Sealyham Terrier E-Book

Muriel P. Lee

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Comprehensive Owner's Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 245

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

The brilliant 19th-century creation of sportsman Captain John Edwardes, the Sealyham Terrier possesses more courage per square inch than any other terrier in the world. A walking, barking contradiction, this dignified, elegant companion, cloaked in white with smart markings, is a fearless, territorial working dog. Although the Sealyham Terrier only stands over limited ground, given his small size, he's capable of guarding entire estates for his well-protected owners. For the right family who knows how to regard and train this "below-the-knee" wonder, the Sealy makes an appealing house pet who delights in being around his people. Terrier expert and author Muriel P. Lee discusses the breed's history in the UK and the US, highlighting the Sealy's glory days in the show ring and tracing the top dogs and breeders to the current day. This Special Rare-Breed Edition discusses the breed's characteristics and standard, as well as puppy selection and rearing. New owners will welcome the author's advice on house-training and obedience lessons, including preventing puppy problems and solving undesirable-behavior issues. Additionally, this well-illustrated color volume covers the basics of preventive healthcare in a thorough, up-to-date chapter written by veterinarian Dr. Lowell Ackerman; parasites, inoculations, spay/ neuter and selecting a veterinarian are among the topics discussed.

Leseprobe

Physical Characteristics of the Sealyham Terrier

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Head: Long, broad and powerful, without coarseness. Length of head roughly, three-quarters height at withers, or about an inch longer than neck. Breadth between ears a little less than one-half length of head.

Skull: Very slightly domed, with a shallow indentation running down between the brows, and joining the muzzle with a moderate stop.

Eyes: Very dark, deeply set and fairly wide apart, of medium size, oval in shape with keen terrier expression.

Ears: Folded level with top of head, with forward edge close to cheek. Well rounded at tip, and of length to reach outer corner of eye.

Neck: Length slightly less than two-thirds of height of dog at withers. Muscular without coarseness, with good reach, refinement at throat, and set firmly on shoulders.

Nose: Black, with large nostrils.

Jaws: Powerful and square. Bite level or scissors.

Teeth: Sound, strong and white, with canines fitting closely together.

Cheeks: Smoothly formed and flat, without heavy jowls.

Color: All white, or with lemon, tan or badger markings on head and ears.

Legs: Forelegs strong, with good bone; and as straight as is consistent with chest being well let down between them.

Shoulders: Well laid back and powerful, but not over-muscled. Sufficiently wide to permit freedom of action. Upright or straight shoulder placement highly undesirable.

Back: Length from withers to set-on of tail should approximate height at withers, or 10.5 inches. Topline level, neither roached nor swayed.

Body: Strong, short-coupled and substantial, so as to permit great flexibility. Brisket deep and well let down between forelegs. Ribs well sprung.

Tail: Docked and carried upright.

Hindquarters: Very powerful, and protruding well behind the set-on of tail. Strong second thighs, stifles well bent, and hocks well let down.

Coat: Weather-resisting, comprised of soft, dense undercoat and hard, wiry top coat.

Feet: Large but compact, round with thick pads, strong nails. Toes well arched and pointing straight ahead. Forefeet larger, though not quite so long as hind feet.

Height: At withers about 10.5 inches.

Weight: 23–24 pounds for dogs; bitches slightly less.

Contents

History of the Sealyham Terrier

Meet breed inventor Captain John Edwardes and his wonderful white earthdog that he named the Sealyham Terrier. Follow the breed from its rather ragged start in Britain at the turn of the last century, through two unkind World Wars, to the foundation breeders who propelled the breed to worldwide fame.

Characteristics of the Sealyham Terrier

Are you the right owner for this independent, sometimes stubborn terrier? Find out what makes the Sealy tick, how he gets along with children, what his temperament is like, how trainable and intelligent he is and which potential hereditary problems may ail him.

