The Lucas Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier type which originated in England in the late 1940s. The breed was created by Sir Jocelyn Lucas at his Ilmer Kennels in Watford, Hertfordshire. All living authentic examples can trace their ancestry back to a small number of his original Ilmer Sealyham dogs, and resulting Lucas Terrier progeny.
History
, a well-known huntsman and Sealyham Terrier breeder in the first half of the 20th century, was disappointed with the direction the Sealyham was headed since its appearance in conformation shows, especially large heads and heavy shoulders. At his famous Ilmer kennels in Hertfordshire, he decided to cross one of his own Sealyhams, considerably smaller than the mainstream Sealyham bitches found in show rings at the time, with Norfolk Terrier dogs. In later years, Lucas' kennels were managed by the Hon. Mrs Enid Plummer, who continued the breeding programme at Ilmer as he became less involved in the 1950s.Sir Jocelyn died in 1980, Mrs Plummer moved to Cornwall with some of the remaining dogs in the late 1970s, where she continued the breeding programme until she died in 1986. Jumbo Frost took on the task of managing the breed effort from Mrs Plummer. Frost succeeded in expanding the breed with her dedication and foresight, until her own passing in 2009. During that time she oversaw a transformation in the fortunes of the breed, by firmly setting the breed type and formalizing the breed standard, and by establishing the Lucas Terrier Club. Frost was instrumental in careful widening of the gene pool during her tenure; as a result, the standard for the original, traditional-type Lucas Terrier as defined by Sir Jocelyn remains fixed today. This is a distinctly different type from the 'Sporting Lucas Terrier' developed in the late 1990s.
Appearance and temperament
The Lucas Terrier is a sturdy, symmetrically built, working animal, like an old-fashioned Ilmer Sealyham type, created only by breeding a Lucas Terrier from the original lines with a Norfolk Terrier or with a small Sealyham Terrier. A latter-day Norfolk Terrier mated with a latter-day Sealyham Terrier does not produce a Lucas Terrier because it will not trace back to the original Lucas Terrier lines. Lucas Terriers possess superb, even temperaments and have been bred for companionship, although there are an increasing number of working Lucases to be found around the world. The standard states that they be friendly, with no aggressive tendencies towards people or other dogs, and not fearful or nervous, while retaining the usual terrier traits. The coat should be fairly harsh, weather resistant and of medium length. The majority are tan, black and tan or saddle and tan, although the Sealyham Terrier coloration of predominantly white is also commonly found, as is a red shading, due to its Norfolk blood. Traditional-type Lucas Terrier dogs should weigh no more than 14–20 lbs and bitches 11–17 lbs.
The Original Club
The Lucas Terrier Club is an informally run, private British organisation developed for the purposes of preserving and promoting the Lucas Terrier, and to offer assistance to breeders in sourcing registered Lucas Terriers or dogs of parent breeds for the continuance of the breed. The Club holds and maintains a register of more than 700 past and present Lucas Terriers around the world.
The Lucas Terrier in the U.S.
The Lucas Terrier Club of America was established in 2006. A separate, American Lucas Terrier Society, formed in 2012, later merged with the LTCA. In January 2020 the LTCA formally ceased operations. Today, stewardship for the breed is now exclusively managed by the United Lucas Terrier Association, or ULTA, a nonprofit organization formed in late 2019, which works closely with the English Lucas Terrier Club to ensure the future of the breed.
In 1999 a breakaway club, known as the Sporting Lucas Terrier Club, was formed to register and promote a terrier which has some degree of Lucas Terrier in its make-up but also outcrosses to other breeds, including the Fell Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier. By definition, dogs from these breedings are not, strictly speaking, Lucas Terriers, but rather an independent breed all their own. In 2003 a separate Sporting Lucas Terrier Association was also formed in the United Kingdom. These clubs operate entirely independently of the LTC and ULTA.
