Irish Terrier

The Irish Terrier is one of the rather old breeds bred in Ireland. This is a small golden-red dog with a capricious character and a stormy temperament. The Irish Terrier is called the “sun” dog of the captivating charm or the “brave devil” because of boiling energy and courage. The Irish Terriers were owned by Jack London and Canadian Prime Minister The Hon. William Lion MacEenzy King.

Breed history

The Irish Terrier is a mysterious breed whose documentary evidence has not been preserved. The Irish themselves argue that its origins should be sought in the depths of history, since the terriers appeared before the return of its patron saint Patrick to Ireland. And, according to historical documents, it happened in 432. Officially, the breed started talking in the middle of the XIX century.

The ancestors of the Irish are also a mystery to dog handlers. The version of the origin of the Irish Terrier from the wolfhound is questionable, since there are no common features. Most likely, the red-haired terriers imported from Britain were the ancestors of the “red devil”. They were bred in England for hunting small forest animals.

Each county in Ireland could, until 1870, boast its own variety of Irish terriers. Different were the growth and color of dogs. In the north-east of the state in the county of Antrim, the terriers were brown, white and black. In Whiteley County, the color of the terrier's coat was reddish, and on the Ayverarah peninsula and in its surroundings - black or black and brown.

Standards of the breed began to be fixed only after 1879. Breeding began, there were clubs of terrier lovers. The first was opened in Ireland in the late 70s of the XIX century. It was this Dublin club that set the breed standards, promoted and popularized it. The popularity of the breed grew, but since the 20s of the twentieth century there has been a decline in interest, which could not but disturb the true connoisseurs of the breed.

Through the efforts of G. Selfridge, the Irish Terrier has found new admirers as a result of a clever marketing move. Mr. G. Selfridge was the owner of a large shopping complex "Oxford Street" in which he conducted a large-scale presentation of the breed. The Irish Terrier has never been a "star", therefore, retained the original exterior without much change.

Irish Terrier breed description

The Irish Terrier is a medium sized dog. Height at withers is about 45 cm or 18 inches. Male dogs weigh 12.3 kg, while females weigh 11.4 kg. Externally, the representative of the breed - energetic, fit, hardy, strong, fast. According to the standards, the Irish Red Terrier has the following parameters:

1. The head is long with a narrow frontal part narrowing to the nose and visible only in profile by a transition in the “forehead-nose” zone.
2. The muzzle of the dog with the obligatory black nose mirror.
3. The nose is wide, on both sides of the nose the elongated hair forms pronounced "whiskers", and on the lower jaw - "beard".
4. Tight, pigmented black lips. The dog is characterized by strong, providing a strong grip, jaws, white, full-set teeth and pincer bite, smooth cheekbone, dark, small-sized eyes (light - undesirable). The eyebrows are clearly defined and have well-defined “eyebrows” made up of elongated, hard hairs.
5. Ears set high with a triangular hanging tip. The auricle is directed forward, the outer edge continues the line of the cheekbones, its coat is short and darker in color than on the body.
6. The neck is long, strong, smoothly extending to the shoulders. On both sides of the coat forms an elongated "mane."
7. The chest is not wide, but muscular.
8. The back is straight, strong.
9. The body is compact, lean, with well developed muscles, but elegant.
10. The tail is set high and straight, does not fall on its back and does not fold into a ring. Pretty long, hard. It can be stopped by removing ¼ length.
11. Limbs are not very long, muscular, straight, free in the joints. On the hind limbs, hock joints are located close to the ground. The metacarpus is weakly expressed, the paw is rounded, small, but strong. It is located directly. Fingers tightly pressed and form a well-marked "arch". The claws are strong. Dark pigmentation is desirable.

The appearance of the animal creates a sense of elegance and perky lightness, swiftness and strength. These not the biggest terriers are excellent hunters for foxes, hares, small roe deer. Also, the Irishman is a friend dog, which testifies to his mind, patience, strong nervous system and ability to learn.

Color

The modern Irishman has red wool of various shades, ranging from red (red, copper) to wheat. Suppose and intermediate - yellow-red color. Except as listed, all others are disqualifying. Color should be uniformly monotonous. Ears may be somewhat darker and white markings on the chest are permissible. White spots on paws are undesirable.

Wool hard, looks and tactile sensations reminiscent of copper thin wire. The hair is somewhat broken, but not curled. The hairs of unequal length are somewhat longer on the jaws, on the sides of the neck and on the forelegs. On the rest of the body, it is short, straight, very densely growing. Wool does not hide the general outlines of the body, and the uneven length creates the expressiveness and swiftness of the silhouette.

Pet character

The Irishman has a strong nervous system, which allows him to be used as a gun dog. He quickly learns, smart, remembers a large number of teams and clearly follows the task. Terrier is one of the few dogs that are not subject to motion sickness. For hundreds of years, breeders have rejected "nervous" and overly aggressive dogs. As a result, the best character traits entrenched:

• devotion;
• courage;
• restraint;
• equilibrium;
• mind;
• instant reaction;
• assertiveness;
• purposefulness;
• tirelessness.

The terrier from Ireland successfully combines the straightforwardness and loyalty of the mutts with the intelligence and sensitivity of a true gentleman dog.

Terrier gets along well with children. He is tireless in games, fun, has a sense of humor. But at home - it is a patient dog that will not impose its presence if it does not see the host's encouragement. His "expressiveness" is striking. He beautifully "translates" love, sadness, patient waiting and other feelings.

The nature of his - the character of this Irish - indomitable spirit, pride, sometimes stubbornness, courage, flavored with clumsy romanticism and devotion. The Irish Terrier is an excellent companion, hunter, watchman, service dog, bloodhound.

