Sealyham Terrier: everything you need to know about the breed

Silichem Terrier is an English breed of dogs that has turned from a brave hunter into a friendly and cheerful companion of man. Today, this breed from Wales is known far beyond the UK. She is chosen by movie stars and celebrities, purchased by members of royal families. The content of puppies and adult sielehem terriers does not create special troubles for the owner - they are smart enough, they easily get used to keep order in the house, they are always in good mood.

For Russia, the breed is still considered exotic - the officially registered livestock has just over a hundred individuals.

The appearance of the Sealyham Terrier is due to the exceptional love of the inhabitants of the British Isles for burrow hunting. In addition to the large dog beaters, a compact dog was needed to prey the beast, able to follow the predator under the ground. Here terriers were especially highly valued - dogs possessing excellent tenacity, excitement and fearlessness. On the territory of Wales, hunting for badgers was especially popular, and here breeders of the 18th-19th centuries experimented with breeding dog breeds suitable for these purposes rather boldly.

One of the problems that needed to be solved was the invisibility of most small dogs. They often suffered from their own brethren - in the heat of the hunt large dogs attacked the terriers, not distinguishing them from the beast. The famous breeder of the time, John Tucker Edwards, began to look for a solution. He decided to breed a white dog with hard wool and compact dimensions. But the first attempts did not bring success - A mix of Welsh Corgi terrier cheshire terriers gave offspring that was too unstable and heterogeneous on the exterior.

But John Edwards, even having failed, was persistent in his aspirations. Being an experienced breeder, he did a lot of work on the bugs and managed to find a more correct combination of blood. Tribal work has also become stricter - dogs with signs of marriage were bred from breeding.

After the death of Edwards, his case was not abandoned - the breeder’s daughter, Victoria, was involved in further breeding. Thanks to her, the Sealyham Terriers got a more modern look. West Highland White Terrier, Fox Terrier and Bull Terrier genes have been added to Cheshire Terrier and Welsh Corgi blood. The resulting livestock has consolidated the qualities that this breed is famous for today: the coat is snow-white with a mother-of-pearl tint, the excitement of the hunter, loyalty, lack of fear, and malice towards the beast.

The first demonstration of the Sealyham Terrier at the exhibition took place in 1891 in Wales. The breed received its own rings by 1903, having received wide distribution in its homeland. After another 5 years, Sealyham Terrier lovers formed their own club. The American Kennel Club of new companion dogs evaluated and introduced into the classification in 1911. But the official international standard lovers of sealychems had to wait a long time - it was adopted only in 1954.

According to the classification of FCI breed assigned 74 number. She is assigned to a group of small terriers, not subject to working trials. The latest version of the standard was adopted in 2009.Puppies and adult sielehem terriers are described as agile, active, compact dogs with a balanced build and an elongated body.

The breed has the following parameters:

• head with a wide skull, slightly convex crown, elongated powerful muzzle, smooth cheekbones;
• jaws strong, large, square, with long teeth, closed in a scissor bite;
• ears average, hanging, with slightly rounded tips, located on the sides;
• nose black, brightly pigmented;
• eyes are dark brown, rounded;
• neck muscular, well-defined, rather long and thick;
• limbs straight and short in front, behind long, with pronounced muscles;
• back straight, medium length;
• chest clearly delineated, deep;
• the tail is short, curved at the tip, directed upwards;
• height at withers - 30-31 cm, weight - 8.2-9 kg.

The upper guard hair is hard, “wire”, rather long. Downstairs soft undercoat in pure white. Dogs are not prone to abundant molt. Their wool does not cause allergic reactions, is devoid of a specific smell.

Coat color implies the predominance of white color with a pearl shimmer, the presence of spots in the ear and head. The desired shade of the marks is gray-blue, zonary, fawn, brown, cream. Black color is permissible, like mottling, but is considered undesirable for anchoring to the offspring.

Silikhem-terriers are considered to be excellent companions - they are benevolent, responsible, trying to protect the owner from the attention of others. Despite their small stature, they are quite mobile, can make a company on walks. But the silikhems are not at all appeasable lapdogs. Possessing the obstinate character of the classic terrier, they are stubborn when trying to train. Even knowing the commands well, they always make decisions about their implementation.

Developed intelligence Sealyham-terriers often spend not too rationally, spending mental ability to invent tricks and fun. The need for movement, communication, games, they are much higher than other breeds. Tireless inventors, silikhems will not let the owner be bored, they will become full participants in children's fun. In a difficult situation, the dog will also find a way out, using his own ingenuity.

Watchdog breed quality is rated very high. Compact Sealyham Terrier has a loud voice, sensitive and wary of any sources of danger. With such a guard, you can not be afraid that an outsider will enter the territory unnoticed. In addition, dogs have a developed sense of territory - on the farm or in a private house, they become indispensable guards to prevent attacks from foxes, martens and other small predators.

