| The people of Lancashire are fond of the Lancashire
Heeler as I can remember there were many around
in the 1950’s and 1960's, these little dogs were also
known as black and tans or Ormskirk Heelers.
A large amount of the people who owned them were
the older generation who kept them as pets. They were
bred and used by local farmers for herding their
livestock as they nipped the heels of the sheep and
cows without breaking the skin, hence the name
Heeler. Lancashire Heelers were mostly given free to
friends from the farmers in the outlying districts and
were used for ‘chasing rabbits’ or ‘ratting’. Then people
in the small towns and villages began to breed them
mostly as pets, as they are excellent at alerting their
owners of oncoming predators be they two or four legged,
they are also good as hot water bottles on a cold night,
and for anyone who enjoys a small lively dog they are
a joy to be around.
In the 70’s a group of Lancashire Heeler enthusiasts
got together and formed a club, The Lancashire Heeler
Club, in 1978 they wrote a breed standard to give an
overall guide as to what the dog should aspire to. They
then under the guidance of a lady, Mrs Gwen
Mackintosh, managed in the early 80’s to get this
lovely breed recognised by the Kennel Club and are
now shown at shows all over the country. Indeed
many have been ‘exported’ to various parts of Europe
and more recently America. Audrey
Copyright Audrey Bancroft |
