GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER
By Colleen Dougherty
Structure T
Glens are generally good with chil- dren but supervision is essential. Because of their low center of gravity, Glens can knock children down in their exuber- ance. A Glen is a stoic breed and an own- er must take care to understand their dog and its reactions to ensure that it is not in pain or distress. Trainability & Versatility Irish folklore and fables also hint at the Glen as being a dog which would turn a spit or churn in the Irish home. Although this story may be the kind of which Irish tales are made, there are some illustrations showing the prospect. It does, however, illustrate the versatility of the Glen. Glens excel at nearly anything they set their mind to. However, it must be their idea. Glens can be stubborn but are food and praise motivated. Glens succeed at go-to-ground trials such as Earthdog and Strongdog. Th ese trials are similar to those held in Ireland to test a terrier’s game- ness. Earthdog requires a Glen to army crawl into a nine inch by nine inch tun- nel and “work” the caged rats at the end of the tunnel. Strongdog, a nod to the larger working terriers, requires a Glen to negotiate a ten inch by ten inch tunnel to retrieve a weighted badger pelt and drag it back through the tunnel to its handler. In a new but similar activity, Glens are tear- ing up the Barnhunt trials. For Barnhunt, Glens utilize their sense of smell to locate rats hidden throughout a barn type loca- tion. Th eir sense of smell also allows Glens to succeed in Nosework and Tracking. In addition to the traditional terrier activi- ties, Glens participate in obedience and rally. Glens also thoroughly enjoy agility and have competed on a national level. Lure coursing, typically thought of for sight hounds like greyhounds, is also a new activity in which Glens excel. Lure cours- ing consists of chasing a lure (think a fake bunny or bag) around a circular course at a high rate of speed. Th is activity really plays
he Glen of Imaal Ter- rier is first and fore- most a terrier of func- tion. Glens, as they are a ff ectionately called, began in a remote area
of Ireland in the Wicklow Mountains as a farmer’s dog. Glens are an achondroclas- tic, or dwarf, breed. Glens are a medium sized dog with short legs. With an average weight of about 35 to 40 pounds and a height of 12 ½ ”-14” at the withers, Glens are a short, sturdy and solid breed. Origi- nally, Glens were asked to keep vermin, large and small, at bay. Glens were devel- oped to go to ground and kill badger in the den. Glens are built to accomplish this task by its slightly bowed front legs that push dirt out from under their undercar- riage and by its rose and half prick ears. Th e shape of a Glen’s ears is to keep them close to their skull and away from the snapping jaws of a badger in a den. With respect to its proportions and structure, the magic numbers of the Glen are three and five. Th e proper propor- tion of a Glen is three in height to five in length. Th ink of a 3 x 5 card. It should be just a bit longer than tall. Furthermore, the ratio of the length of muzzle to the length of skull is also 3 to 5. Personality A typical Irish personality, Glens are intelligent with a tendency to be stubborn, and have a sense of humor all their own. Make no mistake, they are terriers. Terriers were bred to hunt, chase and kill vermin. Th ey are quiet and determined hunters. Quiet is not necessarily silent. Glens will bark but they are not like other terriers that bark incessantly or without purpose. As with most terriers, Glens are not a cat’s best friend but it does depend on the cat and the Glen. Glens can be in multiple dog house- holds but one must pay special attention to address any prey drive or dominance issues.
200 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , M ARCH 2014
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