Dog Breed Guide
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Profile
- Size
- Small - Medium
- Country of origin
- Ireland
- Origin
- Around the 16th century
- Bred for
- Hunting badger and fox, Farm dog
- Height
- about 35.5cm (14in)
- Weight
- about 16kg (35lb)
- Life span
- 12 - 15 years
A terrier that stands low to the ground but has a powerful body packed with muscle. Its front feet turn out slightly, and it is heavy-boned and strong. The fairly harsh, medium-length coat comes in wheaten, blue and brindle.
For a terrier the Glen is fairly laid-back, gentle and patient. It seldom barks without reason, but when it does, its bark is a deep, booming one that seems too big for its body. It is affectionate with its family and has a healthy independence.
Brave and tenacious, it is also a good digger. It needs moderate exercise and is content with daily walks and play. The coat is kept in shape by stripping out the dead hair from time to time.
Good to know
The breed is named after the Glen of Imaal, a valley surrounded by mountains in County Wicklow in eastern Ireland. For people living in this harsh mountain land, the dog was a valued working member of the family.
It was known as a hunting dog that went down badger setts and faced its quarry quietly and doggedly, and it also did everything from guarding the fields to rounding up livestock. There is a story that it once worked as a "turnspit dog," running in a wheel in the kitchen to turn the spit for roasting meat, though this is disputed.
For a long time it was almost unknown outside the valley, but it made its first public appearance at an Irish dog show in 1933, and the Irish Kennel Club recognized it the following year. The American Kennel Club recognized it in 2004, and it remains a rare breed today.