The rise and fall of the Sealyham terrier

‘What breed is he?’ is the question I hear most when I’m walking my six-month-old Sealyham terrier, Murray. Most of the time my answer is met with blank looks or ‘I’ve never heard of that’. But just once in a while, someone will recognise the breed – and when they do, they usually have a Sealyham story to tell.

The Sealyham is a breed that has a few stories of its own. It was developed between 1850 and 1891 by the eccentric sportsman Captain John Edwardes. While he didn’t leave many notes of what breeds went into it, it’s thought that the now-extinct Old English terrier, the West Highland terrier, the corgi and the Dandie Dinmont terrier all contributed. His main goal was to create a dog small in stature but large in presence that would rid his estate of badgers, otters and other vermin. After many years of tweaking and a strict initiation ceremony which involved being able to kill a polecat by the age of one, the breed was finally perfected and named after his home, Sealyham House in Pembrokeshire.

When it comes to looks, Sealyhams have short legs, long bodies and wide heads with strong jaws and semi-floppy ears.