Love for children is another striking feature of the Sealyham Terrier. Such a pet will become an indispensable companion for kids and teenagers, will be happy to participate in any fun, games and entertainment. A nimble little pet will allow you to take a hyperactive child and never hurt him. But with other dogs, the sili-hems do not get along too well, the dogs demonstrate aggression towards larger relatives, they are rather cocky.

Sealyham Terrier is one of the most beloved breeds in Wales, but rather contradictory information is spread about it outside of England. Opinions agree that this dog has many advantages:

• compact size;
• effective appearance;
• small number;
• bravery and courage;
• focus on the person;
• good contact with children;
• high level of physical activity;
• sociability and friendliness.

Deficiencies in Sealykhem too short. He is easily fond of and quickly loses interest, stubborn, capricious.But in general, a small devoted dog is an excellent pet, capable of pleasing its owner for many years.

The average life span of a Sealyham Terrier is about 15 years, but many members of the breed are longevity and are able to celebrate their 17th birthday. Among the threats to the health of a small dog include:

• high risk of obesity;
• development of eye diseases (cataracts, glaucoma, retinal atrophy);
• allergic reactions to bites of bloodsucking insects, unbalanced diet;
• deafness as a congenital malformation.

The rest of the Sealyham Terriers are extremely healthy. Dogs have strong immunity, they are not afraid of cold weather, they are active and vigorous until old age.

In nutrition, Sealyham Terriers are unpretentious, but there are certain points to remember. The animal must receive high-quality hypoallergenic food, allowing you to replenish energy reserves during the day. If a ready diet is chosen, It is necessary to give preference to forage holistics without grain additives or based on rice.

Natural nutrition is also permissible. It is recommended to combine in the diet lean meat varieties, vegetables, oatmeal or rice cereals. To replenish calcium reserves, dogs are given cottage cheese. The optimal feeding regimen is twice a day, with no additional issue of treats during the day. Because of the tendency to overeating, the nutrition of the silichems has to be controlled quite strictly.In the diet of the dog should not be fish - it causes upset stomach representatives of the breed. Bones are also excluded, as they provoke the formation of kidney stones, injure the stomach and esophagus.

Caring for Sealyham Terrier means regularly performing the following procedures.

1. Trimming - for show dogs it is the plucking of dead hair that is the right way to care for hair. Silikhema themselves practically do not shed, but to prevent the appearance of tangles, the procedure should be carried out as the hairline and the undercoat grow. For trimming, you can purchase a special machine or seek the services of specialists.
2. Combing wool. It is carried out every 3 days using special brushes.
3. A haircut - it is held if the dog does not participate in exhibitions. In other cases, only the beard is trimmed, the fringe on the tail and excess hair is cut in the area between the fingers. In the hot summer, many owners prefer to process the animal's body “under the typewriter”. But experienced owners do not recommend cutting Sealyham Terriers, mentioning a significant deterioration in the quality of the dog's coat.
4. Bathing - it is required infrequently and is carried out exclusively with the use of harmless hypoallergenic means. Sealyham-terrier skin is very sensitive, requires careful selection of shampoos and other dog cosmetics.
5. Cleaning the ears. It is held every 2 weeks with a survey of the shell on the subject of plaque, ticks, and other parasites.
6. Teeth cleaning. The jaws of the Sealyham Terriers need regular sanitation. They should be cleaned at least 3 times a week. Removal of tartar is carried out twice a year with a mandatory visit to the veterinarian.
7. Claw clipping. They do not grind themselves, so a nail cutter should be purchased as early as possible. Claws growing into the pads are capable of delivering severe discomfort to the animal.
8. Eye care. They should be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist at the vet, if necessary the owner will have to carry out special hygienic care. Tearing, heavy purulent discharge are a cause for concern. Normally, it is enough to simply remove accumulated lumps in the corners of the eyes with a cotton disc.
9. Treatment for skin and intestinal parasites. Silichem-terriers are very sensitive to insect bites, their body must be protected from contact with fleas and ticks. Anthelmintic treatment is carried out at least 2 times a year.
10. Dog beard peeling - it is carried out after each meal in order to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.

Silichem Terriers are fairly intelligent dogs that can quickly memorize large amounts of information. Their training initially looks easy. But the dog can be obstinate in the process of training. The same type of team quickly bored him, the dog starts to get bored.

Experienced canine experts prefer not to place silichems in the category of difficult-to-train rocks. A dog simply needs to create a convenient mode for practice, offer a treat, praise for achieving a result. Useful will be sports and running load, participation in agility. Exclude when raising should aggression, violence against animals. The stubborn terrier will not appreciate such an attitude, it will close.

Begin the upbringing of silihema need at an early age. Already by 3 months the intelligent puppy will be able to keep order in the house, he will know his name, place, he will run up to the call. It is better to start serious training when you reach 9-12 months, putting it into the shape of a game. It is not recommended to let the dog off the leash in the city due to the development of hunting instinct - the dog may rush in pursuit of a cat, get lost.

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