should be excused from the ring in accordance with AKC rules and proce- dures. When sparring Kerries, be sure to have plenty of space between dogs. Spar two at a time—bring the dogs from opposite sides towards each other, but keep four or more feet between dogs when sparring. Kerries are fast and will try to nab a beard (or more) if allowed to do so. It is recommended to spar males with males, bitches with bitches. Males may not want to spar with a bitch. Be weary of novice handlers that may not know how to spar Terriers. Do not let handlers get the dogs too close to each other. The Kerry Blue Illustrated Standard states the following: at a dog show, a judge should put to the side any exhibi- tor who allows a Kerry to lunge and snarl. This is not typical of good Kerry temperament—Kerry Blues should be sparred. “If they eye each other intently, throwing themselves forward on their front toes, arching their necks, raising their ears to proper Kerry position, stand taut and ready for anything, each waiting for the other to make the first move and when, neither does, if they wag their tails, turn slowly and return happily to their places, then they are truly Kerry Blue Terriers.” This is a quote by Dr. E. S. Montgomery, author of the original KBT book. In summary, remember that balance, correct movement, proper coat and color and correct temperament as very important factors in your judging. The Kerry Blue Terrier is a wonderful breed and a lot of fun to judge—an out- standing specimen can take your breath away. Your educated decisions will be well received by exhibitors. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Scott Kellogg DVM and Billie Kneale (son/mother) are third/second gen- eration dog show exhibitors and have shown Kerry Blue Terriers since 1978 under the Camshron prefix. They have finished many champions, including three national specialty winners, BIS/ Group/Specialty winners, the top-pro- ducing Kerry Blue Terrier dam of all- time and a #1 ranked bitch. Both are Terrier group judges and have judged Kerries at the Montgomery County National Specialty, Traveling Nation- al Specialties, Chapter Club special- ties, Westminster and internationally (including its native country).
“THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM INVOLVING SIZE IN THE BREED ARE OVERSIZED DOGS; RARELY DO YOU SEE AN UNDERSIZE DOG.”
SIZE The most common problem involv- ing size in the breed are oversized dogs; rarely do you see an undersize dog. Ker- ries the size of Airedales are atypical for the breed—the standard addresses this specifically, even though there is not a size disqualification. Dogs over 20 inch- es or under 17½ inches and bitches over 19½ inches and under 17 inches are to be severely penalized—please read the standard for size descriptions. Legs should be moderately long with plenty of bone and muscle. TEMPERAMENT/SPARRING Kerry Blues are spirited, energetic dogs—they often show such tempera- ment in the show ring. They should not be vicious or show biting or attack- ing behavior. Dogs that bite people in the ring should be dealt with in accordance with AKC rules and pro- cedures. Vicious, uncontrollable dogs BE SURE TO HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN DOGS.” “WHEN SPARRING KERRIES,
they mature. They may also have color splotching, uneven coloring or unusual color-turning patterns as juveniles. There is no such thing as a parti-color in the breed. Kerries may have a small white spot on their chests. HEADS The head is long, but not exagger- ated and in good proportion to the rest of the body. Well-balanced, with no apparent difference between the length of skull and fore-face. A lack of back skull is a fault. Cheeks should be clean and level, free from bumpiness. The zygomatic arch should be flat, not pro- truding. The ears are V-shaped, small but in proportion to the size of the head. A small, flying ear and a high breaking set, as in the Fox Terrier, is for- eign to the Kerry head and expression. Ears are carried close to the cheeks with the top of the folded ear slightly above the level of the skull. Ears that are not reaching the cheeks, but end above the eyes are incorrect. A dead, hound-like ear is very undesirable. Kerry ears are partially man-made; puppy ears are glued to create the correct ear set. Some forgiveness may be needed if ears are not perfect. Avoid snipey muzzles. Correct bites are either scissors or level. Large, round, or light eyes are faulty. The silver, sil- ver-grey, silver-blue, lighter gray dogs will usually have eye coloring lighter than the darker-hued Kerries. When viewed from the front, the Kerry head should be rectangular (or brick) in shape, sitting on an arched neck .Heavy heads, short heads, cheekiness, bumpy domed top skull, short back skull, hound ears, flying ears, high- breaking ears, light eyes, too wide/ breadth of skull, down face, snipey muzzle, lack of beard and eyebrows are all faults when looking for the “perfect” head.
228 • S how S ight M agazine , F ebruary 2017
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