Breed Standard for the Sealyham Terrier

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Sealyham Terrier by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Your Puppy Sealyham Terrier

Find out about how to locate a well-bred Sealyham Terrier puppy. Discover which questions to ask the breeder and what to expect when visiting the litter. Prepare for your puppy-accessory shopping spree. Also discussed are home safety, the first trip to the vet, socialization and solving basic puppy problems.

Proper Care of Your Sealyham Terrier

Cover the specifics of taking care of your Sealyham Terrier every day: feeding for the puppy, adult and senior dog; grooming, including coat care, ears, eyes, nails and bathing; and exercise needs for your dog. Also discussed are the essentials of dog identification.

Training Your Sealyham Terrier

Begin with the basics of training the puppy and adult dog. Learn the principles of house-training the Sealyham Terrier, including the use of crates and basic scent instincts. Get started by introducing the pup to his collar and leash and progress to the basic commands. Find out about obedience classes and training for other activities.

Healthcare of Your Sealyham Terrier

By Lowell Ackerman DVM, DACVD

Become your dog’s healthcare advocate and a well-educated canine keeper. Select a skilled and able veterinarian. Discuss pet insurance, vaccinations and infectious diseases, the neuter/spay decision and a sensible, effective plan for parasite control, including fleas, ticks and worms.

Behavior of Your Sealyham Terrier

Analyze the canine mind to understand what makes your Sealyham Terrier tick. The following potential problems are addressed: aggression (fear biting, inter-canine and dominant), separation anxiety, sexual misconduct, chewing, digging, jumping up and barking.

Showing Your Sealyham Terrier

Step into the center ring and find out about the world of showing pure-bred dogs. Here’s how to get started in AKC shows, how they are organized and what’s required for your dog to become a champion. Take a leap into the realms of obedience trials, agility, earthdog events and tracking tests.

KENNEL CLUB BOOKS®SEALYHAM TERRIER

ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-340-2

eISBN 13: 978-1-62187-048-7

Copyright © 2007 • Kennel Club Books® • An Imprint of I-5 Press™ • A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618 USA Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lee, Muriel P.

Sealyham terrier / by Muriel P. Lee.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-59378-340-X

1. Sealyham terriers. I. Title.

SF429.S45L44 2007

636.755--dc22

2006019163

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Photography by Carol Ann Johnson

with additional photography by:

Ashbey Photography, Paulette Braun, Warren and Victoria Cook, Isabelle Français, William Gilbert, Bill Jonas, Bill Kohler, Ritter Photography, Luis Sosa, Chuck Tatham, Michael Trafford and Missy Yuhl.

Illustrations by Patricia Peters.

The publisher wishes to thank all of the owners whose dogs are illustrated in this book, including Biddy & Harry Horn, Brenda Jones and Howard Stone.

Having originated in the British Isles, the Sealyham Terrier was bred from existing terriers specifically to go after badgers, which often can be larger than a fully grown Sealyham.

ORIGINS OF THE BREED

The history of the Sealyham Terrier traces back to 1850, making it a fairly old terrier breed. The Sealyham owes its being to breed inventor Captain John Edwardes, an active, rather eccentric sportsman, who lived in Havorfordwest, in the South of Wales near Fishguard.

Most of the dogs in the Terrier Group originated in the British Isles, with a few exceptions. The terrier name comes from the Latin word terra, meaning “earth.” The terrier is a dog that has been bred to work beneath the ground to drive out small and large rodents, foxes and other animals that can be a nuisance to country life. They are intelligent, bright dogs with a very sturdy constitution. The Sealyham was bred specifically to go after the badger, an animal that can be larger in size than the Sealyham Terrier himself!

Captain Edwardes did not keep records of his breeding program, but it is thought that the Welsh Corgi and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, both breeds common in Wales, were in the background of his breedings. In addition, the now-extinct Cheshire Terrier, possibly the Fox Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier were also crossed. Although it appears that a number of breeds were used to make up the Sealyham, the Captain chose the breeds carefully, always searching for the perfect dog. The Corgi and the Dandie Dinmont were used to shorten the legs, the latter incorporated to reinforce the terrier spirit; the Westie was introduced to reduce the size and to lend its pure-white coloration; and the Cheshire Terrier added gameness and a stronger jaw. Eventually, Captain Edwardes bred a dog that had a maximum of courage, was small enough to go to ground and could run all day with the horses and hounds.

