Sealyham Terrier

Originally from Wales, more precisely from the town of Sealyham, the Sealyham Terrier belongs to the great Terrier family.

He gets his name from the town where he was created by Captain John Edwardes in the 19th century. Wanting to obtain a better hunting dog to hunt otters and badgers, Captain Edwardes selected a wide variety of dogs known for their predisposition to hunt small game.

He used the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the English White Terrier (now extinct), the Fox Terrier, the West Highland White Terrier and the Corgi.

After testing the qualities of the crossbreeds, he eliminated subjects that were unsuitable for his final vision, to finally obtain the Sealyham Terrier breed as he is represented today.

This little dog became very fashionable in Hollywood with a majority of stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow and even Alfred Hitchcock at one time.

In England, even Princess Margaret owned a Sealyham Terrier. The breed spread widely in England, but lost its popularity when the ban on badger hunting was introduced. Since he could no longer be used for hunting, he became successful as a companion and show dog.

In 1903, he appeared for the first time in shows and in 1908, the Sealyham Terrier Club was created. The breed was officially recognized for the first time in 1910, but it was also later recognized by major dog societies.

He was once one of the most popular Terriers in the world, and the best known dog breed in Wales. Today, the Kennel Club lists him as one of the most endangered native breeds on the planet.

Some Sealyham Terriers appeared in the media, such as Stanley and Geoffrey belonging to Alfred Hitchcock, in his very famous film "The Birds" where he himself appears coming out of a shop with his two dogs.

At that time, Alfred Hitchcock owned three dogs, the third one was also a Sealyham Terrier called Mr. Jenkins.

Originally, the Sealyham Terrier was a versatile hunting dog that could enter burrows to point out the location of game or to dislodge it. Since that time, he has evolved from a hunting dog to a highly valued companion.