The Irish Terrier, “Daredevil” of the Emerald Isle, is a bold, dashing, and courageous terrier of medium size. Known for his fiery red coat and a temperament to match, the Irish Terrier is stouthearted at work and tenderhearted at home.
Terrier
Irish Terriers are the prototype of a long-legged terrier. Standing about 18 inches at the shoulder, they’re sturdy but lithe and graceful. Every line of the body is eye-catching, and the overall picture is beautifully balanced. The tight red coat is as fiery as the breed’s temperament. ITs are a dog lover’s delight: If your heart doesn’t go pitty-pat at the sight of this Technicolor terrier framed against the vivid greens of the Irish countryside, forget dogs and buy a goldfish.
For hundreds of years the Irish Terrier has been a fixture of rural Ireland—the very model of an all-purpose farm dog. A tenacious ratter, of course, but a dog with this much spirit and cleverness can’t be contained by a single job description. ITs have earned their feed as watchdogs, flock and family guardians, and hunting companions on land and lake. The breed’s type as we know it was set sometime in the 1870s, and ITs joined the AKC in 1885.
The over-all appearance of the Irish Terrier is important. In conformation he must be more than a sum of his parts. He must be all-of-a piece, a balanced vital picture of symmetry, proportion and harmony. Furthermore, he must convey character. This terrier must be active, lithe and wiry in movement, with great animation; sturdy and strong in substance and bone structure, but at the same time free from clumsiness, for speed, power and endurance are most essential. The Irish Terrier must be neither “cobby” nor “cloddy,” but should be built on lines of speed with a graceful, racing outline.
The Irish Terrier should be fed a high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior) and activity level. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet or the dog’s breeder if you have any questions or concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should always be available.
The Irish Terrier’s short coat requires regular brushing, stripping, and trimming to keep it in good condition. His dense and wiry broken coat hugs the body and creates a tight, water-resistant jacket. Underneath the stiff outer coat, a dense undercoat of softer, finer hair traps body heat on a cool, damp day. Ideally the outer coat should be hand-stripped rather than clipped. Weekly brushing will help to remove dirt and loose hair and keep the dog looking his best. The nails should be trimmed regularly, as overly long nails can cause the dog discomfort.
The Irish Terrier is lively, playful, and outgoing, possessing abundant energy. Irish Terriers are great athletes and need regular exercise, so a fenced backyard is ideal. Failing this, they require walking—always on a leash—several times a day to maintain mental and physical fitness. Although willful, the Irish Terrier wants to please his owner and excels as a show and performance dog. Obedience, agility, rally, earthdog, and flyball events provide an outlet for the breed’s energy, natural athleticism, and intelligence.
The Irish Terrier is very smart and willing to please, though he also tends to be strong-willed, independent, and challenging. Early and consistent socialization and basic obedience training help to ensure he will be a well-mannered member of your household who is comfortable with family and friends. Training quickly establishes a bond between you and your Irish that will last a lifetime. Consistent use and reinforcement of early training should be a lifelong process. The Irish Terrier is a smart, quick dog who quickly adapts to new situations. This breed is great with children when raised with them and is deeply loyal to his owner. Pups require firm boundaries so they will grow into respectful adults.
Irish Terriers are generally healthy dogs, but there are some issues that the breed can be prone to. Hyperkeratosis (hardened, cracked footpads) is rare in North America but may be carried in dogs from European lines. A genetic test has recently been developed for this condition. Cystinuria (resulting in bladder stones) is also uncommon, but there is no genetic test for Irish Terriers. Prospective owners should ask about these two diseases and only work with reputable breeders. As with all breeds, the Irish Terrier’s ears should be checked regularly for signs of infection, and the teeth should be brushed often, using a toothpaste designed for dogs. Regular visits to the vet for checkups and parasite control help to ensure the dog a long, healthy life.
The over-all appearance of the Irish Terrier is important. In conformation he must be more than a sum of his parts. He must be all-of-a piece, a balanced vital picture of symmetry, proportion and harmony. Furthermore, he must convey character. This terrier must be active, lithe and wiry in movement, with great animation; sturdy and strong in substance and bone structure, but at the same time free from clumsiness, for speed, power and endurance are most essential. The Irish Terrier must be neither "cobby" nor "cloddy," but should be built on lines of speed with a graceful, racing outline.