The young dog is cheerful, lively, energetic and tireless. But the child who is next to the terrier must be older. Despite the friendliness and lack of aggressiveness, the Irishman is a strong and swift dog, which is beyond the control of a small child. The dog is very sensitive to punishment, touchy, proud. Therefore, the owner must behave prudently so as not to lose a true friend.

Basics of training

Many dog ​​experts argue that the training, as such, the Irish is not needed. The dog is very smart and focused on the owner. It is enough for him to correctly explain, and the Irishman clearly performs the task. It seems that he "remembers" forgotten skills. Dog very accurately perceives the mood of the owner.

What was invested through explanation, and not coercion in early childhood, the matured dog performs with enthusiasm and pleasure. The dog remembers well the name and characteristics of the objects around him. Therefore, the requirement: “Bring a blue ball” - for example, performs quickly and accurately, even if you have to choose from a variety of multi-colored balls.

Experienced dog breeders are not talking about training, but about establishing partnerships, friendships, the formation of their individual “vocabulary” of teams. Moreover, the Irish is not required to intonate the order, he selects clear commands for himself in free speech. Such communication is very important in the conditions of the city.

But to completely abandon the correct training is impossible. Explosive nature and innate stubbornness require patience, tact, firmness. The dog does not tolerate rudeness, "obligatory" and drill. He will not, like working dogs, spend hours and train and hone some kind of team or skill.

And the Irish bored lesson will start to perform carelessly or stupidly, offended. Therefore, for the Irish Terrier need an individual program, in which the alternation of tasks. The dog is more willing to train if he understands why it is needed. So that he does not get bored, the complexes should be diversified and complicated. Terrier love to solve complex problems.

Despite all the qualities of a dog that is compliant to training, an Irishman can show self-will, because he was created just like a dog, capable of making independent decisions - a partner, not a servant. From demonstrative disobedience, a dog is brought out not by shouts and slaps, but by perseverance and attention shifting. It is important to achieve the execution of the command.

Another of the "stumbling blocks" in the training of the Irish is teaching them the skills of aggressive defense of the host. The dog himself rushes at an object that exceeds its size, if the owner is in danger. He will fight to the death, but the task is to teach the correct behavior and, thereby, to protect the dog. Each dog is individual and requires its own approach.

Care and health

Irishman is one of the most trouble-free and unpretentious pedigreed dogs. He has good mongrel health, there are no genetic pathologies, and a strong musculoskeletal system is practically not subject to diseases and deformities of joints, bones and muscles. Occasionally they may have hip dysplasia.

Poor ecology has undermined immunity even in such a healthy dog ​​as an Irishman. Representatives of the breed may have cases of such diseases as:

• melanoma;
• allergy.

It is time to vaccinate the dog, and its health will ensure a long life. Caring for them is even easier. The dog's coat, due to intensive work of the sebaceous glands, is covered with a layer of sebum, which gives it water and dirt-repellent properties. Therefore, it is often not recommended to wash the animal so that detergents do not destroy this protection.

Wool does not fade, does not go astray, and therefore does not require combing, shearing or other procedures. It is enough to perform trimming 1-2 times a year, independently or entrusting this procedure to a specialist.

Mandatory care for the teeth and ears of the dog. He also needs to cut the claws once every 1-2 weeks, as necessary to remove the long hair between the pads. The Irishman is an active and energetic dog that requires adequate physical exertion. He needs to walk, play, so a lazy or very busy person should not start a red terrier.

Feeding and maintenance

The diet of the active dog must contain all the minerals in an amount due to age. Dogs are given meat and offal, excluding semi-finished products and sausages. Useful sea fish, which is welded or scalded. Kashi can be flavored with fat - no more than 1 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil. This rate can be divided by adding a portion to the vegetables.

As a delicacy and encouragement, you should not use sweets and baking - the dog quickly gets used to this source of excess calories. When choosing a dry food, you must take into account the age of the dog and the presence of a predisposition to allergic reactions. They feed an adult dog twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Leftover food should be removed to accustom him to the feeding regime.

Keeping an Irishman in an apartment is simple - he doesn’t shed, doesn’t get dirty even with proper upbringing - he is careful With adequate physical exertion, he lives well in a city apartment.

The red terrier gets along well with cats, especially if he has grown up with them. Relationships with dogs are worse, therefore it is necessary to teach the dog to react more calmly to the relatives.

Irish people do not get along with small domestic animals - guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and decorative rabbits. Their dog perceives not as neighbors, but as prey.

The ideal conditions for a dog of this breed is a private house with a large fenced yard - a place for walking, playing and satisfying natural curiosity.

Photo Irish Terrier

Irish Terrier Video

Where to buy a puppy and kennels

A puppy needs to be acquired not “from hands” or by advertisement, but from specialists-breeders, having previously got acquainted with the reputation and reviews of the nursery. Then guaranteed the puppy will meet the requirements of the standard, healthy mentally and physically, socialized.

Having familiarized with parents, it is possible to exclude hereditary pathologies, as well as get recommendations on nutrition, maintenance and communication with a small pet.

In Moscow, you can buy a puppy in nurseries:

• "Red Wind" - https://www.ryzhiyveter.com/;
• "Rus Dandy Lot" - http://rusdendylot.narod.ru/.

Irish Terrier, "red sun", "gold in the fur", "red devil" - as soon as they do not call this beautiful dog with a truly Irish character! Let him not shine with originality and never belonged to the lists of star breeds, but those who appreciate loyalty, dedication, uncompromising and partnership, will get the best of the dogs. The owners of these "solar hares" claim that, becoming the guardian of this dog, you begin to learn patience, understanding, balance and intelligence.