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Sporting Lucas Terrier

The breeds · terrier

UKC Terrier

Sporting Lucas Terrier.

UKC: a working terrier, to be judged as one; named for Major Sir Jocelyn Lucas, who with the Hon. Mrs. Enid Plummer crossed his hunting Sealyhams with Norfolk Terriers to produce a small, workmanlike terrier 'designed to work in a pack and push game out of thick cover'; today maintained primarily as a working terrier in Great Britain, used to hunt ground vermin and go to ground when required. Terrier World (founder's account): Sir Jocelyn wanted terriers that would go to ground and also hunt as a pack, pushing game from cover toward waiting guns; the Sporting Lucas Terrier Club was formed in 1999 by owners of the 'Raggengill' type bred with Dr Brian Plummer, after a divide with the Lucas Terrier owners over show-type build; Col. David Hancock drew up the club's standard, and a separate 'Hancock line' register takes progeny of a Norfolk Terrier outcross (no more than 50% Norfolk). The club chose UKC over the Kennel Club because UKC caters to functional working dogs. Wikipedia: developed in Scotland from the Lucas Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier and Fell Terriers by Brian Plummer in the 1990s, with a 'tenuous' link to the original Lucas Terrier (uncited); only UKC recognizes it among the major English-speaking clubs. Showsight (2026): the traditional Lucas Terrier should not be confused with the Sporting Lucas, which broke off partly under Plummer's influence when Jack Russell Terriers and other breeds were introduced, and has its own club..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
11–18LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 14 to 18 lb; breed bitches 11 to 15 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 11 to 13 in · bitches 10 to 12 in

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC prints a desirable range, so center is blank.

Weight

dogs 14 to 18 lb · bitches 11 to 15 lb

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

The UKC and the club founder's account differ at the top (15 versus 13 lb); both stand. Center blank.

Coat

UKC: double-coated; the outer coat is harsh and stiff, straight, lying close to the body, about 1.5 in long; the undercoat thick and dense. Colours: predominantly white with markings of any shade of brown, grizzle or badger-grey, and black with or without tan; or any shade of brown, black and tan, or grizzle and tan; small white markings acceptable on chest, brisket and feet. Tail set level with the topline, carried erect, normally docked to just under 4 in, with no animal penalized for a full tail. Terrier World: small, stiff-coated, sturdy, strong-headed working terrier. Wikipedia: harsh, shaggy coat.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC standard; the club account and Wikipedia agree on a harsh coat.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · UKC: double coat with a harsh outer coat about 1.5 in long and a thick, dense undercoat.

DerivedUnited Kennel Club

Derived from the UKC coat description (medium-length double coat = 3 on the ruled scale). No measured data.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Energy

UKC temperament: determined, self-confident, lively, bustling, alert, keen to hunt, fearless but not foolhardy, physically robust, active without being hyperactive, independent-minded yet responsive to training; friendly by nature, extroverted but not dog-aggressive, not prone to give tongue without good reason; not immediately welcoming with strangers.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC standard only.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

UKC: a working terrier, to be judged as one; named for Major Sir Jocelyn Lucas, who with the Hon. Mrs. Enid Plummer crossed his hunting Sealyhams with Norfolk Terriers to produce a small, workmanlike terrier 'designed to work in a pack and push game out of thick cover'; today maintained primarily as a working terrier in Great Britain, used to hunt ground vermin and go to ground when required. Terrier World (founder's account): Sir Jocelyn wanted terriers that would go to ground and also hunt as a pack, pushing game from cover toward waiting guns; the Sporting Lucas Terrier Club was formed in 1999 by owners of the 'Raggengill' type bred with Dr Brian Plummer, after a divide with the Lucas Terrier owners over show-type build; Col. David Hancock drew up the club's standard, and a separate 'Hancock line' register takes progeny of a Norfolk Terrier outcross (no more than 50% Norfolk). The club chose UKC over the Kennel Club because UKC caters to functional working dogs. Wikipedia: developed in Scotland from the Lucas Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier and Fell Terriers by Brian Plummer in the 1990s, with a 'tenuous' link to the original Lucas Terrier (uncited); only UKC recognizes it among the major English-speaking clubs. Showsight (2026): the traditional Lucas Terrier should not be confused with the Sporting Lucas, which broke off partly under Plummer's influence when Jack Russell Terriers and other breeds were introduced, and has its own club.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

The sources disagree on the breed's origin (UKC: Sir Jocelyn Lucas and Enid Plummer; Wikipedia and Showsight: Brian Plummer in the 1990s; Terrier World: a split in the Lucas Terrier Club). All stand. The Sporting Lucas Terrier is not the traditional Lucas Terrier.

Primary game

UKC: ground vermin, above and below ground. Terrier World (UK use): rats, mink and fox.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC states no species; the club founder's account names rats, mink and fox.

Also used on

Terrier World: tracking wounded deer so they can be humanely dispatched; instinctive and willing retrievers, some making names for themselves on partridge and pheasant shoots; some success in agility. UKC history: pushing game out of thick cover.

Breed clubIan McGrother

Single club-side account.

Search pattern

UKC: 'willing to hunt ground vermin above and below ground'; persevering in difficult working conditions; no hesitation in tackling ground quarry, with an offensive approach but never out of control; 'not prone to give tongue without good reason'; faults: unwillingness to go to ground, excessive hardness. Terrier World: less aggressive than most terriers so will hunt as a pack if needed; tremendous noses; work both above and below ground. Pack work is stated in the UKC history.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC states voice (not prone to give tongue without reason); pack versus single comes from the UKC history and the club account.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Most common disorders

Terrier World (club founder's account): no known genetic problems; the club watches closely for luxating patella; all breeders are asked to have dogs checked by a vet before breeding, and only pups from cleared parents may enter the breed register; the gene pool was limited, hence the Norfolk outcross.

Breed clubIan McGrother

Club statement, undated, not a survey.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 2 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Every breed, read the same way.

The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.

All published breeds

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