Do Glen of Imaal Terriers Shed?

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a mid-sized Irish Terrier that hunted vermin such as otters, badgers, foxes, and rats. Its sweet personality combined with its scruffy appearance and short legs makes this dog an irresistibly cute breed.

Does the Glen of Imaal Terrier shed much?

Glen of Imaal Terriers are low shedders despite their double coats. This is due to the rough texture of the outer coat. They will shed marginally throughout the year and seasonally.

Grooming the Glen of Imaal Terrier, however, requires frequent brushing and very occasional hand stripping. So they may not shed much, but grooming them takes some effort.

I’m sure you have lots more questions about the Glen of Imaal Terrier, especially its grooming and shedding. In this article, I’ll talk about that as well as the history of the breed and whether this Terrier is considered hypoallergenic.

Let’s begin! 

Glen of Imaal Terrier Shedding

The Glen of Imaal Terrier–aka the Glen–is a low-shedding breed.

This dog has that much in common with its other Terrier brethren, including the Manchester Terrier.

Let’s talk a little bit about the Glen’s coat so you can understand more about its shedding behavior. This breed is double-coated for weather resistance.

The undercoat, which is closest to the Terrier’s body, is soft. While the outer coat features a rough texture that, while not wiry, is hard and has even been described as harsh.

It’s that outer coat that prevents the Glen of Imaal Terrier from shedding excessively. As you’ll recall if you’ve read about the other Terriers I’ve discussed on the blog, rough outer coats shed less frequently due to their texture.

Yet since the Glen has a dual coat, it will likely shed seasonally, although not in large quantities. This will happen two times per year.

The first period of seasonal shedding is in the late autumn in time for the winter. Double-coated dogs will puff up their coats for the cold season.

The second time of year that seasonal shedding occurs is in the spring ahead of the summer weather. A dog’s coat becomes thinner to withstand the heat and humidity that’s just around the corner.

Then there’s the regular shedding that occurs in any dog breed, the Glen of Imaal Terrier included. This shedding, like its seasonal coat drop, will lead to few hairs being shed in the Glen.

Grooming Your Glen of Imaal Terrier

Grooming the Glen of Imaal Terrier is moderately difficult.

The dog’s blue or wheaten scruffy coat requires brushing once per week. This will control their shedding and can prevent your dog from looking shaggy. Of course, some people prefer a shaggier Glen, in which case, use a pin brush.

When brushing the Glen, focus on its furnishings, which are longer areas of softer fur that grow on its belly, legs, neck, and ears. These areas are more prone to painful mats, so don’t skip a brushing.

The Glen’s coat also requires you to hand strip it. The good news is that you only have to do this a couple of times per year, between two and three times.

If you’re unfamiliar with hand stripping, I talked about it in my article on Lakeland Terriers. It’s a grooming method that requires you to pull out long parts of your dog’s fur by hand.

Since the fur you’re removing is dead, hand stripping shouldn’t hurt your Glen. You mustn’t pull too hard though!

If you want to see how to hand strip your Glen of Imaal Terrier, here’s a YouTube video that shows you how it’s done.

Although hand stripping can take a long time to do, it’s beneficial for the dog. Your Glen’s coat will look shiny, colorful, even, and bright. The American Kennel Club mentions that hand stripping could even increase your bond with the Glen.

Of course, you don’t have to hand strip your dog if you’re not comfortable doing so. Some groomers offer this service, so call around and ask if any in your neck of the woods will do it. Since the Glen needs such infrequent hand stripping, it’s easy enough to relegate this job to the groomer.

The time will inevitably come to bathe your Glen of Imaal Terrier. You can do this about every three months unless your dog is dirty and stinky.

Always brush your Glen before bathing him. This breed has no special bathing requirements, but please put a bathing mat in the sink or tub, bathe with lukewarm water, and use a shampoo formulated for dogs.

About monthly, you’ll have to trim your Glen, especially around its face. The dog’s tail and toe hair can also get unruly without regular trimming. You can trim with dog grooming scissors.

Are Glen of Imaal Terriers Hypoallergenic?

One thing you may still wondering about the Glen of Imaal Terrier is how hypoallergenic this breed is. Before I get into that, I want to refer you to this shedding guide, which explains what a hypoallergenic dog is (and isn’t) in detail.

In short, no dog is ever truly hypoallergenic, so if you’re allergic to pet dander, all dogs can potentially aggravate allergy symptoms to an extent, including the Glen of Imaal Terrier.

That said, some breeds are less likely than others to cause symptoms in allergy sufferers.

And the reason for this is because pet allergies are mostly triggered by pet dander, not their fur. However, since the dander (dead skin) can hitch a ride onto shed fur and float throughout your house, the more a dog sheds, the less hypoallergenic it is.

Knowing that, let’s assess the Glen and how hypoallergenic this breed is.

On the plus side, Glens shed very little.

However, a dog’s size also determine how hypoallergenic it is because the greater the surface area, the more skin there is to shed, which can make a breed less hypoallergenic.

Glens are mid-sized dogs with an average height of 12.5 to 14 inches in adulthood. They also weigh 32 to 40 pounds. So they have more skin to shed than smaller breeds.

And they’re not listed as hypoallergenic on the AKC website.

So, overall, it seems as though the Glen of Imaal Terrier is only marginally hypoallergenic. Which means allergy sufferers should probably proceed with caution.

About Glen of Imaal Terriers

Are you still wondering if the Glen of Imaal Terrier is the perfect canine companion for you? Here’s some information that may help you decide.

The Glen of Imaal Terrier hails from the Glen of Imaal, County Wicklow, Ireland. As mentioned earlier, it’s among four different Irish Terrier dogs. Other nicknames for the Glen are the Wicklow Terrier and the Irish Glen of Imaal Terrier.

Glens existed in the days of Elizabeth I’s reign into the late 1590s. They hunted creatures such as otters and badgers. The breed was also beloved as a companion dog and was great at herding as well.

Fun fact: it wasn’t until 2004 that the AKC added the Glen of Imaal Terrier to its dog registry.

The Glen is a bright, brave, yet gentle dog that’s incredibly affectionate, even lovey-dovey. If you want a dog who will become your shadow, the Glen could be the right pick.

Glen of Imaal Terriers don’t require a lot of exercise, only moderate amounts. However, they’re bigger dogs despite their stubby legs, so they might feel a little cooped up in a small apartment.

Homeowners don’t need a large fenced-in yard to keep this dog happy, which is nice. The Glen likes short walks, especially as a puppy, and can be trained into taking longer walks. Keep the walks fun and reward with treats.

The Glen can be independent, and while he likes human companionship, that’s not always the case for other dogs. Even if you socialize your Glen, later in life, the dog could become snippy and aggressive towards other canines in the house.

If you have rodents or rabbits as pets, it’s probably best not to bring a Glen home. Their hunting instincts can kick in! However, Glen of Imaal Terriers can get along with cats if you take the time to slowly acclimate the animals to one another.

The relationship between a Glen and a child is much more amiable.

These dogs enjoy the presence of kids. Rethink having small kids around a Glen of Imaal Terrier though, as the dog sometimes doesn’t know its own strength.

Bottom Line

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a mid-sized double-coated breed that sheds little. That’s due to its tough layer of outer fur. This Irish Terrier was favored for hunting until it became the companion dog that we know and love today.

Although grooming the Glen is more time-intensive, its grooming routine is not overly difficult. Combined with its love of affection and its easy exercise routine, the Glen of Imaal Terrier could be the wonderful companion dog you’ve been looking for!