Animals / Dogs

Lancashire Heeler

History of occurrence

The origins of the Lancashire Heeler are not clearly defined, but it has been suggested that when cattle were herded from Wales by Corgis to slaughter in the Ormskirk area, the ‘Welsh heeler’ met the Manchester Terrier, with obvious results. Certainly, the breed is found in that area and has been bred there for many generations. The Heeler is an intelligent, eager-to-please fellow, with a love of people. The breed is trainable but does best under a firm, kindly owner. He is possessed of a prodigious amount of energy in his small frame.

General form

Small, powerful, sturdily built, alert and energetic worker.

Отличительная особенность породы Lancashire Heeler

Head

Head: in proportion to body. Skull : flat and wide between ears, tapering towards eyes which are set wide apart. Stop: moderate, equidistant between nose and occiput. Nose: black or brown, in accordance to coat colour. Muzzle: tapering towards the nose. Lips: firm. Jaws/Teeth: scissor bite – jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and setsquare to the jaws. Under or overshot to be discouraged. Eyes: almond-shaped, medium size, dark colour except in liver brown where they may be lighter to match coat colour. Ears: showing alert lift, or erect. Drop ears showing no lift undesirable.

Body

Neck: moderate length, well set into shoulders. Topline: firm and level, never dipping at withers or falling at croup. Loin: short. Chest: well sprung ribbing, extending well back with close coupling.

Paws

Forequarters: Shoulder: well laid. Elbow: firm against ribs. Forearm: amply boned. Metacarpus (Pastern): pasterns allow feet to turn slightly outwards, but not enough to cause weakness or affect freedom of movement. Forefeet: small, firm and well padded. Hindquarters: General appearance: muscular. From rear should be parallel, when moving or standing. Stifle (Knee): well turned. Hock joint: well let down. Metatarsus (Rear pastern): never bandy or cow hocked. Hind feet: small, firm and well padded.

Tail

Set on high, left natural. Carried over back in a slight curve when alert, but not forming a complete ring.

Wool

Hair: fine undercoat is covered throughout by weather resistant, short, thick, hard, flat topcoat. Topcoat is slightly longer on neck. Undercoat should not show through topcoat nor allow any longer hair at the mane to stand off. Long, or excessively wavy coat is highly undesirable. Colour: black and tan or liver brown and tan with pigment to tone with coat colour, with rich tan spots on cheeks and often above eyes. Rich tan on muzzle and chest and from knees downwards, inside hind legs and under tail. A distinct black or liver mark (thumb mark), according to coat colour, immediately above front feet is desirable. Richness of tan may fade with age. White to be discouraged. A small white spot on fore-chest -although permissible is undesirable.

Movement

Smart and brisk. Natural, free movement.

Size

Height at the withers:   Males — 30 cm. Females — 25 cm.

Character

Works cattle but has terrier instincts when rabbiting and ratting. Courageous, happy and affectionate to owner.

Maintenance care

The coat is low-maintenance, and regular brushing with a firm bristle brush should keep it in good shape. Bathe your Lancashire Heeler only if he really needs it. Lifespan — 9-14 years.

Dignity

This breed is a good dog for apartment living. It is very active indoors and will do okay without a yard as long as it is properly exercised.  This breed will do okay in colder climates as long as it has proper shelter.

Difficulty keeping

It needs to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk.

Diseases

Some common diseases seen in the Lancashire Heeler include Collie eye anomaly, primary lens luxation, and persistent papillary membrane, all of which affect the dog's sight.
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