Origin
The Glen of Imaal Terrier hails from Ireland and although at one time a popular breed, today they have been placed on The Kennel Club's list of vulnerable native breeds. Also known as the Wicklow Terrier, they are tough yet extremely gentle which has made them popular hunting dogs as well as great companions and family pets. With this said, The Glen of Imaal Terrier is slowly making a comeback thanks to their charming natures and the fact unlike many other terriers, they are not known to be “barkers”, but when they do it's pretty impressive to say the least.
The Glen of Imaal Terrier was originally bred in Ireland to hunt and control vermin. It's thought the breed came about when settlers crossed their own dogs with local breeds. They were developed to be tenacious, high-spirited and dogs that excelled at the jobs they were bred to do. They were also known as Wicklow Terriers because they were bred in the valley of the same name. They were also used as fighting dogs and "spit dogs" which saw these little terriers walking on treadmills that powered cooking spits.
They remained popular throughout the ages, but it was only in 1933 that the breed was finally recognised by the Irish Kennel Club. They were one of the last of the terrier breeds out of Ireland to be officially recognised. However, it was not until 1975 that they were officially recognised by The Kennel Club and then ten years or so later, other major international breed organisations followed suit.
Today, the Glen remains less popular than many other native terrier breeds, although their numbers are rising albeit very slowly with more well-bred, pedigree puppies being registered with The Kennel Club every year. As such anyone wishing to share a home with a Glen of Imaal Terrier would need to register their interest with breeders and agree to being put on a waiting list for the pleasure of doing so.
