About
Glens
GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIERS
Email: best1@erols.com
http://www.glen-of-imaal-terrier.com
We
offer here some general statements that we have found apply to Glen of Imaal
Terriers. While these are generalities, any particular dog of
course can have its own style. No two dogs of any breed are
exactly alike...but breeds do have threads which seem to run throughout the
breed. This summary is not
meant to be
all-inclusive. It offers some points of interest about Glens.
Glens
are large dogs on short legs. They have a big dog attitude and idea of
themselves and are very substantial dogs. Although they look cute
(and they are!), they
are also formidable hunting dogs
who were bred to rid
farms of all manner of vermin. They are strong - pound for pound - one of the
strongest breed of dog we have ever met. They are also strong-willed
and require a firm, yet
gentle hand. They
will run the household in no time if permitted.
The
standard for the breed calls for Glens to be no more than 14 inches tall at the
shoulders and no more than 35 pounds.
(See “Standards” on Links page)
COMPATIBILITY
Some
Glens can be dog aggressive. Some Glens are not able to live with other dogs.
Most do well as long as they are socialized as a puppy and also have a firm
guiding hand from the humans who live with them. Some folks have any
number of Glens living together and doing well, and some have found that this was not
possible due to hierarchy struggles. Glens can
be very territorial with
other animals.
In
this breed, often the females are more assertive than the males in many ways. We
caution about having two females living together as they
sometimes will vie for the top-dog spot. It is usually
the female in any Glen
household that is the dominant canine-in-residence.
It
is important to note that whether or not a Glen will become dog aggressive has
something - but not everything - to do with early socialization and training.
This trait can appear usually between ages 2 – 4 and generally is not
amenable to change. It is either
there…lurking in the genes - or not. Two
Glens can be reared and trained similarly, and only one may develop this
aggressive trait. It is a toss of
the genetic dice.
It
is also important to note that Glens do little posturing regarding their
aggression. They can be deadly and
act without warning. They are very
strong dogs as well, and many owners have been pulled off their feet by their
Glens.
Hierarchy
is important to dogs but to Glens this seems paramount.
They are exquisitely sensitive dogs in terms of hierarchy. It is helpful
to become familiar with canine hierarchy and language when living with a Glen.
These
are some realities about the breed best understood BEFORE you get a Glen.
PREY
DRIVE
Glens
have a very strong prey drive. This means that they will chase (and can
kill) many things that move into their line of vision or scent area.
This chase can sometimes include your neighbor's
cat (or your own cat),
other dogs, and other animals. Some Glens, unless socialized can mistake a
small child as a chase object as well. We do not mean this to be alarming
- but we feel it is important to be brutally honest about prey drive.
Most Glens are totally enamored of people
and we have heard of
very few problems regarding dog-human aggression. But, if a Glen mis-perceives
that a small child is somehow "prey" or a threat, we have seen
Glens act on this from an instinctual level. Again, Glens as a
breed, are usually naturally wonderful with children.
We
feel that Glens need to reside in a secure fenced in area and should not be
trusted off-lead while outside a fenced area. Even with obedience
training (which we strongly encourage for ALL
Glens and humans), prey
drive can win out and they are apt to give chase and be gone.
GLENS
AND PEOPLE
The
strength of Glens is always something of which we remain in awe.
Glens should not be left alone with small children or put in the hands
of small children with which they are unfamiliar.
They can knock down a
child from joyful exuberance and can drag a child along with them if they see
something they want to chase or kill. Glens and kids need good supervision
together until the child is old enough and strong enough to handle the
strength of this breed. This is, of course, a good policy
for all dogs and small children - Glens are no exception in this regard.
The
heritage of this breed - as working dogs, is an important one. We want to
see their heritage preserved. In their native land, they are
still mainly working dogs after all. When any breed
becomes more popular, with
larger numbers being bred, there is the danger of diminishing or even losing
those natural drives for which they were bred in the first place. That is
why we always caution prospective Glen owners about the toughness of this
breed. We want them to stay tough and
not become merely
"cute" fluffy lap dogs in generations to come. We want Glens to
remain relatively rare and to be preserved carefully.