Capt. Edwardes of Sealyham, the originator of the Sealyham breed, is unique in dogdom as being the only known sole creator of a major breed of dog. How he created this marvelous breed is not precisely known, as the Captain seems to have taken this secret with him to his grave.

At one time, Captain Edwardes had 16 packs of hounds with which the terriers ran, and each pack contained up to 30 well-mannered and well-managed dogs. Upon the Captain’s death in 1891, his daughter took over the Sealyham house and kennels. She remained a strong supporter of the Sealyham Terrier until the late 1930s.

THE WHITE HUNTER’S COAT

A white dog was desired by many sportsmen, as the dog could not be easily confused with either a fox or an otter, as on occasion the Cairn Terrier had been. This confusion could lead to the dreadful mistake of the hunter’s mistaking the dog for the prey and killing it.

Duck from the 1800s was the dam of the famous Ivo Challenger. She did not typify any specific breed of terrier, though she did possess similar coloration to the Sealyham.

THE BREED’S EARLY DAYS IN BRITAIN

In the early 1900s, the Sealyham was still a rather ragged-looking breed, some with long legs, others with thick skulls and others with silky, rather than harsh, coats. The breed was first shown in 1903 at a show in Havorfordwest, and it was noted that the judge had some difficulty in sorting out the entry because of the variations between the dogs. However, by 1908, Mr. Fred Lewis, a friend of Captain Edwardes, started seriously breeding Sealyhams under the Brazen kennels prefix and, within a few years, had bred some animals that he thought looked smart enough to be entered in a show. In 1910, he took some of his dogs to the famed Crystal Palace show in London, where the breed caused immediate interest, as it had not been seen by the British dog-show folk prior to this time.

THE SEALYHAM ACTIVITY CENTER

Eventually the estate and lands of Captain John Edwardes were purchased by a consortium and turned into an activity center offering accommodation, summer camping and a wealth of sports activities for children. In the spring of 2000, the Sealyham Terrier Club of England held its millennium show at this historic site, the birthplace of the breed.

Bred in 1933 by Capt. R. S. de Quincey, Eng. Ch. Brash Beacon follows the direct lineage of the original dogs bred by Capt. Edwardes.

However, even by 1914, an entry of over 600 Sealys at the Pembrokeshire Hunt Club’s show gave the judge a day’s work because of the diversity in type. First prize went to Ivo Challenger, by Brass Bach and out of Duck. Mr. Lewis noted that the merit of the winner came from the sire’s side (out of his Bach breeding) as Duck “bore not the slightest resemblance to any known terrier!”

The famous Gunside kennels, one of the early prominent kennels in the UK, is represented here by five generations of Gunside’s breeding in the 1930s.

Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Merit was portrayed in wool! He was an invaluable stud dog during the 1930s, continuing the original famous line of Brash Sealyhams.

When World War I broke out, breeding of dogs basically stopped in the UK and there was no exception with the Sealyham Terrier. However, by 1920 or so, the breeding and exhibiting of all breeds resumed.

One of the earliest shows organized for the breed in England, this informal show was chaired by Capt. Jack Howell in May 1914.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Brash kennels of Mr. R. S. de Quincey made up 17 champions, of which several were exported to the US, where they not only continued their winning ways but also became top producers. Eng. Ch. Brash Beau, sire of four champions, was said to be small but of superb type and quality. Eng. Ch. Brash Beau Nash sired six champions, and Mr. de Quincey thought that Beau was the best Sealyham of all time.

