Kerry blue terrier: breed description, haircuts and contents

An active dog with good health - the Kerry Blue Terrier, is rightfully the subject of Irish national pride. Among his abilities are cattle grazing, guard duty, excellent scent that helps in the fight against small predators. For more than a century and a half, dogs with a rare blue color have been proving their superiority in dog shows and sports competitions.

The Irish Blue Terrier got its name from Kerry County, a mountainous area whose main activity is sheep grazing. It was here that the breed acquired a recognizable phenotype and working qualities, for which it is especially appreciated. According to various sources, a blue hue of wool was acquired by dogs as a result of crossing Irish wolfhounds, wheaten, Bedlington terriers, fox terriers, and a Spanish water dog. There is no exact information about the selection process, since for a long time the breeding took place autonomously, within the county, among the herding farms.

Only beautiful legends have survived, according to which the Kerry Blue Terriers were secretly obtained from the knightly wolfhounds or even from the dogs of the King of Spain, who appeared on the island as a result of a shipwreck.

Since 1922, the start of the breed's show career began. At the legendary Crufts show, about 20 individuals were shown for the first time, and after 3 years the first official club was created. FCI's own standard for the Kerry Blue Terrier was adopted in 1963. In the USA, the breed was recognized back in 1922.

The characteristic description of the Kerry Blue Terrier breed description emphasizes the uniqueness of its phenotype and composition. Back in 1928, it was this dog that was awarded the title of “almost perfect”, and since then its appearance has not undergone any special changes. Interestingly, the blue color of the wool in one of the three variants it acquires only after 18 months - until that time the shade of the spine can be dark gray, graphite and even black, brown spots are allowed.

Adult Kerry Blue Terrier has the following shades of coat, recognized by the standard:

• Ideal blue - saturated blue tone, is most rare;

• Blue fantasy - with a predominance of pearl and silver, darkening at the tips of the ears, tail, muzzle, paws;

• Blue style - dark, saturated steel with gradation to blackened silver.

Other articles of the breed, the standard describes as follows.

1. Weight 15-18 kg for males, females are more elegant. The height at the withers ranges from 44.5 to 49.5 cm.
2. The coat is plentiful, wavy, soft.
3. The limbs are strong, with a pronounced hock joint and graceful elbows. The back is more muscular, with the right set. Paws are compact, with rounded pads, black claws.
4. The tail of the correct set, directed up. Almost does not go down.
5. Body with deep, well-defined chest, straight back, proportional lower back.
6. The neck is long, well developed, with the right set relative to the shoulders.
7. The head with a rich coat, expressed by a "beard", is quite massive in males, more elegant in bitches. The stop is weakly expressed, the skull is harmoniously developed, the muzzle is of medium length. The nose is always black, as is the pigmentation of the gums, the palate of the dog. The teeth are large, white, closed in a scissor or straight bite.
8. Eyes are proportional, dark brown or deep hazel. Located correctly, without a bevel, the view is clear.
9. The ears are medium sized, located on the sides of the head, with a bend directed forward.

For the Kerry Blue Terrier is not characterized by elongation, the elongation of the body - it is a strong dog with pronounced muscles, lively and mobile. Malformations are cryptorchidism, hard or “wire” coat, any color variations other than permissible. Excluded light pigmentation of the palate and flesh-colored claws, a clarified nose.

The breed standard clearly indicates its typical character - with the tenacity and liveliness of a classic terrier. This is a dog with a penetrating clever look, good intelligence. For Kerry Blue Terriers, early socialization is very important.

The puppies of the Kerry Blue Terriers are charming mischievous, curious and friendly. They are equally friendly to children and adults, they love games and physical activity. Dogs of this breed are incredibly photogenic, love to pose. With the right loads, the puppy’s turbulent emotionality will not cause much trouble - after games and pranks, he will definitely want to relax.

