Page 16 - ShowSight Presents The Sealyham Terrier
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a hands-on examination is indispensable. A nicely placed and well carried tail will con- tribute to the balance of the dog. The stan- dard does not address the docked versus un- docked tail and it seems that a judge should consider the un-docked tail as just a fault.
The coat of many of today’s Sealy- hams does not meet the requirements
of the standard. Suffice it to say that the stripped jacket can be carefully evaluated for its “hardness and wiry” texture. Full furnishings often are not textured correctly and pose a challenge to groomers and seem to “blur” the cor- rect silhouette that is the hallmark of this breed.
Appreciate the six individual words that describe the action of the Sealy. The breed does not have characteristics of movement that are so peculiar that they must be described in detail. Movement is the ulti- mate test of how well a dog is made.
There are no disqualifications in the Sealyham Standard.
A NOTE ON THE SEALYHAM
Fifty years ago, In the early 60s, the old Dog World magazine did a survey concerned with the decline of the Sealy- ham Terrier. Results were
gathered from pet and commercial breed- ers, breeder/exhibitors, veterinarians, and groomers, and all responses included one major drawback to the breed: Mainte- nance. The survey fell on deaf ears.
A few years earlier I had an opportunity to do my own limited “survey” with the same results. In 1959, an aspiring judge imported a Polrose dog to add to his own- ership record with the American Kennel Club. Unfortunately, but typically, the dog had a coat of wool. The well known han- dler in the Rocky Mountain area sprayed the coat with stale beer, added cornstarch and thus created his dog’s show coat. Han- dler and dog won nine groups. The handler had seven Sealyham bitches on his prop- erty—and soon the local “wool explosion” in coats was observed. Time went by and the group winning stud dog was retired and the handler’s attention was directed to other terrier breeds. The handler asked
me to clean up the Sealyham. I did, and I used a 10-blade clipper to remove the dog’s entire coat in one piece—an almost com- plete outline of the dog’s body, head and legs. I hung the “pelt” of matted wool in the window of my grooming shop and was accused of skinning a dog!
To bring us up to date, you must learn of two families who have been most loyal to the Sealyham. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp had Sealyhams for more than three decades; they assisted with rescue dogs, cared for their own pets in good and bad health, and found the breed to be a fascinating and favorite breed. They have lost their last Sea- lyham and it was replaced with two rescue dogs, Great Pyrenees. The two giant dogs are much easier for them to care for, main- tain and keep looking like the attractive dog they are intended to be. But they still miss their Sealyhams. In another home, Lloyd and Carol Stark bred and showed winning Sealyhams and their devotion to the breed was unsurpassed. They cared for three rescue Sealyhams with problems and nursed them back to good health and hap- py temperaments. Years have gone by and they now provide a home for seven well-
By Raymond D. Bay
trained, affectionate house dogs of various breeds, but no Sealyhams. The on-going maintenance of the coats proved to be too time-consuming in their busy world. They still miss their Sealyhams. Pay attention to these true stories.
A few years ago I saw a harsh coated Sea- lyham bitch at Montgomery County with a well known and successful breeder. Her profile was correct and the bitch displayed all her assets in the silhouette, as opposed to abundant furnishings that provided no distinct Sealy outline. The breeder had not entered the Sealy, convinced that the judg- es only like “pretty.”
It was Oppenheimer who believed that a dog with no apparent faults, but with no assets for the breed, is a faulty dog. What would he think about a breed in which a serious falut predominates throughout all breeding? It’s time to move on; breed to the best coat you can find. A good breeder will not allow a major fault to destroy a breed and will instead breed for the positive, sometimes sacrificing certain elements in order to save others.
Wake up. It is time to breed for the preservation of the Sealyham Terrier.
“IT WAS OPPENHEIMER WHO BELIEVED THAT A DOG WITH NO APPARENT FAULTS, BUT WITH NO ASSETS FOR THE BREED, IS A FAULTY DOG.”
