Glen of Imaal Terrier Dog Breed Information – Itsaboutdog

Glen of Imaal terrier is one of the four Irish terrier breeds. This dog breed was mainly found in the remote valleys of the Irelands Wicklow Mountains.

Here’s a breakdown of the information about the Glen of Imaal Terrier, along with key takeaways:

The Glen of Imaal Terrier: A Lovable Irish Farm Dog

Origin:

  • Bred in the remote Wicklow Mountains of Ireland.
  • Developed for hunting foxes and badgers, but also excelled in dogfighting (historically).
  • One of Ireland’s four native terrier breeds and the rarest.

Appearance:

  • Medium-sized, sturdy build, with short legs.
  • Distinctive double-coat with either wheaten (tan) or blue brindle coloring.
  • Teddy-bear-like charm.

Temperament:

  • Affectionate and loving towards their family.
  • Less excitable than some terriers, but still energetic and playful.
  • Independent streak, but enjoys training and pleasing their owner.
  • Can be aloof with strangers.
  • May have a prey drive, so socialization is important.

Adaptability:

  • Well-suited to apartment living due to moderate size and calm nature.
  • Needs regular exercise, but not overly demanding.
  • Sensitive in puppyhood, so gentle handling is important.
  • Can tolerate being left alone for short periods, but prefers company.
  • Excellent at adapting to cold climates; not ideal for hot weather.

Health:

  • Generally healthy breed.
  • May be prone to hip or elbow dysplasia, and eye problems.
  • Minimal shedding makes them low-allergen.
  • Moderate tendency to drool.

Trainability:

  • Highly intelligent and quick to learn.
  • May have a stubborn streak, so consistency and patience are key.
  • Responds best to positive reinforcement.
  • Needs mental stimulation to avoid boredom.

Physical Needs:

  • Energetic and playful, but requires less exercise than some terriers.
  • Daily walks and playtime are essential.

History:

  • Recognized by the Irish Kennel Club in 1934.

Key Takeaways

  • The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a charming and affectionate breed.
  • Their moderate needs make them adaptable pets.
  • They are relatively healthy but still require regular vet checkups.
  • Early socialization and training are crucial.
  • If you’re looking for a smaller terrier with a big personality, the Glen of Imaal Terrier could be a great fit!

Additional FAQs:

  • Price: $1500 – $2200
  • Size: 14 inches tall, 35-40 pounds
  • Lifespan: 10-14 years
  • Population in USA: Approximately 600-700 dogs
  • Swimming ability: Not strong swimmers due to their build.

Let me know if you have other questions about this unique breed!

Contents

Adaptability

The adaptability skills of the Glen of Imaal Terrier is generally easy.

Adapts Well to the Apartment Lifestyle (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal Terrier can adapt well to the lifestyle of an apartment due to their medium size and calm nature.

Dogs remain playful all the time, and most don’t get able to control their anxiety about playing, due to which they can’t adjust to the lifestyle of an apartment.

Best for the Beginners (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The dogs of this breed possess a very high level of intelligence which helps them cooperate with the owner for a longer time during the training session with moderate exercise and also put their best in grabbing the new skills their master wants them to learn.

Highly Sensitive (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terriers are sensitive during their early stages of life, so the dog owner should wait for a while when introducing the canine to physical activities.

This is because introducing repetitive training and workout sessions for the puppies at a low age can cause mental stress for the pup, as small pets find it difficult to handle those strenuous exercise at an early stage of life.

Find it Difficult to Stay Alone (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a very calm and active dog but finds it difficult to stay alone at home for a long time. This dog behavior is mainly because of the canine’s affectionate nature towards its parents.

The dog can stay calm and stress-free for almost two to three hours when kept with toys, but when this limit exceeds, there is a chance of the canine being affected by stress and anxiety attacks which might also turn the pet destructive.

Adapts Well to Cold Weather (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terrier is one of those terrier breeds with a thick coat covered with dense fur that doesn’t let the cold go outside the body of the canine and makes the canine cold weather resistant.

