The Sealyham Terrier with their characterful appearance, is a working terrier, bred to go after otter, fox and badger and to quote a breed enthusiast ‘give as good as he got, or even better’!
Quite a recent breed, the Sealyham Terrier takes their name from Sealy Ham Mansion, in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. There in the 19th Century, Captain John Tucker-Edwardes decided to perfect his own line of working terrier. It is thought that the Captain used a variety of existing breeds including the Corgi, West Highland White Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dandie Dinmont and the Cheshire Terrier in order to get the courageous, assertive and fearless dog he wanted.
Unfortunately, the Captain kept no records but it seems he only kept those dogs who worked well alongside his Otterhound pack, and culled those who didn’t come up to his demanding standards. After his death in 1891, their numbers declined until in 1908 a group of terrier enthusiasts (including members of the Tucker-Edwardes family) laid the foundations for the breed club - which was followed by The Sealyham Terrier and Badger Digging Association which was founded in 1912.
Since this time the breed has changed so much that it’s unlikely Captain John would recognise his breed today. The Sealyham Terrier has become both heavier and more docile and is one of the friendliest of the terrier dog breeds.