Irish Terrier

It’s big, it’s red, it’s been called the, "Wild Irish" by some and the "Red Devil" by others...it’s the Irish Terrier.

History

The Irish terrier originated in southern Ireland about 2,000 years ago, the oldest documentation of him is in paintings from the 1700’s!

By 1875, the Irish terrier started appearing in dog shows and was soon being shown all over Ireland. The popularity of the Red Devil couldn't go unnoticed and by the 1800's he was one of the most popular dog breeds in all of England.

In England - in the 1800's - cropping the ears of pure breed dogs was something good and natural; it made the dog look sharp. However, in 1889, the Irish Terrier Club of England started a big debate about the cropping of the Red Devil's ears; they eventually got a law stating that cropping the ears of any breed of dog exhibited, was illegal in England.

Anatomy

The Red Devil has the typical terrier head, long and rectangular, with a mustache and bright eyes that shine out at you glittering underneath big bushy eyebrows. The Irish terrier is an active, compactly sized dog that is suited for life in both rural and city environments.

The coat is course, hard, wiry and comes in any shade of red you could dream of and protects the Irish terrier well in all kinds of weather.

With a well-balanced, well-muscled body, a docked tail and a big mustache, this is a dog that can't be pushed around.

The Irish terrier is easy to groom and take care of, it even has an excellent temper when around humans, yet, when it comes to being around dogs, well… that’s another story.

The Irish terrier was born and bred with the true fighting spirit of the Irish, so be careful when he is around other dogs! He is full of life, but not hyperactive; he should be able to relax inside the house and be roused to full activity level quickly.

Alimentation

Irish Terriers depend on you to make an intelligent choice between commercial and premium quality dog foods! If you used to feed him grains-based food, it is recommended to change the diet and, step-by-step, feed the dog a lamb & rice based dog food. Some dogs were found to be allergic to grains based food. Interestingly, in New Zealand/Australia, where the dog food is often lamb based, they will switch to beef.

A good advice that you should pay attention to is: never feed your dog with human food! Exception: when you really have to as in the cases when your dog is sick – then you can give him some rice, or chicken broth. The simplest explanation is the dog’s stomach really isn’t made for human food, and sooner or later, it will react negatively, even if you believe it’s true or not.

Also, now as "a must", please never feed your friend chocolate or onions, which are life-threatening foods! Don’t give him garlic neither, high doses can cause serious health problems. Some just can’t abstain to give him human food each time he is bagging for, they can’t say "no" to their friend.

Well, if you really love him, you should be more interested in his health rather than in your feelings.

Finally, don't feed the dog raw bones, raw chicken or raw eggs.

However, it is a good habit to give him a little treat, especially during trainings, just to reward him for something good he did.

With a high-strung spirit that is eager to please, the Red Devil is easily trained, and a trained Red Devil is something precious because they are true, brave, and loyal to their owners, great with the kids and the best watchdog a person could ever ask or pray for!

"Once you get to know an Irish Terrier well enough to get acquainted with his personality, to recognize the depth of his love, to behold his proud almost swaggering carriage, his catlike grace of movement and blinding speed and coordination of muscle, and his magnificent courage and heart, and to see his unnerving intelligence displayed again and again, you will be convinced that the Irish Terrier is one of the most magnificent of God's creations in the dog family." Byron N. Martin