Sir Jocelyn Lucas, a dapper-looking Welsh gentleman and an avid sportsman, would keep up to 200 Sealyhams in his Ilmer kennels at one time, selling dogs to film stars as well as royalty, including Princess Margaret. He was keen on the hunting of badger, a tenacious furry animal with a tough hide and weighing up to 35 pounds (16 kgs). He bred dogs from 1920 to the 1950s, and only during World War II was his kennel reduced to 12 or so dogs. He was the author of an early book on the breed, The New Book of the Sealyham Terrier, printed in 1929. This book, although now rare, contains wonderful photos of Sealyhams drawing badgers out of their dens.

CANIS LUPUS

“Grandma, what big teeth you have!” The gray wolf, a familiar figure in fairy tales and legends, has had its reputation tarnished and its population pummeled over the centuries. Yet it is the descendants of this much-feared creature to which we open our homes and hearts. Our beloved dog, Canis domesticus, derives directly from the gray wolf, a highly social canine that lives in elaborately structured packs. In the wild, the gray wolf can range from 60 to 175 pounds, standing between 25 and 40 inches in height.

Eng. Ch. Scotia Stylist, a great winning Sealyham from proven stock, was born in September 1927 and is a typical champion of that time.

Eng. Ch. Samphire Specialist, bred by Miss D. Boydell Gibson, was born in August 1929.

Eng. Ch. Hillsome Solo Flight, bred by Mrs. A. E. Lifsham, was born in 1933.

Nearly two dozen bitches from the Nutfield kennels of Col. and Mrs. A. F. Nicholson.

By far, the most influential Sealyham Terrier kennel on either side of the Atlantic was the St. Margaret kennels of Mrs. Cora Charters from Windsor. Her breeding program, which expanded from 1920 to the 1950s, produced top winners and producers during every decade of its operation. She bred for dogs that were small and heavily boned. She bred many memorable Sealyhams, but these were the most well known: Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Serene, sire of 8 English champions; Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Snowman, sire of 7 English champions; Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Magnificent of Clairedale, sire of 2 English and 16 American champions; Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Superlative of Robin Hill, sire of 9 American champions; and Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Swell Fella, sire of 2 English and 5 American champions. All of her great dogs made a positive impact on the breed, which is still felt on both sides of the Atlantic.

MEMORIES OF AN EARLY SEALY KENNEL

Phoebe Cuming wrote about her aunt’s kennel in the 1920s: “At the age of 14 I started work at my aunt’s kennel where there were 60 dogs. The wooden floors had to be scrubbed every day. Straw bedding was used in winter with sawdust on the floors and this had to be burnt daily. I was left to manage the kennels on my own as my aunt did no kennel work and only came out to criticise, very severely. The dogs were fed on biscuit meal soaked in broth from bullocks’ heads, which I loathed cooking because of the eyes. I had three trimming tools, a brush, a comb and my fingers.”

THE SEALY GOES TO THE STATES

The Sealyham Terrier was exported to the US in 1911 and received American Kennel Club (AKC) recognition in the same year. The American Sealyham Terrier Club was founded in 1913. By 1917, a New York show had an entry of 46, compared to the 1912 show in which the entry was 5. After that, the breed gained immediate popularity and there was always a demand for puppies.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: AN AMERICAN TERRIER TRADITION

Montgomery County Kennel Club is the premier all-terrier show in the US. Nearly all of the terrier breeds hold their national specialities at this show, which is held on the first weekend in October in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The top terriers from throughout the country are exhibited, and spectators come from around the world to see over 2,500 exhibits, representing all of the terrier breeds.

Impressive English imports found their way to the US. Delf Discriminate, from the Delf kennels in Surrey, was exported and became an all-breed Best in Show winner and the sire of ten US champions. Another very active early American kennel was Mr. and Mrs. Russell Alger’s Rensal kennels. In the late 1930s, the Algers imported several winning English Sealys including Eng./Am. Ch. Brash Beau Ideal, who sired six English and eight American champions.