A striking feature of the character of the Irish Blue Terrier is sociability. They feel great in the family, love country walks and trips. It is not recommended to leave the dog alone for a long time, because of longing, he can make a real commotion in the house. Another distinguishing feature is natural aristocracy and pride. With this dog will have to seek compromises, negotiate, find a common language.

Kerry blue terriers, like many compact dogs, are considered centenarians.On average, representatives of the breed live for at least 13 years, but there are cases when dogs managed to celebrate their 18th birthday. Irish blue terriers lack a pronounced tendency to develop genetic diseases.

Organizing good conditions for keeping the Kerry Blue Terrier is quite simple. Animals easily adapt to living in an apartment, and to the conditions of a country house. But for street content they are not suitable. It is very important to provide the dog a sufficient level of motor activity, to ensure her freedom of movement.

On walks, an active Kerry Blue Terrier should be kept on a leash at least in the city - the hunting roots of the dog always make themselves felt.

When organizing care for an adult dog you need to pay maximum attention to controlling her eyes. They need to be cleaned daily of contaminants, inspected. Also, the pet will need brushing, clipping. Ears are periodically cleaned of impurities with a cotton swab and a special antiseptic solution. Mandatory antiparasitic treatment of wool, deworming.

Puberty in dogs of the Kerry Blue Terrier breed occurs in the period of 7-9 months, girls grow up a little earlier. During estrus, animals need special care, additional hygiene procedures. Dog mating is permitted no earlier than upon reaching 1.5 years, when the formation of the skeleton is completed.

Kerry blue terrier is a breed of dog that needs regular grooming. In addition, they need to be combed, preventing the formation of warlocks. Before grooming dogs must be washed, dried with a hairdryer. Among the essential elements of animal care should be present brushes with natural bristles, metal combs with curved teeth and rare straight teeth. Do not do without a furminator.

The regularity of haircuts for Kerry Blue Terriers is very important. The optimal frequency is at least 4 times a year, combing is done every 2 days.

Existing schemes for grooming Kerry Blue Terriers remain similar, but different models and silhouettes allow you to give your pet a bright personality. The procedure will be as follows.

1. Dog grooming is carried out on a clean, well-combed coat. The first zone is the auricles, parietal region, temples, throat. The coat is cut short enough by the machine, in the area of ​​the edge of the ears the line is formed using scissors.
2. Haircut from the tail to the parietal zone. Scissors and a comb are used here, the direction of movement is against the growth of wool. First, a small strand is separated, then it is cut off with scissors. So the entire surface of the back to the sides is treated.
3. The anal area is cut short by the machine, while the “panties” at the top are processed.
4. The paws and lower part of the chest retain the natural length of the coat, it combs in the direction from top to bottom.
5. Beard and mustache are combed, trimmed as necessary. A clear silhouette should be maintained, directed strictly forward. Excess hairs on eyebrows are trimmed with scissors.
6. The lower parts of the legs are processed with scissors to give a beautiful silhouette.

When cutting according to the scheme, it is important to observe a number of points that are important. All transitions between areas with long and short hair should be as smooth and soft as possible. The bangs are formed on the transition zone from the forehead to the muzzle, above it the spine is removed almost to zero, the hairs between the ears are slightly longer. Eyebrow trimming is performed in the direction from the outer corner of the eye to the bangs.

In the mouth from the corner to the second premolar, the hair on the face is cut short, forming a harmonious connection with the cervical region. The mustache at the end of the muzzle should turn into a beard. On the sides of the mouth, the length remains so that the hair does not get into the mouth while eating. Mowing the tail implies giving it a conical, slightly flattened shape on the sides.

Among the popular options for the silhouette of the Kerry Blue Terrier are:

• exhibition - while maintaining a clear silhouette only by breed;

• hygienic - with the removal of all the wool by the machine, tow marks on the legs, beard, bangs are preserved;

• home or fantasy option - you can leave the length where you want, or cut the spine throughout the body to the same length.

