Kerry Blue Terrier
- Origin
- Ireland
- Type
- Terrier
- Size
- Medium
- Height
- 44–48 cm (17–19 in)
- Weight
- 10–15 kg (22–33 lb)
- Coat
- Thick, soft and wavy
- Colors
- Any shade of blue, with or without black points
- Life span
- About 12 years
- Status
- Recognised by the FCI; endangered
The Kerry Blue Terrier, also called the Irish Blue Terrier, is a terrier from Ireland. It was first bred to control vermin, a list that ran from rats and rabbits to badgers, foxes and otters. Later it became a general working dog that also herded cattle and sheep. It is now an endangered breed.
History
The Kerry Blue is first recorded in 1847. It was described then as bluish slate in color, with darker blotches and patches and often with black on the legs and muzzle. Such dogs were said to be most common in Kerry but were seen in other places too.
As dog shows grew in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the breed was standardized and tidied up for the ring. The Irish nationalist leader Michael Collins owned a well-known Kerry Blue called Convict 224, and tried to have the breed made the national dog of Ireland.
The first show of the Dublin Irish Blue Terrier Club was held outside curfew hours and drew entries from people on both sides of the fight over an Irish republic. The club did so well that it led directly to the founding of the Irish Kennel Club, and the first dog that club registered was a Kerry Blue. In its early days the Irish Kennel Club required a dog to pass a test of gameness, the Teastas Mor, before it could be shown.
A Kerry Blue won Best in Show at Crufts in 2000.
Appearance
The Kerry Blue has a long head, a flat skull and a deep chest. Males usually stand 46 to 48 cm (18 to 19 in) at the withers and weigh 12 to 15 kg (26 to 33 lb). Females stand 44 to 46 cm (17 to 18 in) and weigh 10 to 13 kg (22 to 29 lb).
The coat is thick, soft and wavy. It may be any shade of blue, with or without black points. Puppies may be black.
Care and health
Spiculosis, a painful condition of the hair follicles, is found only in the Kerry Blue Terrier. The breed is also predisposed to footpad keratosis and to hair follicle tumors. A 2024 UK study found a median lifespan of 12.4 years, close to the average for all dogs.
Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.