Lancashire Heelers

By Joan P Smith

© 2000

The origin of the Lancashire Heeler is not fully known, though research shows that the Lancashire Heeler came into being hundreds of years ago, when the farmers of Wales using the Welsh Corgi and the farmers of Lancashire using the Manchester Terrier had to herd their cattle to the Northern cattle sales and markets, here these two breeds met and the result was a small Black and Tan dog, with a natural herding instinct, the Lancashire Heeler as it is known today, was found to work the cattle and sheep without injuring them by nipping the wayward animals heel, immediately laying down flat so that when the animal kicked out (as is its instinct), the ensuing kick would go over the head of the Lancashire Heeler.

The Lancashire Heeler has been recognized by the British Kennel Club since 1981 when the breed was first placed on the Rare Breeds Register, at this time the Lancashire Heeler was the smallest breed of dog in the "Working Group".  This changed in 1999 when the Lancashire Heeler was given C.C. status by the British Kennel Club, which means that dogs within the breed can become "Champions", to become a Champion the Lancashire Heeler has to first win three Challenge Certificates.  At the same time the "Working Group" which was the largest of all the groups, was split into two the new group is known as the "Pastoral Group" which is made up of the breeds that are bred to work cattle and sheep in the field.  The Lancashire Heeler is one of the breeds moved into the new group, and it now has the privilege of being the smallest breed in the "Pastoral Group"

There are still Lancashire Heelers in Lancashire who are doing the job they were originally bred for, our oldest bitch indeed came from a farm where the dogs worked the cattle and sheep on a daily basis, and one of our puppies is working successfully on a farm in Lancashire herding Dairy Cattle.

The Lancashire Heeler has one characteristic of it's very own the "Heeler Smile" when very happy or contented the Lancashire Heeler will draw back its lips and show all its teeth, this is a sight to be seen, and one I have not seen in any other breed.

The Lancashire Heeler is a very loyal and loving dog, and as such it makes a wonderful "family" pet, they are good with children and other dogs especially when they are brought up together.  Being a dog bred for working the Lancashire Heeler loves to go for long walks, but it is equally at home curled up on your knee watching the television or playing in the garden.

The Lancashire Heeler is a low set active worker, which works cattle, but has terrier instincts when rabbiting or ratting, it is a happy dog which is very affectionate to its owner, as said previously the Lancashire Heeler is a small breed, Dogs measuring 30cms (12 inches) Bitches measuring 25cms (10 inches) to the shoulder.

As a show breed the Lancashire Heeler is a Free Standing, Table Dog, being shown on a loose lead, and examined by the Judge on a table.

All reputable Lancashire Heeler breeders have their puppies eyes tested for any hereditary defects, as it has been found that there is a small instance of "Collie Eye" and Lens Luxation within the breed, the eye test is done as a precautionary measure, to try to ensure that any hereditary defects are not passed on to future generations, any dogs found to have hereditary eye problems would not and certainly should not be bred from again.  This apart the Lancashire Heeler does not suffer from any other Hereditary defects, such as is found in many breeds of Pedigree Dogs e.g. back problems, hip problems, hearing problems etc. 

The Lancashire Heeler as with any other breed should be wormed regularly for Round Worms and Tape Worms.  All Lancashire Heelers should receive the normal inoculations as a puppy followed by yearly booster inoculations, in England these cover such things as Parvo Virus, Distemper, Kennel Cough the Rabies inoculations are not a normal part of this scheme unless you plan to take your dog abroad to Europe under the new "Pet Passport" scheme which is on trial at present.

The Lancashire Heeler is a short coated breed, but the coat length may vary slightly depending on the time of year, the normal coat colour is Black with rich tan markings on the muzzle, with spots on the cheeks and above the eyes, from the knees downwards, with a desirable thumb-mark above the feet, inside hind legs and under the tail.  There should be no white on the Lancashire Heeler apart from a very small spot on the fore chest which is permitted but not desired, the Liver and Tan colour has now been added to the breed standard, all the features should be the same except where Black it would be a Liver colour with a slightly lighter eye colour to match the coat colouring.  One of the best features of the Lancashire Heeler is its tail, which is set on high, left natural and is carried over the back in a curve when alert.

