Glen of Imaal Terrier

Calmer than many terriers, but can be stubborn.
A Glen of Imaal Terrier
Photo: Irish-Terrier-2023
Adult male
14–18 kg
31–40 lb
Adult female
13–16 kg
29–35 lb
Lifespan
12.1 yrs
Class · Companion

What it's like

In temperament the Glen is spirited and brave, but it is less excitable than many terriers and is often calm indoors. It is gentle and affectionate with its household but can be stubborn, and it does not back down easily from other dogs.

Day to day
Activity
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
With people
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Independence
Decides for itself
Around the home
Sensitivity
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Quiet
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
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Living with one

It has a coat of medium length. Most of the shedding comes when the seasons change. Plan on brushing a few times a week, plus daily brushing through the seasonal moult. It needs a moderate amount of exercise compared with other breeds.

Size and growth

A Glen of Imaal Terrier is a medium dog, about the weight of a grown Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Males end up a little heavier than females.

The dog is low to the ground and longer than it is tall, with powerful forequarters, slightly bowed front legs and feet that turn out a little. Its head is broad with a strong muzzle, and its small ears are either rose-shaped or half-pricked. A harsh outer coat of medium length lies over a soft undercoat. The coat comes in wheaten, blue or brindle, and wheaten puppies are often born darker and lighten as they grow.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 5 months, a male Glen of Imaal Terrier puppy is already as heavy as a grown Pug. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
11 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight8
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
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051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
3.0–3.9 kg 6.6–8.6 lb
3.7–4.5 kg 8.2–9.9 lb
3 months
4.5–5.8 kg 9.9–12.8 lb
4.7–5.8 kg 10.4–12.8 lb
4 months
6.5–8.4 kg 14.3–18.5 lb
6.4–7.9 kg 14.1–17.4 lb
5 months
8.4–10.8 kg 18.5–23.8 lb
7.7–9.5 kg 17.0–20.9 lb
6 months
10.0–12.9 kg 22.0–28.4 lb
8.8–10.8 kg 19.4–23.8 lb
7 months
11.2–14.4 kg 24.7–31.7 lb
9.6–11.8 kg 21.2–26.0 lb
8 months
12.1–15.5 kg 26.7–34.2 lb
10.2–12.6 kg 22.5–27.8 lb
9 months
12.7–16.3 kg 28.0–35.9 lb
10.7–13.2 kg 23.6–29.1 lb
10 months
13.1–16.8 kg 28.9–37.0 lb
11.1–13.7 kg 24.5–30.2 lb
11 months
13.4–17.2 kg 29.5–37.9 lb
11.5–14.1 kg 25.4–31.1 lb
12 months
13.6–17.4 kg 30.0–38.4 lb
11.8–14.5 kg 26.0–32.0 lb
15 months
13.9–17.9 kg 30.6–39.5 lb
12.4–15.2 kg 27.3–33.5 lb
18 months
14–18 kg 31–40 lb
12.9–15.8 kg 28.4–34.8 lb

Lifespan

In UK vet records, the typical Glen of Imaal Terrier lived to about 12 years, shorter than the typical medium breed. The group was small, so treat the figure as rough.

Where it comes from

The Glen of Imaal Terrier comes from a remote valley in mountainous County Wicklow, farmed by descendants of soldiers granted land there in the 16th and 17th centuries, whose terriers hunted badger and fox and, according to some, turned meat spits in a wheel. Recognised by the Irish Kennel Club in 1934, it needed a working certificate to become an Irish champion until badger trials were banned in 19664,10,11.

The Glen of Imaal Terrier stayed a little-known farm dog long after it gained recognition in Ireland. Smallholders kept it as a vermin killer and general worker rather than a show dog. Britain's Kennel Club recognised the breed in the nineteen-seventies, and the American Kennel Club followed in the early two-thousands. It remains uncommon in both countries. It was bred to go to ground after badger and fox, and it was expected to work silently, closing with its quarry instead of baying at it.

Breed standard

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is judged against standard no. 302, in group 3, Terriers4.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Glen of Imaal Terrier figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a medium-sized breed is most likely somewhere in the middle.

Compare with related

Cairn Terrier
Terriers · Small
American Pit Bull Terrier
Terrier · Medium
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Terriers · Medium
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Terriers · Medium
Or compare the Glen of Imaal Terrier with any breed you choose
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Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·