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Irish Terrier: Origin, Personality, Training

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About Irish Terrier

Country of Origin, History of Irish Terriers

It is believed that the Irish Terrier has descended from the black and tan terrier-type dogs of Britain and Ireland, just like the Kerry Blue and Irish Soft-haired Wheaten Terriers in Ireland or the Welsh, Lakeland and Scottish Terriers in Great Britain. This breed may share bloodlines with the Irish Wolfhound too.

They are considered one of the oldest terrier breeds. The Dublin dog show in 1873 was the first to provide a separate class for Irish Terriers. The first breed club was set up in Dublin in 1879. By the 1880s, Irish Terriers were the fourth most popular breed in Ireland and Britain.

Irish Terriers were the first members of the terrier group to be recognized by the English Kennel Club as a native Irish Breed. The first Irish Terriers were taken to the US in the late nineteenth century and quickly became somewhat popular.

Irish Terrier Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Irish Terrier the right breed for you?

Is the Irish Terrier the right breed for you and your family?

Find out by using our Free Dog Breed Selector Tool

Check Your Irish Terrier's Learning Style

Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Irish Terrier's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Irish Terrier training methods.

Is your Irish Terrier dominating over you?

Does your Irish Terrier bark unnecessarily? Does your Irish Terrier come to you when you call? Download a FREE Report on Dog Dominance for you and your Irish Terrier and learn how to control your dog.

Do you make these mistakes with your Irish Terrier?

Are you inadvertently snow-balling bad behavior in your Irish Terrier? Evaluate your Dog Training Style from our Free Tool and learn how best to deal with your dog.

Irish Terrier Calorie Calculator

Do you know how many calories your Irish Terrier needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Irish Terrier Calorie Calculator.

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General Appearance of the Dog

Irish Terriers are sturdy and strong in substance and in bone structure. They are medium sized dogs, typically described as racy, red and rectangular. They appear powerful without being sturdy or heavy. The ears are small and folded forward just above skull level. They are preferably slightly darker than the rest of the coat. The eyes should be dark brown and quite small with a "fiery" expression. The eyes are topped with well-groomed eyebrows. The whole head should have good pigmentation.

Coat

Irish Terriers are double-coated dogs with dense coat. The outer part of the double coat should be straight and wiry in texture, The coat should lie flat against the skin. There are longer hairs on the legs. The inner part of the coat, called the undercoat, should also be red. The chin is accentuated with a small beard.

Height

Males are 26-28" and
Females 24-26"

Weight

Males weigh 65-75 lbs and
Females weigh 55-65 lbs.

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Irish Terrier Personality Traits

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Irish Terrier Temperament

Irish Terrier is not as well known in the United States as some other terriers but one that will soon take its place with its feisty, courageous demeanor and alert features.

Bred to hunt vermin and even fox in Ireland, this dog can have a hot temper and will defend its family and home against unwanted predators or guests.

Are they suited to families with kids?

Ever ready for adventure or activity, this breed makes a great companion for a single person as well as a family with children.

They can tirelessly retrieve making them a fine playmate for a child and at the same time make a well-mannered, dignified companion in an urban setting.

They are most protective of their family and should be watched for aggression with canines they are not familiar with. Other canines raised with them will be fine but small animals such as hamsters and ferrets will only appear as trespassers and will undoubtedly be harmed.

Living Conditions:

A small, fenced yard will provide space for exercise and ensure your pets safety.

Training on lead is imperative and a firm command should be introduced early to make walking an enjoyable activity as well as good exercise.

Since they aim to please and are quick to learn, Irish Terriers should respond favorable to either obedience or agility training.

Training

Training on lead is imperative and a firm command should be introduced early to make walking an enjoyable activity as well as good exercise.

Since they aim to please and are quick to learn, Irish Terriers should respond favorable to either obedience or agility training.

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Free Irish Terrier Training Secrets

Free Course on Irish Terrier Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Grooming

Irish Terriers are non-shedding dogs that require regular brushing to keep mats from forming and to remove burrs and such from its “Velcro” coat. A professional grooming A professional grooming may be required depending on density of coat once a year but most maintenance can be accomplished at home.

Bathing should be kept to a minimum to preserve protective oils in the coat.

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Free Irish Terrier Training Secrets

Free Course on Irish Terrier Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

Sign Up Here

Health and Care

They suffer from eye problems, elbow and hip dysplasia, auto-immune disease, hypothyroidism, and ear inflammation.

Life Expectancy: 11-15 years.

National Breed Clubs

Breed Club: www.itca.info

Rescue Link: www.dogbiz.com/itca/

Group: Terrier Group

AKC Popularity Ranking: 116

Train Your Irish Terrier To Listen To You

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Sign up for our Free Irish Terrier Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.

You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Irish Terrier owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

  • The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.

  • How to obedience train your Irish Terrier to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

  • Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.

  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Irish Terriers have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Irish Terrier information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Irish Terriers have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Irish Terrier training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

Here are a few of our experts:

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