History of the Lucas Terrier

The Lucas Terrier is a very rare and endangered British breed. As of today there are 83 dogs documented in the US. We don't have an accurate figure world-wide, but know it is a small one!

But the breed was not always so rare.

In the late 1940’s, Sir Jocelyn Morton Lucas of Great Britain, a great terrierman and British war hero, feeling that the Sealyham Terrier was too big and exaggerated to work efficiently - and allegedly concerned about the increase in whelping deaths at own his famous Ilmer kennels - crossed his petite Sealyham Terrier females with carefully chosen Norfolk Terrier males, creating the dog we now know and love as the Lucas Terrier.

Born in 1889 to a wealthy, aristocrat family and educated at the finest schools, Sir Jocelyn Lucas was both a World war I and II  war hero, a Member of Parliament and a sporting dog authority. His llmer kennel of Sealyham Terriers were among the most sought after Sealyhams in the world - making the cover of time magazine in the 1950’s  and patronized by such notables as  Sir Alfred Hitchcock , HRH Princess Margaret, and the King of Denmark, etc.

But by the late 1940’s, the 1920’s classic Sealyham Terrier, that Sir Jocelyn preferred, had fallen out of favor. In its place was the much larger and exaggerated show dog that is common today.

Sir Jocelyn, first and foremost was a sportsman. He wanted a terrier that could work with him in the fields, streams and tunnels all day long. The large exaggerated show Sealyhams , with their fluffy, beautiful, silky coats that had become in fashion, were useless to him as a sportsman. In fact, they disgusted him and he blamed the show ring for the breeds decline in form over function. It was his opinion that any idiot could be beautiful - but he respected dogs that were also smart and functional. Taking hours to groom a "working" dog did not make it functional. Having a working dog that was too large to fit in a pipe or a tunnel like any terrier should, did not make it functional.....it made it useless in Sir Jocelyn's eyes.

Also, disposition was very import to Sir Jocelyn. He would not keep any fighters or biters in his kennel. He demanded health, smarts, hard-work and good dispositions. But by the 1940's the average Sealy had gotten a reputation for fighting and nipping. Sir J would not tolerate this at his kennel.

Sir Jocelyn was adamant in his belief that kennel club recognition - which led to the show ring - ruined the classic Sealyham working terrier of the 1920's that he loved. He was not alone in thinking this. This train of thought is still being debated in some circles today. In fact, a recent documentary by the BBC illustrates this point. (Here is a link to the BBC documentary: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7560000/newsid_7569000/7569064.stm)

So, according to Sir Jocelyn - fed up with with the breeding for exaggerated beauty - and fed up with losing puppies whenever bred to a show-hulks - he looked around for another terrier that had the qualities he admired that he could breed his petite, first-time mothers to. After an exhaustive search, he decided on the Norfolk Terrier and went to the best breeder in all of the United Kingdom – Miss Marion Scott Macfie of Colonsay Kennels - to purchase his first Norfolk dog - Colonsay Cuffer. To his surprise, his crossbreed puppies proved so smart, attractive and willing to work - he had no trouble finding homes for them. He then bred his first "crossbred" dog back to a pure bred Ilmer Sealyham bitch and the official Lucas Terrier was born.

Aided for years by his long-time kennel manager and business partner, Mrs. Enid Plummer, Lucas Terriers were shipped all over the world to well-heeled homes that fell in love with these adorable dogs that were sweeter, smarter and less intense than either of their parents

Although Sir Jocelyn turned the day to day running of his kennels over to Mrs. Plummer in the 1950's, he stayed actively involved with the breeding of his namesake for many years.

A well-respected officer and Lifetime member of The Kennel Club - the British equivalent of the AKC - he never approached the KC about formally recognizing his little dog. If he had, they surely would have recognized the Lucas Terrier as a “pure breed” as Sir Jocelyn was one of the most respected dog-men of his day on either side of the pond.

Instead, our club history tells us that he made it a condition of his will that the Lucas Terrier never be formally recognized by any kennel club. He, Mrs Plummer and Jumbo Frost, all wanted the Lucas Terrier to remain an un-exaggerated breed and kept out of the show ring.

Sir Jocelyn died in 1980 and Mrs Plummer followed in 1986. The breed almost died out with them. Some people in the UK felt that it should. But thanks to the efforts of three dedicated persons who formed at first a Lucas Terrier Society - later changed to The Lucas Terrier Club - the breed has been on the mend in the UK ever since. In large part to a single remarkable woman - the late Jumbo Frost.
   

In the US, the breed was very popular between the 1960's through the 1980's. It is rumored that a famous astronaut owned one named Pilot. But since no US club existed back then - and no official documents where kept. The dogs came and they faded away.

In 2006, the Lucas Terrier Club of America was founded to work in concert with The Lucas Terrier Club in the UK, to save the breed on this side of the pond. In 2006, only 36 Lucas Terriers could be documented in the US. In 2011 that number has grown to 83. But the delightful little Lucas Terrier is still very rare and endangered on our shores.

To take advantage of today's technology, the US club publishes an electronic newsletter - The Lucas Post - that is emailed to its membership around the world. And Lucas Lovers from around the world can also meet daily in cyber-space on our Facebook page Lucas Terrier  Lovers. Recently we added a "Help Forum" to Facebook that members seem to really like - thanks to Lynette Langford of Great Britain who came up with that innovative idea.

Thanks to advances in artificial insemination, the geographic boundaries that once limited breeders are less of an an issue. We can now breed across the pond if we need to find our best mate over there. Thanks also to sperm banks, samples can be taken from male dogs, frozen, and saved for generations to come. Just as Sir Jocelyn was a man ahead of his time. The US club is taking advantage of the latest in science and technology too. We think Sir Jocelyn, a forward thinker,  would approve.

Select Historical Pictures From Our Proud Past