To our knowledge, the only terrier breed of Ireland not defined by a single color is the Glen of Imaal Terrier. From the AKC breed standard: Wheaten, blue or brindle. Wheaten includes all shades from cream to red wheaten. Blue may range from silver to deepest slate, but not black. Brindle may be any shades but is most commonly seen as blue brindle, a mixture of dark blue, light blue, and tan hairs in any combination or proportion.

Wheaten is recessive to brindle in Glens, which means both parents have to pass this color on for a puppy to be wheaten, while brindle is dominant to wheaten, and only one parent needs to pass it on for the youngster to be brindle. Glen of Imaal Terriers also possess the “greying gene” which is believed to cause the eumelanin pigment in hair to break up and degrade more easily. Hair doesn’t “hold” pigment the same way it would normally, and new hairs that begin to grow are the normal color, then lose color as they grow and age.

To send you off, we share 1:33 moments of Glen of Imaal Terrier and puppies. Enjoy!

Image: “Sitting Glen” by Cynthia Crawford
http://galleries.creaturekinships.com