Irish Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

“IN CONTRAST PARTICULARLY TO MANY OF THE LARGER BREEDS, IRISH TERRIERS ARE ONE OF THE MOST HEALTHY BREEDS AND THERE ARE NO KNOWN HEALTH CONDITIONS OR PROBLEMS THAT ARE SEEN CONSISTENTLY IN THE BREED.”

IRISH TERRIER BREED FEATURES

needed between the times when the dog is stripped, in order to keep the coat clean. Th e breed should be bathed only infrequently, in order to preserve body oils necessary for the sheen of the coat. Although certain not required, it is recommended that the ears of the Irish Terrier be glued down into the proper place on the head by the breeder or other breed expert for at minimum a six to eight month time period immediately prior to the dog’s first birthday. Such “training” of the puppy ears produces a significantly more aesthetically pleasing look for the remainder of the dog’s life than does the absence of such “training.” Th e normal life expectancy of the Irish Terrier is between twelve and six- teen years. In contrast particularly to many of the larger breeds, Irish Terriers are one of the most healthy breeds and there are no known health conditions or problems that are seen consistently in the breed. Most Irish Terriers do not show signs of allergies toward food. CONCLUSION Irresistible, irrepressible, unforget- table, loving and high spirited, the Irish Terrier is the perfect companion and truly a dog lover’s dog. Th ose of us in the Irish Terrier breed consider ourselves fortunate to regularly interact with dogs in this breed who have hearts warm and

generous, their souls intact and the per- sonalty and fire of their terrier ances- tors. We are indeed highly blessed by the presence in our lives of a breed with such great charm and character. In closing, the writer Albert Payson Terhune, in a short story about an Irish Terrier contained in Terhune’s Real Tales of Real Dogs , wrote a tribute to the Irish Terrier that many in the breed believed to be the finest description of the Irish Terrier in print. I am pleased to be able to share it with you. It reads: “The Irish Terrier is perhaps the fin- est dog on earth. He does not throwaway his priceless devotion and loyalty on every stranger who may chirp to him. But to the death, he is the comrade, protector and exuberant playmate and sympathizing comforter of the human who has won his heart and respect. He is an Irish gentle- man of the deathless old school; a fiery gentleman, from the tips of his braced toes to the rough thatch of his crown. He is more. He has a heart three sizes too big for his shaggy body; a heart that is as white and clean as that of a knight-errant. He is no bully, but will flinch not one-hun- dredth of an inch from the fight that is forced on him, be the odds ever so impos- sible against him. There is a psychic side of the Irish Terrier, too, found in almost no other dog—a tinge of the mysticism of the land of his ancestry.”

Irish Terriers when full grown stand about 18 to 19 inches at the shoulder and normally weigh 25 to 28 pounds— small enough to be carried for short dis- tances when necessary. Th ey are double coated, with a coarse, wiry topcoat and a softer, fine undercoat. Th ey do not shed. While no dog breed is entirely non-aller- genic, Irish Terriers produce less dander than the vast majority of other breeds and people with low to mild allergies often have little nor no allergic reactions to them. Although the Irish Terrier coat can be clipped, that coat maintenance method is not recommended, since doing so impacts the water resistant element of the breed’s double coat, makes the coat grow softer and can negatively e ff ect the depth of the breed’s natural red color. Instead, the preferred method of groom- ing is called “stripping”—plucking out the dead hair of the outer coat using the forefinger and either the thumb or a dull stripping knife. Such stripping does not hurt the dog. Stripping should be done on a pet coat about three times per year, starting at about six months of age. With practice, it is possible to main- tain the Irish Terrier coat by weekly rak- ing it with a stripping knife. Otherwise, daily brushing and some maintenance is

The views expressed in this Article are those of the author; they do not necessarily represent the views of the Irish Terrier Club of America.

“WE ARE INDEED HIGHLY BLESSED BY THE PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES OF A BREED WITH SUCH GREAT CHARM AND CHARACTER.”

264 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2015

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