Glens
like to be around their human companions. They seem the most comfortable
when touching some part of you. It is the norm to have a
Glen lying on a foot while sitting at a desk, or otherwise
in some close physical
contact with you. They are very sensitive dogs and are in tune with mood and
emotion in any household. They can be kenneled or crated for some amount
of any day, but do
need to feel a part of the household and need human contact for them to thrive.
HEALTH
Glens
are a very healthy breed. While there are always individual cases that are
out of the norm, generally, they have few health problems.
There are some Glens with skin problems, but this does
not seem to be
necessarily part of being a Glen, as skin problems seem epidemic to dogs in general.
We happen to think much of this has to do with the modern day canine diet.
The
only serious genetic problem at present seems to be Progressive Retinal Atrophy
(PRA). This is a disorder of the eye that eventually
causes total blindness. PRA has been discovered
in a line of Glens
(foundation stock in USA) and the progeny from those dogs and others, have
produced affected
Glens. Presently there is very little concrete information about how many
dogs are or have been affected with PRA. Since testing is
relatively new, we are uncertain of the history of
this genetic problem in
Glens. The only test available for PRA currently tells us only whether a dog
has PRA at the time the test was administered. It does not tell us whether
the dog is destined to become PRA positive later on, nor does it tell
us whether or not the dog is a carrier for the gene.
To the best of our
knowledge about how PRA plays itself out in our breed, it appears that a dog needs
two genes to become affected. One carrier gene from the mother and one
from the father. The exact
type of PRA in Glens remains unclear however.
More research is being done that will hopefully shed more light on the
type of PRA that affects Glens. It
seems to appear with a later onset - the earliest at age three and as late as
six or seven years old. We are hopeful that there will be a test soon -
perhaps in the next several years - that will be capable
of telling us who is a
carrier and who is not. This will help us in terms of sound breeding
practice. With
the advent of that test, we will be able to safely breed a known carrier to a
dog that is clearly not a carrier and be assured that the progeny will
not be affected.
There
is some controversy presently among Glen folks about breeding practices. At
present most agree that it is not wise to breed any Glen
affected with PRA. There is disagreement over whether to
breed "known carriers" however. A known carrier is any dog that
has at least one parent who is affected with PRA, or has produced affected
offspring. Because of a relatively small gene pool in the
US, many breeders opt to
continue breeding known carriers with the hopes that, by chance, they are being
bred to clear dogs. Some breeders are choosing not to breed known carriers at
this time - opting to wait instead for the test that will determine
carrier status. Some are also interested in waiting for testing
results on parents and grandparents of breeding stock before breeding their
progeny.
At
present (2004) there are about 31 Glens known to have PRA. ( Approximately
300 Glens are known to have been tested.) It
is a small number, yet is important
because so many Glens
have so many ancestors in common. It is wise to become educated about PRA and
make informed decisions when adding a Glen pup to your household. It can be
heartbreaking to have a dog become blind. There are no guarantees
at the present time, but being educated about pedigrees
and lines helps one to
make the best decision possible.
This
can be a heated topic among Glen breeders and many become very emotional when
quoting the "experts" , etc. when sharing their
philosophy about breeding. We suggest that you do your
own homework and talk to
lots of different folks and come to your own conclusions. There are many
folks, all of whom love Glens, and yet with very different slants on this topic.
The
following is a statistical table that will help with basic information about how
an autosomal recessive gene manifests itself in breeding.
( Our knowledge thus far suggests that PRA in Glens
may be most like
autosomal recessive)
PRA
Breedings Outcome Table (by Janet Wilson)
This
represents statistical likelihood only - As is the case for sex determination,
every conception of every puppy is a genetic toss of the dice.
