meet the...Kerry Blue Terrier
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 6: Terrier Breeds
Sub-group :
Origin Country Ireland
Weight Males: 33-45 pounds. Females: 33-45 pounds.
Height Males: 18-20 inches. Females: 17-19 inches.
Other Name(s) Irish Blue Terrier, Terrier Kerry Blue
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
Like his kin, the Irish Terrier and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, the Kerry Blue Terrier stems from an ancient working dog whose beginnings are believed to have started thousands of years ago. Several theories exist to try to explain his handsome blue-gray coat. Ancestors of the Black Russian Terrier were said to have swam ashore from a wrecked ship and intermingled with the Irish Terriers of the time. Another tale claims it was a dark-coated spaniel that survived a Spanish shipwreck. Others claim that he was bred by crossing noble wolfhounds with peasant terriers to create a dog for poaching. No matter the truth, the Kerry Blue is an Irish fixture, having been most prominent in the Killarney region for centuries.
Like other terriers, he came from humble beginnings as a means of pest control, ridding homesteads of disease-carrying rats. The Kerry Blue Terriers were surprisingly adaptable, going from rodent extermination to assisting his master in the fields as a retrieving dog, as well as working flocks and guarding homes.
These blue terriers were a staple in many Irish homes and farms, and by the mid-1920s they accounted for a quarter of dogs registered by the national kennel club in Ireland. Their popularity and adaptability also found them new jobs, including roles as police and military dogs. They remain fairly popular in Ireland and throughout the UK; however, their numbers in the U.S. have dropped slightly, with the breed becoming less common than the Soft-Coated Terrier and the Irish Terrier. However, they are still found today in agility events, as well as some herding and retrieving trials.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic to slightly dolichocephalic skull-type, moderate in size, somewhat long, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkle, tapering only slightly from the topskull to the end of the muzzle. The skull is narrow, flat, and elongated when viewed from any direction. It is somewhat broad, but appears narrow in comparison to the overall length.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, dark brown in color, and with a keen and fiery appearance. The eye rims are well fitted and well pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small to medium in size, set high on the skull and somewhat well-apart. V-shaped and dropped, may have slight lift at the base. The fold of the ear should fall level with or just above the level of the skull. The tips may point somewhat forward toward the eyes or down toward the cheek. The inner edge of the ear should fall close to the head. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Muzzle: Well-developed and appearing prominent, long, full, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance and are equal in length, strong, and well-developed, never appearing snipy or weak.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black. The nostrils are well opened.
Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage, it is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
Body: Compact, somewhat racy, and of good substance. The body is never cloddy or heavy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. Carried gaily in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never up over the back or tucked. Tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut to about one-third of the original length.
Movement: The movement is free, energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Kerry Blue is a terrier through and through, but he is also a versatile dog. Like the other Irish Terriers, he has a large personality to match his large terrier size. The Kerry is intelligent, bold, confident, watchful, and what many describe as willful and somewhat arrogant. However, these dogs take to training in obedience and agility-related tasks more readily and easily than many other breeds, making them ideal candidates for competitions including police dog work, agility, flyball, and even herding and retriever work. While doting on their family and people, they can become reserved or indifferent toward strangers and other dogs. Like many terriers, they are not ideal housemates for smaller animals, as they can become predatory. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 6: Terrier Breeds
Proportions: Slightly off-square with a long back and body for a terrier, yet never appearing overly elongated, or low-slung in body proportions, with length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the rump, being equal to the height at the withers. The ideal length-to-height ratio is approximately between 10:9 and 1:1. Females may be slightly longer. The body is balanced and well put together, with sturdy substance and medium bone. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type. Body types of males and females should indicate that they are constructed along lines of speed, with a somewhat graceful and racy outline.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic to slightly dolichocephalic skull-type, moderate in size, somewhat long, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkle, tapering only slightly from the topskull to the end of the muzzle. The skull is narrow, flat, and elongated when viewed from any direction. It is somewhat broad, but appears narrow in comparison to the overall length.
Expression: Keen, alert, watchful, stately, and terrier-like.
Stop: The stop is slight, almost imperceptible.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle. The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: Well-developed and appearing prominent, long, full, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance and are equal in length, strong, and well-developed, never appearing snipy or weak.
Lips or Flews: Lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black. The nostrils are well opened.
Cheeks: Moderately full below the eyes, but never coarse, gently falling away behind the eyes. Cheeks are smooth, never appearing chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, white teeth. Bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work is not to be penalized.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, dark brown in color, and with a keen and fiery appearance. The eye rims are well fitted and well pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small to medium in size, set high on the skull and somewhat well-apart. V-shaped and dropped, may have slight lift at the base. The fold of the ear should fall level with or just above the level of the skull. The tips may point somewhat forward toward the eyes or down toward the cheek. The inner edge of the ear should fall close to the head. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, somewhat racy, and of good substance. The body is never cloddy or heavy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage, it is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
Topline: Level from somewhat prominent withers to croup. The back is fairly long, broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. It should never appear slack or sagged. The loin is short, taut, and just slightly arched, yet supportive. The topline is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Flat, strong, and level with the back.
Underline: A moderate tuck-up is present, but it should not be extreme. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. Carried gaily in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never up over the back or tucked. Tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut to about one-third of the original length.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. Carried gaily in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never up over the back or tucked. Tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut to about one-third of the original length.
Elbows: Elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle of good bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Short, never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: Upper thigh and lower thigh are fairly long, equal in length, strong, sturdy, of good bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump, or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: Angulation of hindquarters is always in balance with angulation of forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The soft, dense, outer coat may be very wavy or just somewhat curled. It should never appear harsh and wiry, or frizzy. The undercoat is downy-soft. The face boasts furnishings including eyebrows, mustache, and beard.
Coat Color or Pattern: Various shades of solid blue, blue-gray, or gray-blue.
Movement
The movement is free, energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Kerry Blue is a terrier through and through, but he is also a versatile dog. Like the other Irish Terriers, he has a large personality to match his large terrier size. The Kerry is intelligent, bold, confident, watchful, and what many describe as willful and somewhat arrogant. However, these dogs take to training in obedience and agility-related tasks more readily and easily than many other breeds, making them ideal candidates for competitions including police dog work, agility, flyball, and even herding and retriever work. While doting on their family and people, they can become reserved or indifferent toward strangers and other dogs. Like many terriers, they are not ideal housemates for smaller animals, as they can become predatory. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
