IRISH TERRIER

COUNTRY: Ireland
WEIGHT: 25-27 pounds
HEIGHT: 18 inches
Co^r: Harsh, wire, broken coat
COLOR: Red to red wheaten
OTHER NAMES: Irish Red Terrier
GROUP: Terrier

Called the Irish Red Terrier in the past to distinguish him from the other native terriers of Erin, this breed may be the oldest on the Isle. Dogs like these were known for centuries and were valuable only to poor Irish farmers with small holdings. Not much was written about them as they were not a dog of the aristocracy, who weren't in as dire need of ratting expertise. The type was descriptively mentioned in the Brehon laws (the earliest Irish legal code, first passed by word-of-mouth and then recorded in early medieval times) as the "dog of the dungheap." The dungheaps were the piles of manure that were inevitable in the farmyards and were breeding grounds for rats.

Dog expert, Stonehenge (J. H. Walsh), writing in 1887, shows his contempt for all things not inherently British with his refusal to believe that the Irish Terrier was a distinct breed from the "old Scotch terrier." But the differences were distinct. The truth might be that the raiding Irish could have introduced the prototype to Scotland many centuries ago. Or perhaps the Celts, who conquered both Scotland and Ireland four centuries before Christ, brought the archetypical terrier with them, and differences developed after that.

Whatever the early history, by the middle of the 1800s, the Irish Terrier, jacketed in black/tan and brindle as well as the more desirable red, was a common sight. During these years, many of this breed were seen with cropped ears, a sure sign they were used for dog-fighting. The Irish Terrier's punishing jaws bode the end of many an Irish rat. But despite the instincts to destroy vermin, he could be a soft-mouthed retriever and often wore two hats: ratter and hunter. There was still variation in size and type at the breed's debut at an Irish show in 1875. Out of the 50 dogs that strutted the ring, entries included some in the under nine-pound division and one that was over 30 pounds; a pure white entry competed against many that would have passed for Cairns. These differences existed despite the rule that the dogs must have a pedigree to enter. Many had notes attached reading, "Breeding information available at such-and-such an address." The winner, "Boxer" by name, was brazenly labeled as "Bred by owner, pedigree unknown!'' This mass confusion prompted the formation of a strong breed club still in existence today.

By the turn of the century, only the red dogs were accepted, type had become fairly well standardized and ear cropping (along with fighting) had been prohibited. The reputation of the breed was made during the First World War when the Irish Terriers were used as messenger dogs. The noise and confusion of trench warfare was no deterrent to the fearless Irisher, and many a soldier owed his life to these dogs.

A taller and racier dog than the Fox Terrier, the Irish still carries plenty of bone and substance. Always good-tempered, affectionate and loyal with his people, the breed should still show the characteristic fire, animation, and "heedless, reckless pluck" that has earned him the nickname daredevil. These dogs exude charm, and their cocksure strut belies the warmth within. They are particularly good with children and are said to be dogs "o'the little people," Writers Dangerfield and Howell, in their Encyclopedia of Dogs, noted, "A growing lad could wish no finer friend to grow up with; mischief overlooked by the one will certainly be exploited by the other!"

The Irish was the first native terrier from Ireland given Kennel Club recognition (19th century) and has gained worldwide acceptance since that time.