back when in repose. Set wide apart and well back on the top outer edge of the skull. Full drop or prick ears undesirable. Skull - Broad and slightly domed; tapering slightly towards the brow. Of fair length, distance from stop to occiput being approximately equal to distance between ears. Muzzle - Foreface of power, strong and well filled below the eyes, tapering toward the nose. Ratio of length of muzzle to length of skull is approximately three (muzzle) to five (skull.) Bottlehead or narrow foreface undesirable. Stop - Pronounced. Nose - Black. Teeth - Set in a strong jaw, sound, regular, and of good size. Full dentition. Scissors bite preferred; level mouth accepted.

Neck, Topline and Body
Neck - Very muscular and of moderate length. Topline - Straight, slightly rising to a very strong well-muscled loin with no drop-off at the croup. Body - Deep, long and fully muscled. Longer than high with the ideal ratio of body length to shoulder height approximately five (length) to three (height). Chest - Wide, strong and deep, extending below the elbows. Ribs - Well sprung with neither a flat nor a barrel appearance. Loin - Strong and well muscled. Tail - Docked to approximately half-length, in balance with the overall dog and long enough to allow a good handhold. Strong at root, well set on and carried gaily. Dogs with undocked tails not to be penalized.

Forequarters
Shoulder - Well laid back, broad and muscular. Forelegs - Short, bowed and well boned. Forearm should curve slightly around the chest. Upper arm (humerus) nearly equal in length to the shoulder blades (scapula). Feet to turn out slightly but perceptibly from pasterns. Feet - Compact and strong with rounded pads.

Hindquarters
Strong and well muscled, with ample bone and in balance with forequarters. Good bend of stifle and a well-defined second thigh. Hocks turn neither in nor out, are short, well let down and perpendicular from hock to ground. Feet - As front, except they should point forward.

Coat
Medium length, of harsh texture with a soft undercoat. The coat may be tidied to present a neat outline characteristic of a rough-and-ready working terrier. Over trimming of dogs is undesirable.

Color
Wheaten, blue or brindle. Wheaten includes all shades from cream to red wheaten. Blue may range from silver to deepest slate, but not black. Brindle may be any shades but is most commonly seen as blue brindle, a mixture of dark blue, light blue, and tan hairs in any combination or proportion.

Gait
The action should be free and even, covering the ground effortlessly with good reach in front and good drive behind. This is a working terrier, which must have the agility, freedom of movement and endurance to do the work for which it was developed.

Temperament
Game and spirited with great courage when called upon, otherwise gentle and docile. Although generally less easily excited than other terriers, the Glen is always ready to give chase. When working they are active, agile, silent and dead game.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

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GROOMING THE GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER

The Glen of Imaal Terrier has a coat that is a combination of two types of coats. One is soft (the undercoat), and the other is harsh (the outer coat). Grooming is not very difficult but is needed from time to tine whether you are planning to go into the show ring or are planning to keep your Glen just as a pet.
The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a breed that does not shed. However, his coat will not continue to grow as long as other breeds that do not shed either. At about three to four inches in length the dead hairs will break off. A good brushing once a week will eliminate these dead hairs from being left on your carpet and furniture. The only time scissoring should be utilized, is in an overly matted Glen, slightly under the tail, or inside the ears. Long hair in the ear canal could cause infections if left to grow. Instead of clipping this hair your veterinarian may recommend plucking it out instead.
If you are not planning on showing your Glen, and are not concerned that he look exactly like a Glen in the ring would, then give him a good brushing once or twice a week, and you'll be all set. As this is not an overly groomed animal anyway, just keep him tidy looking, and he will look like his ancestors did before they ever saw the inside of a show ring.

Puppy Coat
If you are planning to show this puppy, the entire puppy coat needs to be plucked out by the age of twelve weeks to allow the adult coat to grow in properly.
Hold the puppy coat between your forefinger and thumb, you will see two lengths of hair, pluck the longer hairs out. Pull out all the long hairs along the back, the back of the neck, and down the sides of the body to the elbows. Leave the hair on the face longer as it will be harder to pull these until the pup is older. Leave the hair on the chest. On the ears, comb out the hair, fanning it out from the base of the ear to the tip. Pull out all the hair that overlaps the ear. This is easiest seen by looking at the ear from the inside. Although this does not hurt, the puppy will not be too happy by any of this, but you do need to start around twelve weeks of age if you hope to put the dog in the show ring. Pluck as much as you can from the inside of the ear as well. Scissor under the tail, but pluck the tail itself.
Remember, it is a lot easier to begin doing this with the puppy's coat at this age rather than waiting until the dog is full grown.
If you have a wheaten puppy, this job will be easier, as you can see the black maskings that need to be removed quite easily. Your pup will look like a totally different animal when you're done!