The main reason the dog is cold weather tolerant is also the presence of less body fat. The dog owner might have to protect their paws by putting on some pet socks to make them heat tolerant, but by accepting these, the dog will do well in cold weather.

Not a Good Tolerant of Hot Weather (Rate: 3 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal Terriers has very easy exposure to heat, which means the heat outside can quickly enter the canine body and make the dog suffer from heat strokes which can be disastrous for the pup’s health.

To protect the canine from this life-threatening condition, the dog owner must keep the puppy in a cold place, like in a room with easy exposure to air or under an air conditioner or cooler all the time to prevent heat strokes.

adaptability of Glen of Imaal Terrier

Friendliness

Most Terriers are great with small children. They aren’t couch potatoes; hence, from an early age, they become human companions.

Affectionate and Loving with the Family (Rate: 4 out of 5)

Like all other terrier breeds, the Glen of Imaal terriers are friendly, loving, and affectionate towards their family. The dog needs the most quality time with the owner to increase mental stimulation.

But when he knows that this is the person who loves them, he will get attached to them on his own and will also try his best to satisfy his owner by performing the tasks like dog shows.

Loving with Small Children (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terrier remains very playful and childish near the children and always tries to keep them engaged in playing with them if kept alone.

They also possess a kind of protective nature and will put their best to protect the child if gets into some dangerous situation.

As per the American Kennel Club and Imaal Terrier Club, if the Glen of Imaal Terrier is properly trained, the owner should not think twice before keeping the child alone with this pet because they are very trustworthy.

Friendly with Most the Breeds (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal Terrier mostly remains friendly with other dogs, but when the terrier is untrained, it might get aggressive after seeing a big dog of another breed. This is because of their safety but it needs to be controlled within time to positively impact the people outside.

Not So Affectionate Towards the Strangers (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terriers are mostly not so affectionate towards strangers or unknown visitors of their home. They may also start barking continuously after colliding with a stranger, which can be very discomforting for the dog owner.

The Imaal Terrier breeders have to make the big dog realize that barking excessively at a stranger is an unwanted behavior that he needs to stop. The process will be more accessible by using keywords like “stop”.

health of Glen of Imaal Terrier

Health and Grooming Requirements

As per the Irish Kennel Club and Imaal Terrier Club, any individual dog is generally healthy, and that can be seen with their soft hair and softer coat.

Amount of Shedding (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terrier is one of those terrier breeds that does not contribute to spreading infectious diseases in the home environment.

The canine’s fur is so tightly attached to its double coat that it suffers from a very low amount of shedding and doesn’t spread infections in the home like nausea and many others among the owners.

But the fact to notice here is that to keep the canine double coat healthy and free from shedding; the owner should brush the canine’s coat twice or thrice a week to remove the splitters.

Potential in Drooling (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

Not only the Glen of Imaal Terrier, but almost all the other family pet also have a habit of drooling excessively whenever they get over excited or burst out of several emotions at a time.

This mainly happens because the salivary glands get stimulated whenever the dog gets happy or sad, which leads to extreme salivation that eventually leads to spots here and there.

This is one of the most common behaviors of the canine, which can’t be controlled with training as it’s a natural process.

Easy to Groom

The Glen of Imaal terriers are like any hunt fox that are easy to groom and don’t need much effort to stay clean, healthy, hydrated, and prevent infections.

Being one of the dog breeds with a meagre amount of shedding, the dog is very easy to groom due to the tightly packed hair over the canine coat. Yes, the double-layered coat of the canine will doesn’t need frequent grooming, but it will require shampoo and other essentials as per the type of skin.

General Health

The Imaal Terrier doesn’t suffer from any unique type of disease during its entire lifetime and does not carry any genetic disorders from its parental traits.

The dog used to suffer from general dog-friendly diseases like elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, and one of the most significant diseases, retinal atrophy. The dog needs special treatment while suffering from such diseases and proper medication to get well within time.

The central fact to notice here is that the disease the canine suffers from doesn’t mean to be spread to its offspring, so there is nothing to worry about for having disease-affected puppies.

