Collection: Personalised Sealyham Terrier Gifts

This charming breed of terrier has mixed ancestry and it is easy to see the different breeds that have influenced its physical appearance. Friendly and affectionate with enchanting characters, they are now rather a niche breed due to low numbers. ‘Sealies’ as they are affectionately known as are said to be a breed that gets right under your skin and loyal owners maintain that once you have had a Sealy, then you will never have another dog.

First bred by a gentleman called Captain John Edwards in the 19th century, he was looking to create the perfect hunting dog and named the breed after his estate. Their exact derivation is thought to be the result of a cross between Pembroke Welsh Corgis - the Sealyhamd estate is located near Fishguard and Haverfordwest - and the Cheshire Terrier now extinct, with possibly some Highland Terrier in the mix and Dandie Dinmonts. Sadly, if Captain Edwards kept any breed records, they no longer survive today.

The Sealyham was originally bred to hunt foxes, badgers and rather unusually (although not for those times) otters. For this reason, they needed to be small enough to ‘go to ground’ which means to go underground and catch the animal in its burrow or den. They were deliberately bred to have white coats so they were highly visible and couldn’t be mistaken for prey.

The Sealyham Terrier was a favourite of Princess Margaret in contrast to her sister who was very much devoted to the Corgi. Recognised by the Kennel Club in 1910, they are now listed as a vulnerable breed and litters of puppies are scarce.

Despite their cute looks, a Sealyham is still a terrier and so can be independently minded and quite feisty. However, in the home, they are a calm breed bordering on lazy so suit a number of environments. They have quite a high prey drive so are not always a good mix with small furries like hamsters or gerbils.