If Mother Nature is kind, she could send a much
higher proportion of
clear puppies than you would expect. She could also send you an unpredictably
high proportion of carrier puppies. In the absence of a genetic marker
test for PRA, all you can do is make an educated guess as to
the PRA status of your puppies.
n=
PRA gene, N = Normal gene, nn= two copies of PRA gene (will get
PRA),
NN=
carries no gene for PRA (will never get PRA), Nn= carries only one gene
for PRA
(will never get PRA, but can pass the PRA gene to offspring)
Clear
to Clear (NN x NN) = all pups
will be clear (NN)
Clear
to Carrier (NN x Nn) = 50% of pups clear (NN),
50% of pups carrier (Nn)
Clear
to Affected (NN x nn) = all pups will be carrier (Nn)
Carrier
to Carrier (Nn x Nn) = 25% of pups clear (NN), 50%
of pups carrier (Nn),
25% of pups affected (nn)
Carrier
to Affected (Nn x nn) = 50% of pups carrier (Nn), 50% of pups
affected(nn)
(all pups are at least carriers)
Affected
to affected (nn x nn) = All pups will be affected (nn)
DIET
AND GROOMING
We
(Powheiri Kennel) feed a totally raw diet, devoid of any commercial foods. We
think that
canines in general, and Glens in particular, do very well on this type of diet.
It consists of a more natural omnivore diet that attempts to
mimic what a wolf eats in the wild. We feed
raw meat & raw bones
(ONLY raw - cooked bones will splinter), raw pulped vegetables, and a few
supplements. We do not feed any grains. We have almost no vet bills.
We also try our best to follow holistic and natural
healing guidelines and use homeopathy as a mainstay of health care for our
animals. We have been very pleased with the results
this has afforded thus far. We are always happy to
talk more about diet and holistic care for dogs with anyone who is interested!
We
are aiming for healthy natural immunity that wards off dis-ease, and other
health problems such as skeletal problems. We feel that over
generations, as immunity gets more and more robust,
our Glens will be able
to handle almost anything that comes their way. With this diet, for one example,
we have never had any problems with internal parasites. Nor have any of our dogs
ever been on antibiotics thus far in their lives. We are committed to this way of
rearing and plan to place pups only in homes that agree to be similarly
committed. We are also
committed to maintaining contact with all pups that leave us and to offer as
much support and help with diet and health as is possible.
Glens
have a harsh coat overlying a soft undercoat. They do not have fur - they
have hair and it does not shed. Dead hair will fall out if
they are not brushed to remove the dead hairs. Brushing
once a week usually is
enough to accomplish this. To have a coat that is easy to care for, a Glen should
be stripped several times per year. This keeps the outer coat harsh and
"Glen-like" and is what the standard calls for. A stripped coat
does not gather dirt and debris, is easy to brush, does not tangle nor mat,
and handles all elements of weather easily. It is the desired way to have
an easy
time with coat care. Glens are not high maintenance coat care dogs if they
are stripped several times a year and brushed weekly. Most Glen
owners learn how to strip the coat - it is very easy to
learn
and pays off in easier care. Glens should appear natural and NOT
overgroomed. They do not require the grooming
expertise of many other
terrier breeds.
GLEN
OR NOT ?
There
are many reasons to have a Glen as part of your household. We think that
the comedic value alone is sometimes reason enough! They
are very funny dogs and have great senses of
humor. They are a
dichotomy in many ways, but once you have become connected to a Glen, nothing
else will suffice. They are endearing, exasperating, funny, bossy, robust
and very enchanting.
They
are typically not yappy dogs, although we have seen individual differences
abound in this regard. They have a very large bark -
sounding more like a giant breed than a 14-inch dog!
Sometimes the degree of
barking has to do with what you want from a dog. If you discourage barking,
they generally will only bark "when needed." They are
often called the "un-terrier"
as they are not as hyper
as many other terrier breeds.
They
are smart - very smart. Yet, they can get bored with obedience training.
Although they can catch onto tasks quickly, they still have
enough stubbornness to try to do whatever they
feel like doing at
times. They are not as tractable as many other breeds.