Effective Weight Gainer

When a dog from the breed Imaal terrier loses control over his diet, he will become an influential weight gainer.

Most not only overeating but eating healthy and nutritious food in a high amount during meal time can also lead to excessive weight gain in the case of the dog.

Obesity has been a very serious issue for almost all dogs, as per the Imaal Terrier breeders, which sometimes even turns deadly for the canine.

Thus it has been consistently suggested to dog owners to feed their puppies according to the pup’s nutritional requirements to avoid excessive weight gain and unhealthy body issues related to obesity.

Size of the Canine (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Imaal Terrier Glen is a small-sized dog that weighs around 30 to forty pounds and stands no more than fourteen inches from the ground.

This mid-size appearance makes them one of the most suitable dogs which can quickly adapt to any kind of lifestyle, like a regular apartment lifestyle or a place with a significant ground for him to play.

As the dog is of small size, that doesn’t mean that the canine will be less active or weaker than others. If the puppy gets the nutrition according to its requirements, it will be one of the most active dogs with perfect characteristics.

trainability of Glen of Imaal Terrier

Trainability

The Glen of Imaal is one such terrier breed that is known for its stubborn streak during training in comparison to other dogs.

Easy to Train (Rate: 4 out of 5)

Just like most of the other pets available, the Glen of Imaal terriers is also one of those dog breeds which are relatively easy to train.

The dogs usually become easy to prepare due to their efficacy in doing their work and their skills of grabbing new things perfectly and rapidly.

The terriers are generally calm and possess a kind of affectionate nature towards their owners. They try their best to accurately perform the task to satisfy their owners.

Now the owner has to take care of keeping the canine training sessions short for almost one to one and a half hours as per the strength of the canine.

Highly Intelligent (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The unique factor about the dog breed Glen of Imaal terrier is their learning capability.

The dog usually grabs things faster than the other dogs and also used to learn new things in a concise period.

Some love and care and a bit of reward are critical during the training sessions to maintain the dog’s interest in the training session.

Otherwise, the canine’s intelligence will not be worth it to make the canine grab the skill rapidly.

Always Tends to Bite Things Around (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal Terriers also tends to chew the things near them when they get anxious and stressed. And out of curiosity, he tends to chew the things around him as chewing releases the adrenaline released in the body and helps the dog control his anxiety.

This dog behavior can be destructive and lead to a massive loss if it continues. The pet will play with the toys when it starts to feel alone, and hence the destructive nature of the dog will be avoided.

Chases Other Animals (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

One of the most significant factors which make the canine needier for training is its habit of chasing other animals.

This is mainly because they feel unsafe after seeing the predators. This behavior needs to be controlled by the owner as it can have a negative impact.

It can be made possible by taking the dog for a walking session once or twice daily. This will make the pet realize that the animals in front do not intend to hurt them.

Often Bark at the Unknown Visitors (Rate: 5 out of 5)

As we have mentioned above, the Glen of Imaal terrier possesses a very calm and affectionate nature towards its parents and strangers.

That is why they generally don’t bark at other pets or unknown visitors to their homes.

This makes the dog one of the kindest breeds, but if the person in front of him tries to tease him, the dog will definitely get aggressive and start barking at him.

Glen of Imaal Terrier

Physical Requirements

Physical activities will promote mental stimulation like most terriers, as stated by the responsible breeders.

Needs Exercise (Rate: 5 out of 5)

Not only the dog breed Glen of Imaal terrier but exercise has also been one of the essential requirements for all dog breeds.

This is mainly because exercise keeps bowel movements in control and keeps the amount of energy generated in the body in proper regulation.

Highly Energetic (Rate: 4.5 out of 5)

The Glen of Imaal terriers are usually more energetic than all the other breeds of terriers available.

They generally need significantly less amount of exercise to stay fit and healthy. They remain highly energetic during their exercise sessions and stay active throughout the day.

history of Glen of Imaal Terrier

Breed History of the Glen of Imaal Terrier

Glen of Imaal Terrier originated in the Wicklow mountains of Ireland. The farmers of the localities developed this breed during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the valley.