Active and requiring attention puppies of the Irish Blue Terrier from the first days of stay in the house should have comfortable conditions for accommodation. They need their own place with a couch or a spacious basket. You need to equip it in the owner’s room - at first, the puppy will miss his mother, whine, and a little caress, stroking at night will calm him down.

Will have to take care of the pet’s leisure. Kerry blue terriers are quite energetic dogs, and there must be a sufficient supply of toys for them at home. Suitable balls, bones, sticks made of rubber or silicone. The only thing you should refrain from is turning into household items toys, old bags, slippers. Under the ban rubber figures with "tweeters" (the dog can swallow them).

Take the puppy in your arms very carefully, their muscular system is rather weak. Unnecessarily, it is better not to show tenderness in this way and to exclude the unlimited manifestation of emotions from young children. You need to raise the baby correctly necessarily supporting the area under the chest and croup.

Up to 3 months old puppies of Kerry Blue Terriers can hardly get used to a certain place to visit the toilet. Until free-range is started, it is worth putting several trays with absorbent diapers in the house. You do not need to scold the baby for mistakes, but it’s definitely worth praising for the correctly performed ritual.

Kerry blue terriers from an early age should get used to the manipulations body care, eyes, ears. An adult dog will undergo regular grooming, and patience is best raised in a pet in advance. It is worth getting a special table at home and conducting daily examinations of eyes and ears on it, combing the puppy. Often, washing both the baby and the adult dog is not necessary. For bathing, special products are selected that preserve the natural protective substances on their skin and coat.

The diet of Kerry Blue Terriers should consist of products that are safe and healthy for his health. Both puppies and adult dogs are recommended a menu with a predominance of protein products. No less 50% of the total amount of food received should be lean meat (chicken breast, veal, lamb) - it is given about 300 g per day. Rice and buckwheat are allowed from cereals - they are well boiled, mixed with other ingredients.

Vegetables - a source of useful fiber, must be present in the dog's diet without fail. You can give any products raw, except for cabbage, legumes. They are given in combination with a dressing made from natural vegetable oil. Among sour-milk products for curry blue terriers, cottage cheese is recommended, it can be prepared independently from fresh milk.

It is recommended to add to the natural diet vitamins and mineral complexes recommended by the veterinarian observing the dog.

If the dog spends most of the day alone or several pets, it is worth transferring them to dry food. Ready-made food already contains all the necessary components, but for a dog with a plentiful coat, it must be selected especially carefully. It is better if the dog receives high-quality super-premium food.

When included in the diet of prepared feeds, having access to water is of great importance for the proper functioning of the digestive system. Bottled water is used for drinking, automatic drinkers can be used. The feeding regimen is determined based on the age of the pet:

• in 2-3 months the puppy gets food 4 times a day;
• juniors must have 3 feeds per day up to six months;
• From 6 to 12 months, dogs are transferred to double meals.

Kerry blue terrier dog that is highly amenable to training. With proper preparation, they can carry out guard duty, participate in hunting. Dogs of this breed have well-developed abilities for burrowing, hunting otters, and rats. You can let the dog off the leash only outside the city, outside busy bus routes and other sources of danger. On a suburban area, the Kerry Blue Terrier can act as a protector of livestock, birds from small predators.

Dog walking should be carried out only on a leash and in a collar. Harnessing a compact terrier is not very useful. From puppyhood, it is worth teaching a pet not to bark over trifles - the loud voice of a pet can become a serious problem when it is kept in multi-unit housing.

During training It is important to make this process less burdensome for the animal. Short sessions of 15 minutes are recommended to alternate with the game. Exercises are worth changing, otherwise they will quickly get bored with the dog. Representatives of the breed often create difficulties in training due to increased emotionality, they so want to please the owner that they are mistaken, are inattentive.

Look at the features of the Kerry Blue Terrier dog breed in the next video.