They
will run the household and can be in charge very quickly unless they understand
that a human is the head of the pack. While they are
in need of clear guidelines, they are also very
sensitive, so how this
hierarchy is accomplished becomes important. Physical discipline does not
work well with Glens. One needs to be clear, patient and gentle in forming
your agreement with a Glen. They do not forget anything -
yet seem to choose when to let you know they remember!
Their
tendency toward dog aggression can create a frank liability for a Glen owner.
This harder part to the breed is one that we mention to anyone thinking
of getting a Glen. It can be very
difficult and may mean constant vigilance and extra caution with your Glen. From
what we have seen, this trait can not
be “trained out” of a Glen. It is not easy to own a dog aggressive dog,
especially one that is fully capable of killing its prey. Glens work silently
and often give no warning about their plan to attack.
This makes it doubly hard for handling a dog-aggressive Glen.
A
Glen may NOT be for you :
~
If you are not sure of yourself and the position you will need to gently yet
firmly take in the household with your dog.
~
If you are not patient.
~
If you think that prey drive can be controlled or eliminated.
~
If you are frail or easily knocked off your feet for any reason.
~
If you think that Glens are only cute, fluffy lap dogs.
~
If you are have other
dogs in your household that are dominant dogs.
~
If you have cats,
gerbils, rabbits or other small creatures as part of your household.
~
If you have never owned a dog before. A Glen may not be a good choice for your first
dog.
~
If you are looking for a watchdog.
~
If you expect to let your dog roam
loose in your yard
or neighborhood.
~
If you do not have a secure, fenced in area.
~
If you expect to use Invisible fencing.
~
If you expect to have your dog walk off lead.
~
If you are not willing to spend the time to do positively reinforced obedience
training.
BREED
POLITICS
Here
in the USA, the two main divisions in the breed have centered over the question
of AKC
recognition for Glens as well as breeding practices including whether we should
be breeding from known carriers of PRA at this time. The latter
has already been discussed.
The
question of AKC recognition has been an important one for Glens. Some felt
strongly that this breed would be better off without the AKC. This
stance seems to revolve around health issues being seen as
correlated to greater
popularity. With greater popularity comes a more ready market for pups hence more
breeders and thus less diligent breeding practice and the increased danger of
exploitation. Many came to Glens precisely because they were a rare
and unspoiled breed unlike so many other breeds
today.
The push from this group has been for Glens to remain relatively rare, not too
popular so as to protect it and its strong heritage of health.
This view also does not relish seeing Glens in the AKC
limelight and feels
many other breeds have become ruined by over grooming, over handling and the emphasis
on winning in the showring rather than on the more natural setting and working
qualities from whence they evolved.
In short, they view more popularity via the AKC as a negative.
Others
feel strongly that the only way forward for Glens was to become an AKC
recognized breed. The main thrust here seems to be increasing the numbers
of Glens in the US and the potential for cross-fertilization with Glens in other countries. Since the AKC
is the only kennel club recognized by other
world kennel clubs,
the point has been made that it will be easier to send breeding stock back and
forth if one KC is recognized by
all. This group looks
forward to the AKC showring and limelight that the breed has been getting and
tends to see the AKC as a benevolent corporation rather than an uncaring and somewhat
negligent conglomerate as is felt by the anti-
AKC folks.
There
are two Breed clubs in the US. The Glen of Imaal Terrier Club (GITC) is
recognized by the United Kennel Club and elected
not to pursue AKC
recognition. They are adamantly opposed to the AKC. The Glen of Imaal
Terrier Club of America (GITCA) had it's leadership focused on taking the steps toward
AKC recognition in the past few years by having turned its registrations
over to the FSS (Foundation Stock Service) of the AKC which was a precursor to
recognition. GITCA is the National Breed Parent Club for AKC.
Glens
are currently recognized as an AKC breed and 2004 found them in the AKC show ring
for the first time. It is yet to be seen what impact this will have on the
breed.