The most desirable weight in show condition is 27 pounds for the dog and 25 pounds for the bitch. The height at the shoulder should be approximately 18 inches. These figures serve as a guide to both breeder and judge. In the show ring, however, the informed judge readily identifies the oversized or undersized Irish Terrier by its conformation and general appearance. Weight is not the last word in judgment. It is of the greatest importance to select, insofar as possible, terriers of moderate and generally accepted size, possessing the other various characteristics.
Long, but in nice proportion to the rest of the body; the skull flat, rather narrow between the ears, and narrowing slightly toward the eyes; free from wrinkle, with the stop hardly noticeable except in profile. The jaws must be strong and muscular, but not too full in the cheek, and of good punishing length. The foreface must not fall away appreciably between or below the eyes; instead, the modeling should be delicate. An exaggerated foreface, or a noticeably short foreface, disturbs the proper balance of the head and is not desirable. The foreface and the skull from occiput to stop should be approximately equal in length. Excessive muscular development of the cheeks, or bony development of the temples, conditions which are described by the fancier as "cheeky," or "strong in head," or "thick in skull" are objectionable. The "bumpy" head, in which the skull presents two lumps of bony structure above the eyes, is to be faulted. The hair on the upper and lower jaws should be similar in quality and texture to that on the body, and of sufficient length to present an appearance of additional strength and finish to the foreface. Either the profuse, goat-like beard, or the absence of beard, is unsightly and undesirable. Teeth: Should be strong and even, white and sound; and neither overshot nor undershot. Lips: Should be close and well-fitting, almost black in color. Nose: Must be black. Eyes: Dark brown in color; small, not prominent; full of life, fire and intelligence, showing an intense expression. The light or yellow eye is most objectionable, and is a bad fault. Ears: Small and V-shaped; of moderate thickness; set well on the head, and dropping forward closely toward the outside corner of the eye. The top of the folded ear should be well above the level of the skull. A "dead" ear, hound-like in appearance, must be severely penalized. It is not characteristic of the Irish Terrier. The hair should be much shorter and somewhat darker in color than that on the body.
Should be of fair length and gradually widening toward the shoulders; well and proudly carried, and free from throatiness. Generally there is a slight frill in the hair at each side of the neck, extending almost to the corner of the ear. Shoulders and Chest: Shoulders must be fine, long, and sloping well into the back. The chest should be deep and muscular, but neither full nor wide. Body: The body should be moderately long. The short back is not characteristic of the Irish Terrier, and is extremely objectionable. The back must be strong and straight, and free from an appearance of slackness or "dip" behind the shoulders. The loin should be strong and muscular, and slightly arched, the ribs fairly sprung, deep rather than round, reaching to the level of the elbow. The bitch may be slightly longer than the dog. Stern: Should be docked, taking off about one quarter. It should be set on rather high, but not curled. It should be of good strength and substance; of fair length and well covered with harsh, rough hair.
Should be strong and muscular; thighs powerful; hocks near the ground; stifles moderately bent.
The feet should be strong, tolerably round, and moderately small; toes arched and turned neither out nor in, with dark toenails. The pads should be deep, and must be perfectly sound and free from corns. Cracks alone do not necessarily indicate unsound feet. In fact, all breeds have cracked pads occasionally, from various causes. Legs moderately long, well set from the shoulders, perfectly straight, with plenty of bone and muscle; the elbows working clear of the sides; pasterns short, straight, and hardly noticeable. Both fore and hind legs should move straight forward when traveling; the stifles should not turn outward. "Cowhocks" - that is, the hocks turned in and the feet turned out - are intolerable. The legs should be free from feather and covered with hair of similar texture to that on the body to give proper finish to the dog.
Should be dense and wiry in texture, rich in quality, having a broken appearance, but still lying fairly close to the body, the hairs growing so closely and strongly together that when parted with the fingers the skin is hardly visible; free of softness or silkiness, and not so long as to alter the outline of the body, particularly in the hindquarters. On the sides of the body the coat is never as harsh as on the back and quarters, but it should be plentiful and of good texture. At the base of the stiff outer coat there should be a growth of finer and softer hair, lighter in color, termed the undercoat. Single coats, which are without any undercoat, and wavy coats are undesirable; the curly and the kinky coats are most objectionable.
Should be whole-colored: bright red, golden red, red wheaten, or wheaten. A small patch of white on the chest, frequently encountered in all whole-colored breeds, is permissible but not desirable. White on any other part of the body is most objectionable. Puppies sometimes have black hair at birth, which should disappear before they are full grown.
Bold, Dashing, Tenderhearted
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