The Hemlock Hill kennels of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Geiger, Jr. produced their homebred Ch. Hemlock Hill Ivo Clyde, who became the first American-bred Sealy to gain a championship. The Barberryhill kennels, owned by Bayard Warren, bred Sealys for nearly three decades, from the 1920s to the 1940s. Mr. Warren, a well-respected breeder and AKC judge, presided over some of America’s more prestigious shows. Miss Helen Schweinler of the Croglin kennels received her first Sealy in the 1920s and bred dogs through the mid-1950s. The kennel housed as many as 60 Sealys on occasion and, in 1938, there were 16 champions housed in the kennel. Eng. Ch. Nutfield Silhouette, sired by Eng. Ch. St. Margaret Snowman, was shipped to the well-known Croglin kennels. Ch. Croglin Commando sired 15 champions and Ch. Brash Best Man of Croglin sired 8 champions.

The English import Ch. Vandon Village Vagrant, shown winning the Terrier Group at the Kennel Club of Beverly Hills show in 1973.

Eng. Ch. Gunside Babs of Hollybourne, bred by Col. and Mrs. A. F. Nicholson, was exported from Britain to the US and went Best in Show at the very prestigious Morris and Essex show in 1934. Again, with the onset of World War II, breeding and dog shows in both America and the UK were greatly curtailed.

The next large and very influential kennel in the US, established by 1940, was the Robin Hill kennels of Mrs. Robert Choate. Mrs. Choate not only bred top-winning and top-producing dogs but also imported the best dogs from England. The kennels were managed by Joe Thompson, but Mrs. Choate made the rounds of the kennels every morning, looking over the dogs. She played an active role in the breedings, always looking for dogs that excelled in conformation and that retained the working terrier spirit. Robin Hill was active through the 1960s, producing 183 litters, with 33 champion bitches producing 63 champions and 18 dogs siring about 100 champions.

WHAT THE BADGER DOESN’T KNOW…

Sir Jocelyn Lucas wrote in his book: “A badger dog is not meant to fight until the end of the day. His job is first to find if the badger is at home, and then locate him. Sometimes the badger doesn’t wait to be located but charges the intruder anyway. A headstrong dog would fight and get chewed up. A good badger dog does not. He faces his enemy, but retires discreetly when the badger charges; but once the quarry is found he never ceases to throw his tongue. This has the dual effect of letting the diggers know where he is, and at the same time, to a certain extent, of stopping the badger, who presumably has not heard that barking dogs don’t bite.”

Mrs. W. E. Josten and her Hampton Hill kennels joined the Sealyham ranks in the 1940s and 1950s, breeding good dogs as well as importing winning animals from Wales and England. Ch. Hampton Hill Defiant sired 17 champion offspring, and Ch. Hampton Hill Hornet produced 6 champions. Eng./Am. Ch. Gunside Seapilot of Leckington was imported and sired five American champions. Hampton Hill provided the foundations for several American kennels.

The top-winning Sealyham of all time, Eng./Am. Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl, won Best in Show at Westminster in 1977 and was also top dog of all breeds in 1975. She is shown by Peter Green winning under judge Nelson Radcliffe at Battle Creek Kennel Club.

In addition to those of Mrs. Choate and Mrs. Josten, other American kennels of note during the 1940s and 1950s were the Van Winkle kennels of Mr. and Mrs. E. Pennington Meyer, with over 30 champions carrying their prefix, and the Etherden kennels of Sidney and Florence Etherden, which had top winners, among which there were approximately 40 champions. The Etherdens were also principals in the founding of the Sealyham Terrier Club of Southern California, a club which has done much to promote the Sealyham on America’s West Coast.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Mrs. William Wimer and her Pool Forge kennels bred outstanding Sealys in addition to importing some great English stock. Of special note were Eng./Am. Ch. St. Margaret’s Steven, Group winner at America’s foremost conformation show, the Westminster Kennel Club show; Eng./Am. Ch. Alcide of Axe, an all-breed Best in Show winner, Group winner at Westminster and sire of eight champions; and Ch. Hummerskott Harum Scarum, Best in Show winner and number-one Sealy in 1965. By far the biggest winner from this kennel was Eng./Am. Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl. About 50 Sealys with the Pool Forge prefix became champions.

