Of the thirty-three terrier breeds (most of whom were first used for hunting vermin and therefore now have an innately spirited and aggressive character with a tendency to chase moving creatures and objects), the Glen of Imaal Terrier, once known as an excellent multi-tasker, is actually one of the calmest of the group. This is possibly because it was not always a ratter, but bred at one point as a turnspit dog.
One of the oldest of the terrier breeds, the Glen of Imaal Terrier»s roots have been traced back to around 1575. At first, the Glen was bred (as were its Irish kin»the Irish, Kerry Blue, and Soft-coated Wheaten) to remove vermin and hunt fox and badger in the glens of County Wicklow in Dublin, Ireland.
Soon after, however, the Glen of Imaal Terrier became a turnspit laborer, paddling with its perfectly bowed front legs and strong back legs small wheels and thereby turning the large wheel that spun the spit over the hearth. While this was a practical function served, the act became an ideal part of the Glen»s repertoire for shows»almost five hundred years later. As part of their «show» over the years, the Glen would hunt a badger and retrieve by dragging it out of its hole»without barking at all. This characteristic lent itself to the nickname, «the silent worker.»
Yes, the Glen of Imaal Terrier still has many assertive, energetic, and needful terrier traits, but it is the quieter and calmer of the group. This rough-coated, large dog on low, bowed legs (weighing 35 pounds and measuring 14 inches high) and in varying blue or brindle and wheaten coat prefers to calmly relax or nap. It doesn»t even bark»unless something is desperately wrong. So the most challenging of its personality traits is its intelligent trickster antics, which of course can be dealt with during training.
The Glen of Imaal Terrier also maintains a lot of muscle (and strong bones) if exercised accordingly at any age of its development, while grooming requires early stripping and trimming only once a year or so.
The ideal environment for the Glen of Imaal Terrier is simple to provide: since it is quite placid it does not need a lot of hands-on attention, and is happiest in a non-threatening environment where it is left to do its resting and relaxing. It does, like most terriers, enjoy playing occasionally, and is smart enough to learn quickly and to stay attentive to where its humans are, as it cannot tolerate being separated from them. So if it is not at the turnspit cooking your dinner, it will most likely be at your side.
