Core Papers for Ireland's Quiet Terrier
A Glen of Imaal Terrier puppy should come home with a signed contract, registry paperwork, a lineage covering at least three generations, a litter veterinary record, and microchip papers ready to transfer. The contract should identify the puppy by sex, wheaten, blue, or brindle colouring, and chip number, and should set out the health guarantee, return terms, and any breeding conditions in clear language. Glens are among the rarest terriers, bred to work badger and fox in the Wicklow mountains while staying silent at the job, and their breeders tend to be preservation-minded — the folder should show that care, because replacement documents may be very hard to chase later.
The Eye DNA Result Matters Most in a Glen
One inherited eye condition, a form of progressive retinal atrophy specific to this breed's history, can be identified by a DNA test, and that result is the single most important screening paper in a Glen folder. Ask for the DNA status of both parents — clear, carrier, or affected — and a recent eye examination as well, with copies that match the lineage names. Hip evaluation is also commonly discussed for the breed despite its low build. A breeder who can show you exactly how a pairing keeps affected puppies from being produced is demonstrating genetics in action, and your vet will want those results on file from the first visit.
Built Low and Strong: Growth Guidance in Writing
A Glen puppy is a substantial, muscular dog on short legs, with a front that turns out slightly by design — the breeder's care sheet should explain what correct Glen structure looks like so you do not mistake breed type for a fault, or miss a real problem. Look for written guidance on keeping the puppy lean, managing stairs and jumping off furniture while growth plates are open, and sensible exercise for a dog built for power rather than speed. The litter vet record should note legs, gait, and joints were examined, alongside heart, bite, and hernia entries, and the breeder's weigh-ins give your vet a curve to follow.
Coat, Character, and Early-Life Notes
The Glen's harsh double coat is usually maintained by stripping rather than clipping, so the breeder's grooming routine — and how much handling the puppy already accepts — should be written down for you and your groomer. Ask also for socialisation notes: Glens are typically steady and gentle at home but were bred with a strong prey drive, so a record of what the litter has met — children, household sounds, other animals at a distance, car rides — helps you continue that education safely. Parents' temperaments are worth discussing in detail, since in a breed this small numerically, every pairing is a deliberate choice.
A Small Breed Deserves a Complete File
Once home, transfer the microchip, file the registry transfer beside the lineage, and visit your vet within days with the parents' eye DNA results in hand. Add weights, grooming notes, and any later examinations to the same folder as they happen, so the record stays continuous rather than reconstructed. For a dog that may be one of very few Glens your vet ever treats, a thorough file genuinely improves the care it receives. Brought together in KinsLe, the Pet Passport stores a Glen of Imaal's lineage, eye DNA results, and vet history in one packet that makes that care easier to give.