This is by definition only a short history in that the Lancashire Heeler has only been officially recognised by the Kennel Club since 1981. However, whilst there is no definite record of their origins, it is generally accepted that a type of Welsh corgi was used to drive cattle to the north west, where the influence of a local small black and tan terrier type dog was introduced, producing a general purpose farm dog, with the combined qualities of both cattle heeling (which it achieves by nipping the heels and ducking out, thus earning it the nickname of the 'nip and duck dog') and ratting. Evidence is available that the heeler has been known as a purebred in its native county for upwards of one hundred and fifty years, where it is also known as the 'Ormskirk Terrier'.

It is well documented how Gwen Mackintosh from Norfolk took a liking to a heeler owned by a relative back in the early sixties and she began to breed a line of Heelers which went mostly to family and friends. With her interest in the world of showing pedigree dogs under the affix 'Acremead' she started keeping records and from this the breed was put on a more formal footing. Together with several enthusiasts Gwen formed the Lancashire Heeler Club in 1978. The Club formulated a breed standard and began its own register, with dogs being examined to see if they met the criteria for registration, and they began to hold shows and judged the dogs to their own breed standard.

Negotiations with the Kennel Club followed and in 1981 the breed was granted recognition as a rare breed. The first dog to be registered was Gwen Mackintosh's Acremead Bogey. Initially, the Kennel Club only accepted dogs which were registered with the Lancashire Heeler Club but as these dogs were bred from, their progeny were accepted by the Kennel Club. Some dogs had to have their names changed, as they conflicted with affixes already in existence, which sometimes causes confusion for those who study pedigrees. This system continued until 1989, when the Kennel Club announced that they would no longer accept dogs registered by the Lancashire Heeler Club and the register was closed.

Once registered, Heelers were able to be shown at K.C. licensed shows in variety classes. In 1982, Blackpool Championship Show scheduled classes for the breed and eight dogs were entered under Ben Johnson, who had been involved in the initial discussions to get the breed accepted. B.O.B. was Pat Taylor's Tamara of Tapatina (formerly known as Feniscowles Princess Tessy). In 1983 the first Heelers were shown at Crufts, in the 'Not Separately Classified' classes.

Ferelith Somerfield judged the first club show under K.C. rules in 1984. B.O.B. was Mr. Kirks Roseadore Black Beauty of Chesara.

The Lancashire Heeler has become popular in several other countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Holland and more recently the U.S.A. Both Sweden and Finland have their own breed clubs, and the breed's first ever Champion was Darling Marlene in Sweden.

To sum up, we have gone from just three Lancashire Heelers being registered in 1981 to having sixteen sets of Challenge Certificates available to us in 2006.

Jacky Cutler