SEALYHAM TERRIER Q&A
PEGGY BROWNE
What is the most important thing about my breed for a new judge to keep in mind? Type is the most important element in judg- ing a Sealyham Terrier. Our standard is very specific on overall appearance and size. The Sealyham is a powerful, heavy boned and bodied dog. It is a low-legged Terrier that is ten and a half inches at the shoulder. What’s the best way to attract newcomers to my breed? Sealy breeders and exhibitors need to be friendly and inviting. It is very sad to hear when people are unkind to newcomers and those inter- ested in learning more about the breed. What is my ultimate goal for my breed? For the Sealyham Ter- rier breed to become more recognizable. Even though we are a fairly healthy breed, to continue finding genetic markers for health issues. My favorite dog show memory? That is a very hard question, but I would have to say the 1988 Labor Day shows in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I met my husband, Geoff! If you are judging an entry of one and the Sealy is well-pre- sented, please acknowledge this to the exhibitor. The amount of work involved with showing and conditioning a Sealyham Terrier is almost second to none. JUNE COHRON I have been a veterinarian for 29 years and have had Sealyham Terriers for 20 years. I also breed Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds. In addition to showing dogs, I also compete in agility and barn hunt with my Sealys. I live in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, a small town near Charlottesville. I own the Animal Hospital of Stuarts Draft where I practice small animal veteri- nary medicine. I also raise registered Texas Longhorn cattle and have judged cattle shows throughout the United States. Do I hope my breed’s ranking will change? I would like to see more Sealyhams living with families as they are absolutely wonder- ful companions, but increases in popularity can lead to more oppor- tunities for commercial operations to breed and sell Sealys, leading to an increase in inherited health issues and more dogs of our breed appearing in rescue organizations. Do these numbers help or hurt my breed? It’s a double-edged sword. The quality in our breed is very high, most likely because our breeders don’t breed very often and are looking carefully to improve the breed with each mating. That’s wonderful, but it does tend to keep the number of litters pretty low, making puppies not available when a family is looking for a pet. That certainly hurts the popularity of the breed when you can’t find one to purchase. What are the characteristics that make my breed an ideal com- panion? They are the clowns of the Terrier group and love to make their owners smile and laugh. They don’t shed and they generally are very clean dogs and are easily house-trained. They adapt easily to all living situations. They are loveable, yet independent. I think they can read your mind too—at least some of mine can. Can I describe the breed’s weather-resistant coat? Well—I hate to hand strip, but it’s a necessary evil if you want to show your Sealy. The hard outer coat covers a fairly dense undercoat and that outer coat just doesn’t want to let go with stripping. They look quite dapper in a pet clip and a Sealy with a nice coat clipped by an expe- rienced Terrier groomer will still have a noticeably hard outer coat. What is the biggest misconception about my breed? It’s not a Westie! Does the average person recognize my breed? Thanks to Char- min and Margery Good more people recognize the breed than ever
I began in the sport of purebred dogs when I was 13 years old. My first breed was Sealyham Terriers. I finished my first Sealy, owner-handled, under the guid- ance of my mentor and dear friend, Patsy Wood of Penllyn Sealyham Terrier fame. I bred my first litter when I was 16 years old under the Pegfield prefix. My first top-winning dog was Ch. Pegfield’s Bun- gie, a Montgomery County KC Best of Breed and Pedigree Award winner. I was a professional handler and showed many
wonderful Sealyhams to their titles. Most notably, Ch. Tint- ern Tzarina, owned by David Ruml and I.F. Zimmerman and bred by Cheryl Jennings. She is the top-winning American bred bitch in breed history. Cheryl and I are the breeders of GCh. Pegfield Tintern Tiggy-Winkle, shown by Alphonso Escobedo for owners Sally Sweatt, Happy Sutliffe, Collette Secher, Cheryl and myself. I live in Roswell, Georgia, which is north of the perimeter in Atlanta. I am the caregiver to my 87-year-old mother. I enjoy cooking, art and volunteering for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Do I hope my breed’s ranking changes? As long as I have been in Sealyham Terriers they have been considered a rare breed. Some years we have more puppies than others. Currently, there seem to be pockets of breeders within the United States. My hope is that the popularity of this breed will increase. Do these numbers help or hurt my breed? I think the numbers hurt the breed due to the public’s lack of knowledge about the Sealyham Terrier. What are the characteristics that make my breed an ideal com- panion? The Sealyham Terrier makes a great pet and many owners say if you have one you will always have one once you discover this charming breed. Sealys are definitely a Terrier. They know what they want to make themselves happy. Sealys are very comical and more people-oriented than other Terriers. They love who they are owned by, yet very social with people they do not know. Sealys enjoy being told how good they are. Describe the breed’s weather-resistant coat? The Sealyham Ter- rier coat is very different from other Terriers. It has more of a dense undercoat with a harsh outer coat. It is one of the most difficult coats to groom and takes a determined, patient individual to master. What is the biggest misconception about my breed? I have heard people say that the breed does not have good temperaments. This is simply not true. They do not make good kennel dogs because they want to bond with people. Does the average person recognize my breed? Very rarely is the breed recognized by the public. What special challenges do breeders face? Due to our small gene pool, therefore lack of stud dogs, breeding Sealyham Terriers has always been a challenge. The reality of the lack of Sealyhams avail- able for breeding makes it a costly endeavor due to the necessity of shipping because there typically is not a close by stud dog choice. At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? I am not a person that deems a litter as a show litter. At about ten weeks I start deciding which puppies will be placed first. I like to keep puppies that I feel have potential for the show ring until 16 weeks. I am very critical that what I keep has the virtues I am look- ing for to improve in my breeding program. I have a very limited number of dogs I can have, so I do not have the luxury of breeding often and keeping large numbers in my home.
190 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2020
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