The origins of the Lancashire Heeler are not clearly defined, but it has been suggested that when cattle were herded from Wales by Corgis to slaughter in the Ormskirk area, the ‘Welsh heeler’ met the Manchester Terrier, with obvious results. Certainly, the breed is found in that area and has been bred there for many generations.

The Heeler is an intelligent, eager-to-please fellow, with a love of people; he enjoys being with children because he likes joining in games. He is trainable but does best under a firm, kindly owner; he can be a handful if he is not kept occupied as he is possessed of a prodigious amount of energy in his small frame. If he gets excited, he can revert to his calling and take a nip at the rear end of anyone who is handy, but he is not basically a ‘biter’, being content to warn the intruder by noise accompanied by a furiously wagging tail. He has a hearty appetite to go with his super-abundant energy.

He requires only a damp chamois-leather and a quick brush to restore him to acceptable in-house cleanliness. He is reasonably friendly to other dogs, but has a tendency to want to be the pack-leader. If he lives with other pack-leader candidates, this may cause problems.

He is tough, basically very sound in construction, and doesn’t ail a great deal, although it might be hard to tell if he is out of sorts as he doesn’t like to admit it.