Kerry-Blue Terrier

History of origin

The pride of the Irish, the Kerry Blue Terrier has been known for over two hundred years. Initially, these shaggy bluish-gray dogs performed a variety of functions – from guarding the house to grazing and hunting. Therefore, unlike most other terriers, Kerry Blues are not exclusively hunting dogs.

Now it’s impossible to say for certain how exactly this breed appeared, experts suggest that their progenitor was a black and tan terrier (which, I must say, took part in the creation of a whole galaxy of British breeds), which was crossed with an Irish wolfhound – it was for him Terriers owe their gray coat. Then, perhaps, the blood of other terriers (in particular, wheaten and bedlington), bull terriers, and, according to unverified data, poodles, were added to them, which awarded the dogs with curly hair and the ability to fade from black to gray with age.

I must say that at the dawn of their appearance, the Kerry Blue Terriers did not have such a spectacular appearance as they do now, because they were working dogs, in which intelligence, strength and ability to perform their duties were valued, and not appearance. They weren’t given pretty haircuts, so the County Kerry terriers looked like shaggy hair.

Fame came to these dogs when they were first shown at the Crufts exhibition in England, which took place in 1922 – already stylishly trimmed terriers were shown there, which eclipsed everyone with their beauty and elegance. And after the breed was introduced to America, the Kerry Blue Terriers became really popular.

In our country, they are also quite famous, and the first dogs appeared in Soviet times.

Breed description

A medium sized dog that gives the impression of a real athlete. He is not so much muscular as bouncy – his strong paws do not seem to know fatigue. Males are noticeably larger than females. The head is of medium size, the eyes are small, the look is determined and friendly. The ears are triangular in shape, semi-pendulous. The correct shape of the ear is a triangle with a corner bent forward. Moreover, in order to achieve this effect, the auricle is specially glued to the puppies, then the cartilage in it takes the desired shape. The neck is rather long, moderately muscular, the back is straight. The tail was previously docked at 2/3, now this practice is being abandoned more and more. Set high, carried up or carried over back.

The coat is curly, soft, devoid of undercoat. It grows longer on the muzzle than on the body. Doesn’t shed but needs trimming and clipping.

The color is blue from ash to dark gray, on the muzzle the hair is usually darker. A white spot on the chest is not considered a defect. Gray dogs are born black but turn gray with age.

Photos

Character

The Kerry Blue Terrier is such a dog that you will never be bored with. Cheerful, sociable, at any moment he is ready to take off and rush towards adventure. Moreover, if they do not happen to him themselves, he will definitely find them. It seems that a perpetual motion machine is hidden inside these gray terriers.

At the same time, they are very sociable, and they love their family, and especially their only owner, more than anything else. However, all this friendliness applies only to people, but when he sees another dog, a cocky Kerry will surely decide to measure his strength with her and prove that he is cooler. Moreover, it will not necessarily be a dog equal in size to him – the fearlessness of curly Irish extends to all dogs without exception, up to giant mastiffs and great danes. But they don’t see competitors in cats, so they often make friends with them or, at least, ignore them.

In general, these cheerful Irishmen are ideal friends for children, because they enthusiastically support all the games and pranks of the kids.

Historically, in their homeland, among other duties, they guarded houses, so the guard from the carry turns out to be excellent – vigilant and responsible.

These terriers are very fond of long walks, and they are simply crazy about going out into nature. They are ideal for various dog sports, where they consistently show high results.

Care and maintenance

Perhaps the labor-intensive grooming is the only reason why the Kerry Blue Terrier has not yet become one of the most popular breeds in the world. Once every six months, dogs need trimming – plucking out dead hair, which does not fall out on its own and, remaining on the body, forms untidy tangles, and even those dogs whose owners do not dream of their exhibition career should be periodically sheared.

The second feature of the breed is the incredible activity of these dogs – they need long moving walks. However, for some, this will not be a disadvantage, but an advantage of the breed.

And, of course, Kerry Blue Terriers are not the kind of dogs that will stay at home alone for a long time. That is, they will stay, but no one can guarantee the safety of the apartment. The irrepressible energy of curly Irish will find an outlet in the destruction of everything that the dog can reach.

Education and training

Kerry Blue Terriers are highly intelligent and human oriented, making them a pleasure to train. Provided, of course, that the classes will be turned into an interesting game. These dogs do not like to be bored categorically. Some cynologists point to the stubbornness of this breed, which is characteristic of most hunting dogs, but this stubbornness is also a consequence of the active nature of the Kerry – he simply refuses to follow commands that he finds boring.

Also, in no way should rudeness and a system of punishments be used in education. You can scold the dog, but don’t raise your voice or raise your hand. This will achieve nothing but fear and aggression.

Be sure to teach your curly friend to approach at the first call so that, being let off the leash, he does not run away from you, carried away by some interesting game.

Health and disease

Kerry Blue Terriers are one of the healthiest dogs in their entire breed company. They rarely have the scourge of most large and medium dogs – joint dysplasia, and other common diseases most often bypass them. The rest depends on the owners – if they properly feed their pets, walk and communicate with them a lot, vaccinate and prevent parasites on time, the Kerry Blue Terrier can live up to 18 years.

It is also worth remembering that the psychological atmosphere in the family plays an important role. Where there is no peace and harmony, where a nervous situation reigns, the dog will never be happy.

Word to the breeder

Svetlana Karmazina, happy owner of a Kerry Blue Terrier by the name of August von Julius Vincent, in everyday life Yulik: “You can talk about Kerry Blue endlessly and in the highest phrases. And everything will be true. Amazing breed, absolutely versatile.

An intelligent, smart, energetic family member until old age. Easily trained, great with people. Live toy for children. A brave and courageous defender. If the owner wishes, he is an excellent hunter for both burrows and wild boar.

A huge plus for home maintenance – never and nowhere not a single hair fall out.

Once, having got yourself this breed, you will never change it again.

Elena Kuznevova, breeder of the Gallant Hof kennel from Moscow: “The Kerry Blue Terrier is this wonderful companion dog, ready to accompany the owner anytime, anywhere. A great friend for children, a watchman and just a very beautiful animal.

The Kerry’s coat doesn’t shed and doesn’t have a dog-like odor, making him an ideal apartment dog.”

Svetlana Kudryavtseva, breeder of the Lasty kennel from Nizhny Novgorod: “The Kerry Blue Terrier has an outstanding, memorable appearance. The main trump card of the Kerry is the exclusive color and unique structure of the coat – non-shedding, without the smell of a dog, which does not cause allergies. The character of the Kerry is disciplined playfulness, lack of aggression towards humans, but alertness towards other dogs. Energetic, cheerful, not knowing tired merry fellow – that’s what a real carry-blue is!

Ekaterina Dmitrieva, breeder of the kennel “AMAZYNG KERRY’K” from Samara: “The Kerry Blue Terrier is an amazing breed, it was love at first sight! A real terrier in character, but absolutely controllable, always ready to be in the center of events, the main thing is that the owner is nearby. A very intellectually developed, intelligent dog, easily controlled even by a child, and also an excellent nanny for children.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about keeping Kerry Blue Terriers with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.