Irish Terrier Dogs & Puppies

The quintessential long-legged terrier, the Irish Terrier is also one of the oldest terrier breeds. Its creation is not documented, but the breed may have descended from the old Black and Tan Terrier and a larger but racier solid wheaten-colored terrier, both of which were found in Ireland and used for hunting fox, otter, and other small animals. Similarity to the Irish Wolfhound has led to conjecture that the Irish Terrier may have descended at least in part from that breed. The Irish Terrier has a longer body and longer legs than the other terrier breeds. Early Irish Terriers came in a variety of colors, including black and tan, gray, and brindle. Only near the end of the nineteenth century did the solid red color become a fixture of the breed. The first Irish Terrier was shown in 1875. By the 1880s, the breed was the fourth most popular in England. At that time, it was fashionable to crop the ears of many terriers, but in 1889 the Irish Terrier Club of England banned ear cropping in the breed. The ruling was to have far-reaching implications for all dogs because it instigated the debate about ear cropping and eventually led to the abolition of cropped ears in all breeds shown in England. The breed also became quite popular in America, ranking thirteenth of all breeds in the late 1920s. It was a dominant force in the show rings of the day. In World War I, the breed proved its mettle by serving as a messenger and sentinel. With such an auspicious beginning, the Irish Terrier seemed certain to remain one of the most popular terriers, but it didn’t. Today the Irish is one of the rarer terriers, an uncommon sight in either the show ring or home.