Ch. Sherwood Hill Dannyquest Pip, shown winning a Terrier Group in 1984, judge Jon Cole.

BIS IN THE US

In the US, the Sealyham Terrier has won both of the country’s most prestigious shows, the all-terrier show at Montgomery County and the all-breed show in New York City, the Westminster Kennel Club. Here are the victors of those shows over the years:

BEST IN SHOW AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY KENNEL CLUB:

1936 Ch. Wolvey Norl of Clairedale

1979 Ch. Goodspice Tarragon

1995 Ch. Fanfare’s Goodfellow

BEST IN SHOW AT WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB:

1924 Ch. Barberryhill Bootlegger

1927 Ch. Pinegrade Perfection

1936 Ch. St. Margaret Magnificent of Claredale

1977 Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl

William and Shirley Hitt of Sherwood kennels and A. William and Dolores Burdick of Dannyquest kennels bred and showed Sealys in the 1960s. Dogs from both kennels were heavily line-bred on Eng./Am. Ch. Alcide of Axe. A top dog from the Dannyquest kennel was Ch. Vandon Village Vagrant, bred by Mrs. H. N. Bilney in England and imported by the Burdicks. He produced 18 champion offspring, including 2 that were themselves top producers—Ch. Pool Forge King’s Ransom and Ch. Sherwood Hill Magic Made, both of which sired 10 champions.

One of the longest-lasting kennels in the US was the Rinklestone kennels of M. Thelma Miller. She was active in the breed for over five decades, from the 1930s to the 1980s. At least 75 champions came from her kennel, all owner-conditioned and owner-handled. She was also active in obedience, placing obedience degrees on six of her brood bitches. She was an AKC judge of Sealyham and Scottish Terriers in addition to being an approved obedience judge. She was the true fancier and breeder, giving her time and energy to the breed that she so dearly loved.

Mrs. Richard Wood III (Patsy) of the Penllyn prefix has been a strong Sealy supporter for over 40 years. Ch. Penllyn Paprika of Goodspice is the top-producing bitch in the breed with 13 champions. Patsy bred the first American champion to be sent to England, where he became an English champion, Eng./Am. Ch. Penllyn Proper Bloke II. He went to David Winsley and Kevin Holmes and became the top Sealy in England in 1993. One can see that the English dogs continued to make an impact throughout the 20th century on dogs on both sides of the pond.

The top winner of the early 1980s, Ch. Hobbit Hill’s Up an’ Adam, shown to Best in Show at Langley Kennel Club under judge Edward Klein, handled by Margery Good.

WORLDWIDE IMPACT OF THE BRITISH SEALY

The last three decades of the 20th century saw a number of English breeders’ breeding top-notch animals that have had an impact around the world. Pat Crick of Shenden kennels bred a number of champions but of note was Ch. Posh Etherden, sire of five champions. Overall, 10 Shenden males sired 17 English and American champions, and 14 bitches produced 24 English and American champions.

Ch. Tintern Tzarina won both the Breed and a Group placement at Montgomery County Kennel Club in 1997. The judge was Kari Järvinen from Finland.

The Polrose kennels of Mrs. Phoebe Cuming was another kennel that produced a number of winning dogs. Ch. Polrose Pacesetter, exported to America, sired 8 champions and, overall, 17 Polrose dogs produced and sired 34 English and American champions.

Derek Thomas, a popular Welshman, of Dersade kennels, judged the Montgomery County Kennel Club show in the US in 1999, this being the most prestigious all-terrier show in America. By far his biggest winner was Eng./Am. Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl, “Binny,” exported to Mrs. William Wimer and handled expertly by Peter Green. She had a remarkable show career, finishing her American championship in three consecutive shows over the 1973 Montgomery County weekend. In 1974, she won the Quaker Oats award with 42 Bests in Show and 74 Group Ones, including Best of Breed at Montgomery County and a Group Four placement. In 1975, she was again Best of Breed at Montgomery County and received a Group Two placement. She reached the peak of the dog world when she was Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club in 1977.

