per year; this "dead" hair pulls out easily and painlessly with the proper tools. Although some extra grooming is needed for showing (for example, the light-colored soft undercoat is often "carded" from the back to enhance the color of the darker wiry coat), the Glen is intended to have a "rough and ready" appearance, and show grooming requires less effort than in many other breeds. Glens should look tidy but natural, never manicured or clipped, in the conformation ring. Historically, the breed's tail was typically docked to a length just sufficient to serve as a handhold for pulling the dog out of a badger hole. Docking is still standard in the United States, though some breeders have stopped doing it, and an intact tail is not a fault in AKC conformation showing. Many countries, however, ban docking for showing completely. Ireland has banned showing of dogs whose tails were docked on or after March 6, 2014 (the procedure is also itself illegal with very limited exceptions). In the UK, working terriers can still be shown with docked tails, but dogs kept as pets cannot. Health A genetic test is available for progressive retinal atrophy (type crd3), a congenital disorder that gradually results in blindness beginning at about five years of age. As blindness from this cause did not become apparent until well into the breeding years, it was difficult to breed out this trait before the advent of the test. Completely eliminating the defective gene will be tricky even now, as breeding only clear-to-clear would severely restrict choices in an already small gene pool. It is straightforward, however, to produce litters that will never be affected by this type of PRA, even though some individuals in the litter may carry the gene. (Because the trait is recessive, animals with only one copy of the defective gene do not develop PRA, and it is necessary only that one parent be clear to achieve this.) Responsible breeders use the test to plan PRA-free litters and continue to test their animals' eyes annually to validate the test and to monitor for other eye problems. Heart problems are virtually nonexistent in the breed. Some Glen of Imaal Terriers suffer from allergies and skin itching, especially on paws, the typical problem with paws is redness, itching and sores during spells of wet weather. The Glen is not generally affected by the back problems common in