The Lancashire Heeler is an easy breed where grooming is concerned, the coat naturally goes through a moulting period once or twice a year, usually in the Spring and Autumn.  The Lancashire Heelers Coat does not need any trimming or any special grooming regime to keep it looking sleek and shining, like black silk, just a daily brushing is all that is required, and a bath as and when required.  When the Lancashire Heeler gets wet either by the rain or by swimming in any available water (the Lancashire Heeler loves to swim) a nice rub down with an old towel, followed by a quick brushing brings the coat quickly and easily back to its former glory.  You should regularly treat your dogs coat against the old enemies "Fleas and Ticks", there are many preparations available for this purpose but I would always advise the use of one prescribed by your Veterinary Surgeon, as they have the best products, and can advise you on how regular this treatment should be given,  One other part of any breed of dog that is often overlooked is the teeth, which can quite easily be kept clean, we use a specifically made dog toothpaste and a small child sized toothbrush, if the Lancashire Heeler is taught from an early age that it is a nice game to have their teeth cleaned, they will find it a very enjoyable experience, and they will thank you for the small amount of time you put into cleaning their teeth in later life, another way to help keep the teeth and gums healthy is to give your dog a nice hide bone or hard rubber chew, these gibe your dog a lot of pleasure, for a very small outlay, and can save a lot of money for having to have bad teeth extracted later in life.

The Lancashire Heeler has good strong, firm feet, the claws should be kept short to avoid any discomfort, and the "Dew Claws" should not be forgotten when the claws are trimmed , with a little practice this is a procedure that you can carry out simply and easily, without having to pay a dog beautician or veterinarian, again this should be made a pleasurable experience when the dog is still a puppy, always make sure that the nail clippers you use have a good sharp blade so that the claws are cleanly cut.  When the dog gets plenty of exercise on hard surfaces the claws would only need cutting once every month or two.

The Lancashire Heeler is a fun loving dog full of natural curiosity and stamina who loves to play with all kinds of toys and anything else that it thinks is a toy, as I said earlier exercise is good for both owner and dog, it keeps both of you fit and healthy, and forms a firm bond between you.  The Lancashire Heeler will walk as far as you want it to, and could given the chance walk the same distance again, without any great effort, one thing to mention at this point is that when you take your dog out it should always wear a good strong collar, preferably of soft leather with an engraved disc giving your name, house number and postcode and most importantly a telephone number, the collar should then be attached to a lead for the safety of your dog.  I do not advise the use of chain collars or harnesses as these can ruin your dogs spirit and freedom of movement as well as damaging the coat,  Swimming is also good exercise for your dog, but try to make sure that the water you dog wants to swim in is safe and free from any hidden obstacles, currents, or pollution.

The Lancashire Heeler likes to be a member of the family and to live in the house with plenty of freedom to express their personalities and the infinite love they have to offer.  As Working a lot of breeders do keep their Lancashire Heelers in outside kennels.

All our Lancashire Heelers have been born and raised within a family unit and have been intrigated into the family from day one of life, this we find is the best way, as the puppies get used to people, noise and other dogs without any stress or unnecessary upset.

From an early age it is wise to teach your dog to travel safely on car journeys, all ours travel in pet carriers this is for their own safety, in case of any accidents.  They each have their own carrier complete with their own favourite bedding, chews and toys, they snuggle down and wake up safe and happy at the journeys end.

Food is the Lancashire Heelers favourite word, the Lancashire Heeler being a small dog does not cost a lot to feed, a good balanced diet, using one of the good quality proprietary brands of dried food the Lancashire Heeler would cost less than £5.00 per week to feed, and as these feeds contain all the vitamins and minerals required to keep your dog healthy, any supplements would only be given by choice saying this though we do like to give our own Lancashire Heelers fish in oil once a week to keep their coats shiny and healthy and their muscles supple.

The Lancashire Heeler is gaining in popularity not just in Britain, but world-wide, at present there are not any noticeable differences within the breed as most dogs abroad have been bred from stock in Britain.  The Lancashire Heeler when matured is a "Stocky Dog" and as a puppy should have plenty of bone and a good body with well sprung ribbing, the top-line should be level and a strong neck of moderate length, the ears on a grown dog should be erect or showing alert lift, and should have a firm mouth with strong jaws the teeth should be formed to give a perfect, regular "Scissor Bite".

To sum up the Lancashire Heeler in a few words is difficult but I will try

The Lancashire Heeler is a "Big Dog" within a small dogs body, he/she has the courage and stamina of a German Shepherd or Rottweiller, but with a special gentle loving nature that eats deep into your heart, and forms a lifelong special rapport and bond between dog and owner.