Sporting Lucas Terrier
Encyclopedia
The Sporting Lucas Terrier is a small breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

 of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 of the terrier type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....

. The breed is named for Jocelyn Lucas.

Appearance

A short-legged working terrier that must be small and narrow enough in the chest to go to ground when required. About twelve inches at the withers, and about 15 lbs. in weight. The harsh shaggy coat
Dog coat
Dog coat can refer to:*rug , jacket or blanket for a dog*coat , dog's fur or hair...

 is white with dark patches, or various combinations of brown, black and tan or grizzle and tan.

History

The Sporting Lucas Terrier was developed in Scotland (firstly in Mey, Caithness and later in Abington, South Lanarkshire) from the Lucas Terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...

, and various Fell Terriers
Fell Terrier
Fell Terrier refers to a regional type of long legged working terrier, not a specific breed of dog.- Description and purpose :Fell terriers are types of small working terriers developed in the Fell country of northern England and used as hunting dogs. They may be crossbred or purebred...

 by Brian Plummer
Brian Plummer
Brian Plummer was a Welsh writer. He became famous after an appearance in 1977 on Richard Whiteley's Calendar regional news programme, in which a ferret became 'latched' onto Whiteley's fingers.Growing up in the austere years around World War II, Plummer based some of his biographical stories in...

 in the 1990s, in an effort to create a good working terrier. In 1999 the Lucas Terrier Club de-listed all of Brian Plummer's dogs as they "did not want infusions of other terrier types introduced into their bloodlines". Breed clubs were then set up for Plummer's dog, and it became the Sporting Lucas Terrier, despite the fact that the connection to the original Lucas terrier is tenuous.

The Lucas Terrier was created by Major Jocelyn Lucas in the 1930s, in an effort to breed a Sealyham Terrier that could go to ground
Working terrier
A working terrier is a small type of dog which pursues its quarry into the earth. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the name dates back to at least 1440, derived from early modern French terrier - from the medieval Latin terrarius from the Latin terra .With the growth of popularity of...

, from Sealyhams and Norfolk Terrier
Norfolk Terrier
The Norfolk Terrier is a British breed of dog. Prior to gaining recognition as an independent breed in 1960, it was a variety of the Norwich Terrier, distinguished from the "prick eared" Norwich by its "drop ears"...

s. Today it has returned to being primarily a pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...

 and showdog.

Another breed of terrier developed by Brian Plummer is the Plummer Terrier
Plummer Terrier
The Plummer Terrier is a working terrier, and like all working terriers, it is a composite animal.- Origins :The Plummer Terrier is mostly made out of Jack Russell Terrier, with a strong dash of Beagle , and Bull Terrier...

. It is similar, but bull terrier was also used, and the dog developed a reputation for quarrelsomeness.

Recognition

Of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world, only the United Kennel Club
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...

 (US) recognises the Sporting Lucas Terrier, in their Terrier Group
Terrier Group
Terrier Group is the name of a breed Group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. In general, a Terrier Group includes one particular type of dog, the Terrier, although other types may be included in a kennel club's Terrier Group...

. It may also be recognised by any of the very large number of specialty dog clubs, dog sports clubs, minor registries, and internet based breed registry businesses.

The primary breed club for the Sporting Lucas Terrier, which was founded in 1999 after the split with the Lucas Terrier, is The Sporting Lucas Terrier Club. Mr. Plummer (Sept 11th 1936 - Sept 12th 2003) is deceased.

Further reading and external links

  • Tales of a Rat-Hunting Man by Brian Plummer, Publisher: Lyons and Burford Publishers, 1997, ISBN 1558215956

the Sealyham Terrier and the Norfolk Terrier.
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