The Plummer Terrier
breed history
Created primarily to work rat's
and rabbit the Plummer Terrier, named after it's creator Dr David Brian
Plummer, has a mixture of Jack Russell, Fell Terrier, Bull Terrier and
Beagle blood, it has been bred true to type now for over 12 years
considering the breed is relatively new (1960's),
Glenn Welsby,
former PTA chairman and EPTR registrar has largely achieved the
realisation of Brian Plummer. It is such as pity that Brian who died in
September 2003 after a courageous fight against cancer, did not live
long enough to witness the culmination of his dream. Nevertheless his
legacy is being and will be realised, thanks to the efforts of past and
present members of the PTA /PTCGB committee and all the owners and
breeders of these game terriers.
In the late 1960's and the 1970's Brian Plummer worked as a somewhat
reluctant teacher in several schools in south Yorkshire and the
midlands. A self confessed rustic eccentric and seemingly frustrated
academic, Brian's passion was hunting rats with was then his motley pack
of Jack Russell type terriers. On settling in the midlands, living in a
rundown cottage in the countryside surrounding Lichfield, he continued
to teaching and in his spare time hunted rats relentlessly. He
established himself as a leading author of books on hunting various
quarry with lurchers and terriers. An expert regarding the science of
genetics, he strove to produce a unique strain of terrier using the
aforementioned bloodlines with Jack Russell terriers from Seal cottage
lines as a baseline. These terriers were worked hard and, as the breed
developed so too did Brian's reputation as a breeder of hardy terriers
that bred true to type Brian's now legendary dogs during this period in
his frenetic lifestyle were Vampire, who died in 1980 aged 9, was a
veteran of the weekly rat hunts at the local battery hen farm. His
brother Warlock, sister Beltane (who Brian regarded as the "matron" of
his terrier team and indeed prototype of the breed) and probably most
famous Omega, bred by her sire Vampire to his own daughter Janey . Brian
dedicated a whole book to the rat killing abilities of Omega. All of
these terriers showed the characteristic looks of what are now regarded
as Plummer terriers.. (see breed standard)
The Beagle used during the early 60's was out of the Russet show-bred
strain and came from some USA imports owned by Philip Ainstay a fellow
teacher friend of Brain's, brought into the UK to tidy up British
exhibits. Further outcrosses were introduced . The addition of Fell
terrier blood Jaeger from Nigel Hinchcliffe's lines and Flint from Brain
Nuttal's lines, both noted working lines, and most likely descended from
Cyril Breay's stock. Infused refinement of shape and to a certain extent
contributed towards fixing the type. Pagan, a black and tan terrier (F1)
is acknowledged as one of the early pillars of the evolution of the
breed. Further additions included Jack Russell such as Eric Forsyth's
Pip, Alan Thomas's Hamish and Pip from the chiddingfold and Leconfield
foxhound kennels. Unknown Bull terrier blood was added to improve head
and strength of jaw and to improve general toughness/durability in the
field, but Brian later admitted to the PTA that this was his biggest
mistake ,as fighters were rife amongst his stock. The addition did
little at all to improve heads etc and unfortunately brought in many
undesirable traits such as patella luxation and rose ears
.
It must be noted that performance as an earth dog was and is an expected
prerequisite of most if not all terrier breeds and Plummers are no
exception to this rule. At this point it has to be said that two
distinct types began to develop, the smaller more snipey nosed form of
Plummer and the more bully stronger headed types. At this point Brian
opted for the latter, but as we have seen before it is now acknowledged
that in the long term it did the breed no favours. Further out crossing
to bull blood lines was stopped and after several years of painstaking
discipline regarding choice preferable blood lines eventually a distinct
and recognisable type was finally secured.
In the 1980's during one scene of several TV documentaries made about
Brian and his terriers (including Rat Hunting Man and Lone Furrow) he
said he would like his terriers to be known one day as Plummer terriers
and recognised by the Kennel club. In 1985 however he suffered a near
fatal heart attack which resulted in the dispersal of his substantial
pack of terriers to trusted friends. He eventually moved to a remote
croft in Caithness in Scotland and began to write full time. His
terriers were ultimately dispersed far and wide but a few dedicated
individuals ensured Brian's legacy carried on. By the early 1990's most
of the packs important gene pool was found and regrouped albeit in a
smaller scale and the work continued little by little other lines were
sort out and the gene pool was widened sufficiently, to prevent
inbreeding .
The commitment of the some of the breed society's committee to breed only TO
STANDARD terriers has established some order regarding the evolution and
development of the breed and its gene pool . This has seen the production
of some outstanding individual dogs that have stamped their mark on the
development and consolidation of the breed such dogs as Vampire, Hamish,
Rocky, Welsh Viper, Streton Billy, Richlans Billy, and most recently
the associations first supreme champion Wyremead Cerberus. The EPTR
register can trace dogs as far back as 1952.
Of course most breeds have their faults and plummers are no exception
.Early problems encountered by the PTA (c,early1990) such as Patella
Luxation and Perthes Syndrome are currently running at below 2% in the
population. Other problems such as undershot jaws and colouration
patterns etc are now quiet rare. But are always a possible fault to look
out for when breeding to closely.
In a relatively short period of time the breed and its guardians have
come a very long way and both are in a healthy position and looking
forward to the next ten years