Best of Breed at Montgomery Kennel Club in 2002 was Ch. Glenwell Bushaway Banknote, shown by Andrew Green under judge Dr. G.G. Meisels.

Mrs. B. A. Horne of Topstage kennels bred several top producers: Eng. Ch. Topstage Canada Dry sired four champions and Eng./Am. Ch. Topstage Raffles, exported to Sarah Sweatt in the US, was the sire of six champions.

Ch. Farday Trace My Track shown winning Best in Show at Chief Solano Kennel Club in 2000 under judge Jane Kay and handled by Gabriel Rangel.

Mrs. Stella Rootes of Torset kennels certainly made an impact on the breed in America when she exported Ch. Torset Touch of Class to Margery Goode in the United States. By the turn of the 21st century, he had sired about 40 champions, making him the all-time leading sire of Sealy champions in the world.

PURE-BRED PURPOSE

Given the vast range of the world’s 400 or so pure breeds of dog, it’s fair to say that domestic dogs are the most versatile animal in the kingdom. From the tiny 1-pound lap dog to the 200-pound guard dog, dogs have adapted to every need and whim of their human masters. Humans have selectively bred dogs to alter physical attributes like size, color, leg length, mass and skull diameter in order to suit our own needs and fancies. Dogs serve humans not only as companions and guardians but also as hunters, exterminators, shepherds, rescuers, messengers, warriors, babysitters and more!

CANADA AND BEYOND

In Canada, several Sealy kennels have been well known for years. In 1978, Kay and Lou Guimond, of the Wirehill Fox Terrier kennels, acquired Eng./Am./Can. Ch. Roderick of Jenmist for their stud force after he was retired from his show career. Imported from England and handled by George Ward, “Roddy” made up his American championship with three Bests in Show from the classes. He was shown in Canada on a limited basis, where he won several Group Ones in addition to Best in Show at the Sportsmen’s Show. When he retired, he had 22 all-breed Bests in Show. In addition, he had also been a top Sealyham in the UK for his breeder, Mr. Somerfield. The Wirehill kennels have produced winners throughout North America.

The Abricot kennels, owned and operated by Bill and Madeleine Greenwood, bred Eng./Am./Can. Ch. Abricot Blenheim Bloke, the top-winning Canadian Sealy of all time. A multiple Best in Show winner, he was exported to Topstage kennels in England where he won ten Challenge Certificates and many all-breed Bests in Show. His offspring can be found throughout North America, England and the Continent.

The grand old lady of terriers in America, Dr. Josephine Deubler, judged Sealyham Terriers at Westminster in 2000 awarding Best of Breed to Ch. Goodspice Pass the Pepper, handled by Margery Good.

The Sealyham Terrier is a popular breed in the Scandinavian countries, where many good representatives of the breed have been produced. The Silver Moon kennels of Majvi and Mats Niveborn in Sweden owned Int./Nord. Ch. Jackass Jack, a top-winning Swedish Sealy with 75 Bests of Breed and 40 Group placements.

The Sealyham Terrier today competes at shows worldwide and has won many top awards at major conformation shows in the UK and US.

BRAIN AND BRAWN

Since dogs have been inbred for centuries, their physical and mental characteristics are constantly being changed to suit man’s desires for hunting, retrieving, scenting, guarding and warming their masters’ laps. During the past 150 years, dogs have been judged according to physical characteristics as well as functional abilities. Few breeds can boast a genuine balance between physique, working ability and temperament.

There are Sealys throughout Europe, in New Zealand and in South America. Indeed, one would think that Captain Edwardes would be very pleased to see how far his tough little dog has gone in the world!