POWHEIRI
KENNEL
We
got our first Glen in 1996 and we have been smitten ever since! Although
we have had other dogs and other breeds, we have never found a breed
that has totally touched our hearts like Glens.
We love them and cherish
their working background. We also love their toughness and strength. We
both love and respect that strength and their natural drives. We do not
want to alter their instincts in any way that will harm them. We
plan to breed them very cautiously, very seldom,
and very carefully.
We do not think they should become a popular breed. We don't like what popularity
does to most breeds. We think they should be carefully chosen by the
humans with whom they live. We want to share what
we have come to learn about them generously, carefully and
with candor. We want
prospective owners to have the full story about them, including the more
difficult parts.
Any
breeder who offers only the positive parts to their breed is not giving the full
story. There are always positives and negatives to any breed.
We
hope this has been helpful in your search for information about Glens.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.
© Holly Best
(reprint only with permission)
2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps
this Editorial taken from GlenViews, (an independent bi-monthly publication
devoted to Glens) offers a good summary.
A Contradiction in Terms
©
What
is a Glen anyway? We hear them described in many ways. Some words
are revealing.
Words
such as stubborn, feisty, and the old stand-by, holy terrier are used over and
over.
There
are others too: sweet, gentle, loving, great-with -kids, funny, cute,
smart, sensitive, laid back,(couch potato), lazy, cuddly and one heard so oft -
loveable.
These
are all true.
And
there are some other adjectives. Dominant, aggressive, strong, focused,
willful, controlling, hard-to-control and at certain junctures - downright
dangerous. These are the harder descriptions to accept about Glens.
Perhaps these descriptions are more closely aligned with their jobs as working
dogs, bred to go after and to kill prey. Glens are genetically closer to
their roots than many breeds and it serves them well in many respects. They are
tough, hardy, physically strong and able to survive many environments.
We
also know that there are some things about the breed that we should not forget.
They are not like other breeds that can be left outside to loll about until the
owner comes home. They cannot be trusted to remain in one place if they see
what they perceive as prey strolling by. This could be the neighbor's cat
or dog, a squirrel, or in the worst case scenario - a small child. They have an
instinct called prey drive. They need to be supervised.
People
ask us, "are they good with children?" And, the answer is yes -
with a caveat. Always supervise and ALWAYS socialize first. We
have seen Glens who misperceived a small child as a moving object - prey. That
can be terrifying.
We
have also heard from people about problems with Glens being dog aggressive. We
have witnessed the experience first hand. Until you have seen a Glen fighting,
you will not know how frightening it can be.
What
do we do with this knowledge? We pay attention. And we make sure that we are as
much in control as we can human-to-dog make it. We do obedience training with
positive reinforcement, and use it often. It provides security for dogs -
they feel safer and clearer when they know what the rules are. We do not
ever foster behavior that is aggressive in any way. That can turn in a second
into something quite out of control. And we pay attention to warning signs
whenever possible.
We
have noticed some things about Glens. They often give little or NO warning about
possible dominant /aggressive behavior. They get focused and work silently on
their plan at times. This makes it difficult for us humans. They also can move,
in a split second, from normal barking and playing - to aggression. At
times, we are not totally at ease as they run together.
We
are sorry to disappoint some of you with these reminders. Perhaps you have only
seen the soft fuzzy side of your Glen. We know that is a very real part to them
also. That is why we fell in love with them. We just encourage you to
remember this other natural side. And to honor it enough to pay attention and
avoid problems.
While
we often portray the wonderful, fun, warm and comical side of Glens in
GlenViews, which we will continue to do, we don't wish to dismiss this other
part. They may be the biggest dichotomy in dog-dom. The two parts
are both admirable - their natural heritage, with which we never want them
to lose touch, as so many other breeds have done - and the other, enjoyed
as we cuddle up with them on the sofa.
And,
we would never want to live without them, for even a minute.
The Editors
Reprinted
from © GlenViews (Volume 2 No. 2, May, 1999 issue)
Reprint
only with permission.
THE END