Nine rare Irish puppies born just in time for St. Patrick's Day
About seven years ago, Theresa Nesbitt traveled to Ireland never expecting to fall in love. But that's what happened when a Glen of Imaal terrier, a rare Irish breed, captured her heart.
Nesbitt was walking down a street in Greystones, a town in County Wicklow, when she noticed a scruffy-looking, low-slung terrier with bushy brows and soulful, almost human, eyes. It was Homer, a champion Glen of Imaal popular enough in Ireland to be awarded his own postage stamp. “It was love at first sight,” said Nesbitt, a lifelong animal lover who worked at a zoo as a teenager and considered becoming a veterinarian.
A few days ago, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, the retired physician fell in love all over again, with nine Glen of Imaal puppies born in her St. Charles home.
Since meeting Homer that day in Ireland seven years ago, Nesbitt has become a champion of the “antique” breed, which originated more than 400 years ago and numbers fewer than 1,000 in the United States.
For now, it's a full-time job, since the newborns - wearing tiny color-coded collars to tell them apart - require supplemental bottle feeding.
Bred to eliminate vermin and hunt foxes and badgers, Glens are tough, strong dogs with wiry coats that range from blue brindle (gray) to wheaten (cream). Some breeders, says Nesbitt, want to improve their appearance, make them prettier, more showy. Nesbitt and like-minded owners resist those efforts, preferring the breed's traditional appearance.
“They're 'Game of Thrones' dogs. They're Starks. We don't want to turn them into Lannisters,” she said.
Nesbitt and her husband, Mark, purchased their first Glen, a female named Seanchai (Gaelic for “storyteller”), from a Columbus, Ohio, breeder about six years ago.
At their first meeting, Seanchai - then 7 months old - bolted from her crate and sat on Nesbitt's foot. Staking her claim, Seanchai joined the couple's Australian shepherd. Their canine family expanded in 2014, with the addition of Homer's nephew Oscar. Oscar, America's top Glen of Imaal terrier in 2016, was followed by the female Rua, who is almost 2.
Nesbitt's family grew again when Rosalee, who belongs to another breeder, gave birth to the nine puppies sired by Oscar.
“My passion is protecting and preserving the ancient tradition of these unique dogs,” said Nesbitt, who became a breeder three years ago and takes seriously her role as genetic guardian.
Native to a remote valley in the Wicklow Mountains, south of Dublin, Glens originated in the late 16th century following an Irish insurrection.
After the English put down the rebellion, Queen Elizabeth I awarded land to her soldiers, who arrived with hounds they bred to native canines.
The result was the Glen of Imaal, an energetic, comical dog with a strong prey instinct that Nesbitt says can be tempered by intense socialization and rigorous training when the dog is young.
“They won't back down from a fight,” said Nesbitt, who works to increase appreciation for Glens, which nearly died off during World War II. The breed rebounded during the 1970s and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2004, according to the AKC website.
Determined to preserve the Glens, Nesbit gives priority to potential puppy owners who are willing to breed responsibly.
Anyone interested can contact her through her website, abberannglens.com.
Nesbitt and her husband own nine Glens, although not all of them live with the couple. And in a few months, she and Mark will bid farewell to this latest litter. Her husband will have a hard time saying goodbye.
“He has become a massive devotee,” she said. “He wants to keep all of them.”