Kerry Blue Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

GROOMING THE KERRY BLUE TERRIER

Figure 6. Correct Side Trim on Head of Mature Kerry

Figure 7. Correct Front Trim on Head

Figure 5. The purpose is to create an illusion of ‘a perfect Kerry.’

Figure 10. Proper Movement and Color for a Kerry 18 Months and Under

Figure 8. Properly Clipped Neck

Figure 9. Properly Trimmed Rear (Notice the right leg still needs to be trimmed.)

The Front Legs: From the side, there should be a straight line from the shoulder down to the ground (or trim to show a slightly prominent sternum); from the front, a straight line from the neck to the ground. If the dog has a wide “bully” front, trim the coat short on the shoulders and on the outside of the front legs; leave more coat on the inside of the front legs. If the dog is narrow, take more coat off between the legs. The coat on the feet should be rounded; the feet should not be obvious and should blend into the legs; the pasterns should be straight. If the dog is long-bodied, leave more coat on the back of the front legs and the front of the hind legs. The Hind Legs: Looking down on the dog from the front, there should be a straight line to the ground, with no “chaps” or “bloomers.” From the side, there should be a “shelf” formed by the angle of the fused ilium and ischium. The shelf curves outward under the tail; the ischium articulates with the upper leg bone (femur) and the femur with the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) to produce the curves seen in the rear leg. This is probably one of the most sculptured areas in the Kerry. If the dog doesn’t have much shelf, build one with coat. The same for the stifle (knee) area; carve curves with coat! Make sure the curves of the front and back of the hind legs match. The lower leg bones articulate with the hock, which should be short and upright. If the dog “digs its hocks,” fill in the area with coat where the hock slants under the body. Looking at the dog from the rear, there should be a space between the hind legs, and they should appear straight from the body to the ground

(Fig. 9). The hocks should turn neither in or out, and the feet should point straight ahead. If the dog is close behind, take off more coat between the hind legs; if it is cow-hocked, take coat off the top, turned- in part of the hock, filling in at the bottom of the hock. Trim coat off the outside of the foot to make the foot appear that it is pointed straight ahead. If the dog is open-hocked, with too much space between the hocks and the feet pointing inwards, fill in the space between the hocks with coat, and trim coat off the insides of the feet. Hopefully your dog will not require most of these corrections. The more you work the coat, the better it will look; you will elimi- nate dead coat and dead-ends in the coat. Quoting the late Horace J. “Jud” Perry, a top handler and breeder (Kearnach Kennels) in the 1940s-80s: "A coat that is kept trimmed and clean will grow as it should, and will fit the body with no fluff and very little shake to it. I once heard the fit of a good Kerry’s coat described ‘like a properly fitting corset’.” Therefore, begin preparing your show Kerry with regular bathing and trimming. The more you do it, the better your dog will look. With a good diet, and a shampoo and rinse with moisturizers in them, there should be no adverse effects of frequent bathing and grooming. Your dog will have healthier skin too. This also applies to pet grooming. Even if you are not showing your dog, it will be healthier, happier, and more beautiful if bathed and groomed regularly. I would like to thank my longtime friend and excellent groomer, Carol Basler, for her suggestions on using Diagrams as well as how to brush-dry a Kerry coat and retain the wave.

250 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2022

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