Everyone knows: the dog is man's best friend. The one of such best friends is an Irish terrier, a dog of medium size, often with red hair.
History
In total, four terrier breeds - hence the name "Irish", were bred in Ireland. These dogs are very different from other terriers, bred in England or Europe. It is now officially proven the Irish terrier is the most ancient breed of all the breeds brought up in Ireland. In 1875, the first Irish terrier was presented at the dog show in Glasgow. After the show, it was recognized as an official breed. A year later, it was presented at the show in England, in Brighton. Based on information from the archives, the popularity of the Irish terrier was growing rapidly. In the history of no small importance is 1879: then the Irish terrier named Champion Erin appeared at the Alexander palace. This lady-dog owned by a man named Graham, who made an enormous contribution to the discovery and development of the breed. After a few months of, in Belfast appeared male dog named Killini Boy, which, along with Erin, presented the dog to the owners of champions: P Pogue, Playboy, Drolin and Pretty Lasse. Famous kids had own puppies, in such a way the Irish terrier became the running dog, which could be bought for good money. Nowadays, the Irish terrier changed a little in appearance: sources extant describe this breed a little different. In those days, the Irish terrier had quite big snout, cropped ears, short tail, and stiff hair, thick and short neck.
Our time
Now, the Irish terrier looks perfectly as an athlete. It is the fastest of all the currently known terriers. Particularly strong in this breed are the hind legs, standing at the perfect angle for the dog. The torso of the Irish terrier is muscular and strong, has an elongated neck. When the dog is in an excellent mood, the tail is held vertically - so you can see the mood of the dog. The skin of the Irish terrier is shiny and stiff, so the hair does not become much dirty.
Characteristics of the breed
- • 46 cm is the average height of the Irish Terrier to the highest point of the shoulder blades;
- • the difference in weight between the lady-dog and male dog is small: the last weighs 12-13 kg, lady-dogs weigh 1-2 kg less;
- • Irish Terrier has a long head with flat skull, between the ears, narrow, tapering slightly toward the eyes;
- • sufficiently strong jaws, thanks to which the dog can hunt successfully.
- • The lips of the dog are always dry and dark, the tip of the nose is black;
- • The breed has very smooth and strong teeth, which do not change color. Scissor bite (at bottom row of teeth covered little overhead)
- • The dog has perfect eyes: they are small, are full of life, fire and intelligence. At shows, the light color of the eyes is often regarded as a defect;
- • The ears are very small and thin, set high on the head. Just above the top of the skull set higher bend of the ears;
- • The dog's neck is long, extends towards the shoulders. It is striking that the neck is fit very tightly and there are no skin folds;
- • Deep, enough muscled chest;
- • The body is not very long, back is firm and smooth.
- • The Irish has arched and powerful back. Flat and resilient ribs are directed backwards;
- • long forelimbs, straight and strong. Blade-bones are set obliquely. Elbow joints have absolute freedom of movement. Barely noticeable short metacarpus. The hair on the legs is thick and tough;
- • Very powerful hips and hind limbs, low-lying joints. When the dog is moving forward, the hind legs are moving smoothly.
- • Small, strong legs are round, claws are dark-colored. The pads on the toes are very strong;
- • Perfectly smooth tail is highly set, does not fill up on its back.
Features of care of Irish Terrier
The Irish terrier has good hair for caring, despite the stiffness. To keep it healthy-looking, it is enough to daily comb out the dog, and then, if necessary, brush. The hair of this breed does not almost become dirty, making it easier to comb during a couple of minutes. It is necessary to cut its hair and pull out dead hair to avoid smell and shedding. There are not almost any health problems in the Irish terriers. They have a very good immunity; it is resistant to all diseases. The Irish is an energetic dog, which is great for children and adults. The dog never rushes a man, if he provokes the dog. The dog likes barking, especially cats. This dog can shit at home to 7-8 months old and after, it will suffer and beg on the street. The Irish terriers are very smart; they will learn the commands easily, if the owner makes efforts. This breed does not need a big house. It can live in an apartment; the main thing is to walk the dog in time. The Irish terrier will be a true friend to all family members and will carefully guard the tranquility of its owners!