Sealyham Terrier Dogs

A sealyham terrier with its typically sharp ears, sitting neatly

A GorGeous, little, white sealyham terrier with beautiful beady eyes and a soft coat

A lovely little sealyham terrier, showing off its beautiful blonde fringe and beard

A beautiful, adult sealyham terrier showing off it's short body and thick, soft coat

A sealyham terrier's incredible scruffy beard and beautifully soft, white coat

A sealyham terrier's beautiful, long, white coat and scruffy beard

A wonderful little sealyham terrier puppy bounding across the grass

Breed Rating (1 Reviews)

Appearance
Friendliness
Hardiness
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History

This breed comes from Wales, though its exact origins remain unknown. Sometime in the 1800s the first documented case of the breed was recorded by Captain John Edwardes of Sealyham who spent 40 years of his life working to produce the breed we know today. They were bred to hunt vermin around the home and on farms. They were often used to hunt badger and fox, though they also excelled in otter hunting. Their popularity waned and nowadays they are quite rare.

Behaviour

This is a plucky and tough little creature who is devoted to its family and always ready for action. They are often described as the most docile breed, and this is very much true. They are still, however, an active and keen nosed dog who loves a good walk and a chance to explore. They will get on well with respectful children and other dogs if raised with them. They are usually wary of strangers. They were bred to hunt in packs and will get along well with other dogs if socialised properly. They are overall a cuddly dog who likes to spend time with those close to them, ideally curled up on the couch after a walk. They are friendly towards those they know and have a tendency to follow you around everywhere.

If they are not accustomed to being left a one for periods of time they can suffer from separation anxiety. They can also partake in destructive behaviour if they get too bored. Many owners describe this breed as fun, playful little clowns that love to entertain. They will bark when someone is at the door or approaching the house and because of this they make good watch dogs, though they are fond of sleeping and may sometimes take a nap whilst on the job. Even though the hunting instinct is still very much present in this breed, it is much less apparent than in other terriers. They can live with cats, birds etc if raised together from an early age.

Like many other Terriers, the Sealyham can be stubborn at times and it will take some time and patience to train this breed. They have seemingly short attention spans and get bored quickly, so training will have to be fun and fresh all the time. Play sessions and food rewards will all go down a treat. Training also needs to be consistent, as they may try and take over if their place in the “pack” isn’t constantly reinforced.

They have moderate exercise needs and a decent walk around the block or a quick hike into the forest will be enough for them, pair this with a play session and they’ll be tired out and sleeping in no time. They like to explore their surroundings, though will usually come back on command if they’re not in hot pursuit of a scent they just picked up. Despite being more chilled out than other Terriers, it will still be best to walk this dog on either a lead or in a secure area.

Their wiry coats will need some care, brushing 2-3 times a week as a bare minimum. Their coats can get dirty easily and will need washing. Clipping every 3 months or stripping for show dogs is also needed. They can gain weight easily, so their diets should be watched to prevent obesity.

Temperament

Sealyham Terriers are calm and loving dogs. They are less jumpy and boisterous than must terriers, but still love a good chase around the garden. They become to their family, but like most terriers they are difficult to train. In this case plenty of positive reinforcement and consistent rules will help you gain the respect of your Sealyham Terrier.

Health Problems

Sealyham Terriers can be prone to lens luxation (detachment of lens inside eye which can cause blindness), glaucoma, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA: degeneration of the retina which can lead to blindness), inherited deafness, allergies, intervertebral disc disease (pressure on spinal cord which can cause paralysis), canine hip dysplasia (CHD) and luxating patella (dislocation of the knee cap).