Glen of Imaal Terrier
This lesser known terrier from Ireland thinks — like most Terriers — that he’s bigger than he is. His coat is easy to groom and sheds little.
Daily Care
Grooming Tips
The Glen of Imaal Terrier’s weather-resistant double coat, consisting of a rough outer coat and a soft undercoat, requires moderate brushing weekly to prevent matting of the furnishings (the soft hair around the ears, neck, legs and belly) and should also be stripped two or three times a year. They shed very little as a result of this effort. It does not take a great amount of time, and the bonding you achieve with your pup is well worth the time involved. Since Glens are a dwarf breed, a small but sturdy grooming table is a very good investment.
The rest is basic care. Trim the nails regularly, usually every couple of weeks. Brush the teeth with a soft toothbrush and doggie toothpaste keep the teeth and gums healthy and the breath fresh.
Exercise Tips
The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a pretty high energy, intelligent dog and as such they need to be given the right amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation for them to be truly happy well-rounded dogs. They need anything from 30 to 40 minutes a day with as much of the lead time as possible, but only in safe and secure environments. If they are not given the right amount of mental stimulation and exercise every day, a Glen would quickly get bored and could even begin to show some destructive behaviors around the home which is their way of relieving any stress they are feeling and not necessarily because they are being naughty.
With this said, Glen puppies should not be over exercised because their joints and bones are still growing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing serious problems later in their lives.
Feeding Tips
If you get a Glen puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it’s important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy’s diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don’t develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it’s best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy eaters, but this does not mean they can be given a lower quality diet. It’s best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it’s good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It’s also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog’s life by several years so it’s important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
Treatscan be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about whichhuman foodsare safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet or the dog’s breeder if you have any questions or concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should always be available.
Health Tips
The average life expectancy of the Giant Schnauzer is between 10 and 12 years. This is comparable with the median lifespan of most purebred dogs (10 to 13 years), and most breeds similar in size.
Glen of Imaal Terriers are generally healthy dogs, but there are several health andgenetic screeningconsiderations specific to the breed. These include hip dysplasia and eye disease such as cone-rod dystrophy.Responsible breederswill screen their stock for conditions the breed can be prone to. Caution should be taken to avoid unnecessary stress on the front legs during their first nine months of life. As with all breeds, Glen’s ears should be checked regularly for signs ofinfection, and theteethshould be brushed often, using a toothpaste designed for dogs.
Trainability
Giant Schnauzers require good training to grow up properly socialized. They are outdoor dogs that need a lot of exercise, so exercise should be included in their training. These dogs need to be raised to understand that other dogs are not a threat and that strangers are not, either. Displaying your status as a pack leader in your dog’s perceived tribe is very important with these dogs, as they can quickly believe that they are the pack leaders without the presence of someone with more discipline than them.
Keep training sessions short: Five minutes of training two or three times a day is much better than one 30-minute session. Earlysocializationand puppy training classes are recommended.
History
Glens are tough terriers from the tough country, the remote and rocky Glen of Imaal in mountainous County Wicklow. Old-time farmers worked hard to scratch a living from the desolate landscape, and their dogs were expected to work just as hard.
The breed received his name from the Glen of Imaal, in County Wick low, Ireland. The breed’s early job was as a hunter, silently going after vermin, and going to ground after fox and badgers, dragging out the pray. Gamers put them in a pit with badgers, timing them on the kill, until the so-called sport was banned in 1966.
The dogs were also used as turnspit dogs: Glens were put on a treadmill and would walk for hours, turning a large rotisserie wheel that was used to cook meat over an open flame. This spunky little terrier can still catch vermin and with little training, it can still be used to successfully hunt foxes and badgers. The Glen was first presented publicly at an Irish dog show in 1933. It is rare in the USA and was recognized by the AKC in 2004.