Second Coat:
This is the coat that your puppy will have at approximately the age of six months. This second coat is much easier to take care of, and the adult Glen that is kept as a pet does not need much caring for except an occasional brushing. Look carefully under the legs for mats, in this area the hair mats easily, and they will comb or pull out easily enough. If you have any difficulty pulling or combing the mat out, saturate the nat with baby oil to loosen it, however, the mat should pull out quite easily, if it's not too big. If it doesn't, very carefully, clip it out with a pair of scissors, being cautious for the looser skin in this area.
In the Glen that is going to be shown, let the coat grow to between 2 to 4 inches in length, whichever looks the best. Set the dog on a table at eye level. Be critical as to which features show well, and which will show poorly. Depending on which features you would like to accent and which you would like to mask with hair, visualize the finished product. Your breeder should be able to assist you with this.
Using a stripping comb or your fingers, again give the dog a good plucking, this time leaving hair longer in the areas that need it, shorter where you want the dog to be noticed, and plucking all others evenly. Make sure all the areas blend in and do not look choppy.

Adult Coat:
The Glen of Imaal Terrier as an adult has a very thick coat that will very easily hide the body lines of the animal. For putting the dog into the show ring you want to accent the dog's best features. Set the animal on a table at eye level if possible, and give it a very thorough going over.
The Glen should have a strong, muscular neck, level top line, and hocks which should turn neither in or out. These features are hard to see when covered in excessive hair, don't be afraid to keep this hair shorter. Their skulls are broad, and their muzzle should not be pointy. Obviously, leave the hair long where it can help, and keep it shorter to accent particularly good features. Making sure the hair blends in well giving an overall neat appearance.

Generally:

1. You should begin at the back of the head working towards the tail. Strip or pluck the tail and hindquarters down to the stifles. Take off the excess hair on the shoulders down to the elbows in front.
2.Pluck or strip the hair along the sides. In lighter boned Glens leave a little more on here than on a heavy set Glen. Leave on the hair below the stifle and elbows forming "feathers". If the Glen is a little leggy, than leave the feathers slightly longer as this gives the illusion of being lower to the ground.
3. On the neck, the area exactly behind the ears to under the chin, look carefully before stripping. The Glen should have a muscular neck, not overly long, and that is where careful stripping should be done. Leave the hair longer if the Glen is lacking here.
4. The hair on the face should be combed forwards towards the nose, then encourage the animal to shake to see how the hair falls naturally.( can do this by either folding the ears back, or by blowing GENTLY into the ear.) You should be able to see the dog's expression, then decide what to do about the forelock. Most Glens look good with a slight bit of fall between the eyes, however there are some who prefer to see the eyes.
5. On the ears, pluck then the same as for the Glen puppy. Comb the hair from the base to the tip, fanning it out, then plucking out the hair that goes over the edge of the ear itself. Long hair left on the ears of Glens usually makes them appear drop-eared.
6. On the chest comb the hair straight down and LIGHTLY scissor it straight across, this will present a nice front. Remember, keep it natural! Obviously, leave the hair longer and thicker here as you want the Glen to appear low to ground.
As in all breeds that are shown in their natural state, the most important thing is to keep them looking as natural as possible. Regular combing, bathing, and a well balanced diet are essentials to having a good coat.
The Glen of Imaal Terrier should never appear to be a beauty contestant, but a natural looking terrier, ready to go to work on a moments notice. Although your dog should look well-groomed, remember do not over do it.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do they shed? Technically, yes, but not really. A well-groomed Glen will not shed, the hair stays in the follicle until it is combed or pulled out. If the dog is not combed at least once a week, small amounts of hair will be left on the furniture. Excessive scratching will also leave traces of hair behind.

How big do they get? The standard calls for a maximum of 35 pounds for a male, however, many Glens run bigger. Knowing the weight of the sire and dam can help you determine the potential adult size of a puppy, but many factors play into it, including genetics and nutrition.

Are they good with children? Yes, they're great with kids, although they will jump up and some can be nippy. They are better with school age kids because they like to play rough and will knock smaller ones over while playing. They love to chase balls and sticks and wrestle. They are not delicate and love to roughhouse.

Are they good with other animals/pets? Remember, they are terriers and it is their natural inclination to chase and kill small rodents/animals. Some Glens have shared households with other pets, including cats successfully, but that would be the exception. I do not recommend it for a novice terrier owner.

How are they with other dogs? Typically they get along well with other dogs, however they may take some domination, preferring to just get along, but they have been known to fight. Although many Glens live in multi-dog households, you should be vigilant.

Do they dig? Absolutely, yes. It is natural for them to do so and it would be difficult to suppress that. Do males or females make better pets? Either is fine. The temperament is the same in either, males tend to be larger and can be more dog aggressive around a female in heat.

What makes a Glen 'pet quality'? Too much white, or white on the head or back. Yellow eyes, pink or brown [instead of black] nose. Square silhouette, or the anticipation they will be too tall.

Are they good watchdogs? Yes and no. They strive for your approval. If you praise barking, you'll get it. If you discourage it, you won't. Generally though, they will protect you if they believe you are being harmed. Some more so than others.

Are they good in obedience? Yes, again, they want to please you and receive affection. Choke chains are not really effective, but profuse praise is. They are highly intelligent and if you are not persistent and consistent, the training will show it.

How much grooming do they need? A good combing out once a week, and an occasional bath. If you are planning on showing, consult with your breeder for advice.

Do they have any health problems? The most significant is Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a genetic abnormality for blindness. The gene can be identified with a simple blood test for clear (will not pass on the gene or go blind), carrier (can pass on the gene, but will not go blind) and affected (will pass on the gene and will go blind). Many breeders test for hip dysplasia. Some Glens have “itchy skin” that can usually be controlled.