Glen of Imaal Terrier

A healthy Glen of Imaal Terrier typically lives 12 to 15 years, with some reaching higher. The two diseases that most affect outcome are crd3 PRA and degenerative myelopathy — PRA reduces quality of life but not lifespan, while DM is fatal late in life. Both are DNA-testable, so a Glen from fully tested lines, kept lean to protect its hips, has excellent odds of a long, sound life.

Because the Glen is a chondrodysplastic (dwarf) breed and its growth plates — especially the distal ulna in the front legs — are vulnerable until about 12 months old. Repeated impact from jumping off furniture, out of cars, or down steep stairs during that window can fracture or prematurely close a growth plate, permanently bending the front legs. Lifting the puppy down and limiting jumping for the first year prevents an irreversible, costly deformity. After the growth plates close, normal activity is fine.

Generally yes — this is a real, defining trait, not marketing. Glens were bred for steady, gritty work and tend to be quieter, less hyper-reactive, and more patient at home than the classic high-strung terrier. They bark less and settle more readily indoors. But "calmer terrier" is not "no terrier": they retain a genuine prey drive toward small animals and a stubborn streak in training, so they still need a securely fenced or leashed environment around wildlife.

With family children, generally yes — Glens are sturdy, gentle, and patient, and their robust build tolerates normal kid handling better than fragile small breeds. They are often fine with dogs they know. The reliable caution is small pets: an intact terrier prey drive makes cats, rabbits, and rodents a real risk, especially with adult Glens not raised alongside them. Supervise, and do not assume a Glen will ignore a fleeing small animal.

At minimum the crd3 PRA DNA test and the degenerative myelopathy DNA test — both diseases are breed-specific, serious, and entirely DNA-screenable, so there is no excuse for untested breeding stock. Hip evaluation (radiographic/OFA) is also expected given the breed's roughly 30% hip dysplasia rate, and patella checks are reasonable. Ask for written results showing how the pairing avoids producing affected puppies, not just that the parents were tested.

Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive, painless, ultimately fatal spinal cord disease — the canine equivalent of ALS — identified in Glens in 2019. It causes gradual hind-limb weakness and loss of coordination late in life, eventually leading to paralysis, with no cure. The reassurance is that it is DNA-testable: buying from lines that test and breed away from it sharply reduces risk. If an older Glen develops painless rear-limb weakness, ask for a neurology assessment rather than assuming it is just arthritis.