This dog breed was mainly developed for hunting. The Imaal terriers generally used to hunt badgers and fox. The dog being extra energetic and robust, is also used in dogfights during that time.

It has also been obtained that this dog breed is one of the rarest among the four native terriers of the location.

Being the only dwarf breed for their medium length in Ireland, it was in high demand during those days and even now.

It was finally recognized as a breed by the Irish Kennel Club in 1934 and was moved from the miscellaneous category to the terrier group.

temperament of Glen of Imaal Terrier

The Temperament of the Glen of Imaal Terrier

The dog owner should be aware of the temperament they own because this helps them make the training sessions easy.

The dog is generally affectionate, kind, and loving but remains very interested and energetic during the training sessions.

The Imaal terriers typically are usually less excitable than the other terriers available, like the Irish Terrier breed but remain active and excited during the training sessions. The dog is originally bred for hard work and possesses a kind of independent nature.

The Glen of Imaal terriers generally possesses all the characteristics of a big bossy dog in their small body, due to which they are considered as one of the best medium-sized guard dogs.

Still, like any rare breed, the Glen of Imaal Terrier sometimes requires cuddling with his pet parent to become completely stress-free.

appearance of Glen of Imaal Terrier

The Appearance of the Glen of Imaal Terrier

The appearance of the Glen of Imaal terrier is the most significant factor due to which this dog breed is in high demand nowadays.

They look like teddy bear with their tight curls over the coat, short legs, and bulky weight, giving it a unique and cute appearance.

The dog has brown eyes and a button-shaped nose with a beautiful smile. The Imaal terriers tend to shed less due to their scruffy double-wiry and thick coats and is primarily available in two colors, wheaten, and blue brindle.

They also possess a type of muscular appearance, which gives it a pretty bossy look among medium-sized dogs.

irish Glen of Imaal Terrier

FAQ

1. What is the price of the Glen of Imaal terrier?

As per the research, the price of each Glen of Imaal terrier puppy has been obtained from $1500 to $2200 in the County Wicklow.

2. What is the size of a Glen of Imaal terrier?

The Glen of Imaal terriers usually attains a height of fourteen inches throughout their life and weighs almost sixteen to twenty kgs.

3. What is the average lifespan of a Glen of Imaal terrier?

The average lifespan of a Glen of Imaal terrier is around ten to fourteen years.

4. How much exercise does a Glen of Imaal Terrier need per day?

The Glen of Imaal terriers are generally less excitable than other terriers and can’t even resist too much exercise per day. As per the research, an exercise session of around twenty to thirty minutes per day for the canine is enough to keep the pet healthy.

5. How much should be an adequate dose for your Glen of Imaal Terrier?

The Glen of Imaal terrier doesn’t require much nutrition to stay healthy and fit. If the owner is feeding the canine a fully nutritious meal, then around one and a half cups of a nutritious filling meal will be an adequate dose for the dog.

6. How to teach the Glen of Imaal Terrier to sit?

If you intend to make your Glen of Imaal Terrier learn how to sit, then you can use keywords like “sit,” and then you can also bend their back leg to make them sit. This will be enough to make the dog learn how to sit.

7. How many Glen of Imaal Terriers are there in the United State?

As per the research done on the Glen of Imaal Terriers population, the information has been obtained that around 600 to 700 numbers of these working farm dog is present in the United States.

8. Are the Glen of Imaal Terriers good swimmers?

No, the Glen of Imaal Terriers is usually not considered good swimmers because they cannot swim on water due to their short legs, bulky weight, and terrier height of medium length.

Aapt Dubey
Aapt Dubey

Aapt Dubey, a devoted canine enthusiast and experienced dog Owner, brings boundless passion to our team. With a heart full of love for our four-legged friends, Aapt is dedicated to sharing insights on dog care, behavior, and training to make every pup's life happier and healthier at ItsAboutDog.com.

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