Sealyham Terriers

By Read Books Ltd.

Contents include: Qualities - Origins - Buying a Sealyham - Breeding - Training - Showing - Advice - Description - Glossary of terms - Grooming etc. Originally published early 1900s.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Sep 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473358126

Book preview

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CHAPTER I

HIS QUALITIES

‘ALMOST any breed of dog may become the craze of a year, be talked about and boomed and sold at fabulous prices to those who want to be in the fashion.’

People said this when they saw the Sealyham come into prominence about 1910 and predicted for him as tragic a fall from public favour as his ascent thereto had been rapid. These people, if still alive, can enrol themselves on the list of false prophets, for they have been proved to be entirely wrong in their prognostications of calamity for the little earth-dog who burst out of South Wales and has now established himself as one of the most popular terriers in the world. He came from his home in the Cymric Principality about the time when the most popular of men became Edward, Prince of Wales. At first there was much mystery as to the origin of the Sealyham, whilst the specimens claiming the name varied considerably. What it was that first endeared him to the dog-loving public it is difficult to say, but those were great days for British terriers. Just then the Cairn was emerging from his mountain fastnesses in Scotland, the West Highland was booming, the Irish and Welsh terriers were in great demand, and there were other terriers, such as the Kerry Blue, coming along to contest for public favour against the older-established breeds, such as the fox-terrier, the Scottish, Skye, Yorkshire, Airedale and others of the terrier race. There was an interest in the Sealyham which placed him immediately in the front rank of best-sellers—it was almost an infatuation, which continued for many years, until the zenith was at last reached and there came in Britain the inevitable decline, such as all breeds encounter if they rise suddenly to popularity with the public and too many breeders take them up. Yet, despite this decline, these dogs are still amongst the prime favourites in Britain, and it is only reasonable to believe that they will long continue to be amongst the leaders in the list of popular favourites.

We know by experience that no dog can rise to such fame and maintain his position unless he has exceptionally likeable qualities and an admirable character. There are so many good breeds easily accessible that no trumpery pretender to the canine virtues can stay long in the ring.

Of the Sealyham it may be said that first and foremost he is a terrier. That name comes from the French and means a dog who goes to earth in quest of his quarry, and that was the work the Sealyham was designed for by those who brought him into being. Since those days the proportion of Sealyhams who do any work at all has declined, and the principal occupation of the larger member of these dogs is to act as a guardian of the home and the companion of those who like to have intelligence and fidelity and courage well established in the domestic circle. The Sealyham is a true terrier in the matter of intelligence. He is a ‘knowing dog’ and seems to be full of experience of life. The bond of sympathy which grows up between him and his owner is mysterious and inexplicable, he seems to be able to read the thoughts of his owner even when unspoken, whilst his alacrity to obey his legitimate commands is remarkable. As for faithfulness, he is its veritable embodiment, and whilst he may assume a friendship for strangers his real devotion is always to the man or woman whom he regards as his own special possession. There is, with all this devotion, nothing servile about him if he be not cowed by threats or punishment, and he does not sully his self-respect or debase his ‘dog-ship’ by cringing. He is a proud dog and worthy of our esteem; we must admire him if we have in us the desire to respect that which is true and loyal. That he is adaptable goes without saying, for he was developed as a hunter, not as a house-dog. As a working terrier who is sent to earth after fox or badger, he can fairly be called a superb strategist of indomitable courage and unflagging tenacity, who is able and willing to penetrate into the deepest and darkest refuges of his quarry. He will spring into a rushing torrent of water, regardless of his safety, when hot on the trail of the otter. There seems to be no fear in his mind or spirit; he is as brave as a lion and as dauntless as any dog who ever lived, and that is the highest praise one can think of. Yet he will not mourn for his mountains nor pine for the valleys of his native Wales, as so many human beings do, when installed in a strange land and surrounded by town buildings and strange folk. He will settle down to enjoy life as it comes to him day by day, along with the master or mistress who has adopted him. He asks very little, yet cannot be given too much in the way of kindly treatment.

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