Glen of Imaal Terrier
The Glen of Imaal Terrier comes from a remote valley in the Wicklow mountains, where smallholders kept it to work fox and badger and, by tradition, to turn a kitchen spit by…
About the Glen of Imaal Terrier
The Glen of Imaal Terrier comes from a remote valley in the Wicklow mountains, where smallholders kept it to work fox and badger and, by tradition, to turn a kitchen spit by treadmill. It is a heavy dog on short, bowed front legs, built for strength underground rather than speed above it.
Height is about 35.5 cm and weight around 16 kg, which is a great deal of dog for the height, in a harsh medium-length coat over a soft undercoat, coloured wheaten, blue or brindle. Puppies often change colour considerably before maturity. This is one of the quieter terriers and not a habitual barker, and a stud that is calm and sound with its own kind is worth seeking out, since the breed can be scrappy with other dogs.
The breed has a DNA test for cone-rod dystrophy, an inherited retinal disease, and no Glen should be used at stud without it. An annual eye examination sits alongside that result rather than replacing it. Hip scoring is worth asking about given the front assembly and the weight it carries, and so is a patella assessment. Ask how the dog's relatives have aged, and whether any has had persistent skin trouble.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Glen of Imaal Terrier
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — crd3-PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, cone-rod dystrophy 3) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Too few dogs of this breed have been scored (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years: 1 dog) to give a meaningful breed median. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Glen of Imaal Terrier stud dogs
No Glen of Imaal Terrier studs are listed right now
When a Glen of Imaal Terrier on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Glen of Imaal Terrier litters
No Glen of Imaal Terrier litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
