All About
Irish Terrier

Irish Terriers can't be trusted off a leash. Their instinct to chase after anything that moves is strong, and it is nearly impossible to call off a terrier who has given chase. Yards should always be fenced, and your Irish Terrier should be supervised when outdoors, as they have been known to dig under fences in search of adventure.

Irish Terriers are best suited for single-pet households. They can be aggressive toward other dogs and will try to chase and hunt cats or rodents.

They exhibit all of the common traits of a terrier: yappiness, posturing toward other dogs, fearlessness and poor impulse control. Though these dogs are small, they pack a lot of energy and personality into a tiny package. Potential owners should be ready to handle these big dogs trapped in little bodies.

The Irish Terrier should be fed a high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior) and activity level. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet or the dog’s breeder if you have any questions or concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should always be available.

The Irish Terrier’s short coat requires regular brushing, stripping, and trimming to keep it in good condition. His dense and wiry broken coat hugs the body and creates a tight, water-resistant jacket. Underneath the stiff outer coat, a dense undercoat of softer, finer hair traps body heat on a cool, damp day. Ideally the outer coat should be hand-stripped rather than clipped. Weekly brushing will help to remove dirt and loose hair and keep the dog looking his best. The nails should be trimmed regularly, as overly long nails can cause the dog discomfort.

Some Irish Terriers are inveterate escape artists, so fence height should be higher than one might think is needed for a dog this size. A good height is five to six feet. Like all terriers, ITs are diggers, so the bottom of your fence should be escape-proof as well. You may need to set it in concrete or line the bottom of it with chicken wire. An underground electronic fence will not keep an Irish Terrier confined. More important, it won't prevent other dogs from coming onto your property and getting into a fight with your IT.The energetic Irish Terrier needs moderate exercise. Give him two or three walks on leash of 20 to 30 minutes each day. A chance to romp in a safely fenced area is also welcome. He's not a true running breed, but he's a good companion for joggers who go at an easy to moderate pace. He's not a distance runner or a fast-paced dog. Condition him gradually, and wait until he's fully grown before you start jogging with him.If you can control his tendency to bark, an Irish Terrier will do as well in an apartment as in a house. He should live indoors with his people, and given sufficient exercise, he's a quiet, polite housemate. If you leave him alone in the backyard with no companionship or occupation, he's likely to relandscape it with a number of holes.Puppy or adult, the Irish Terrier is playful, but his idea of play and yours may vary. He'll enjoy shredding magazines or other papers, overturning the garbage or the laundry basket, surfing the kitchen counter or dining room table for something to eat (he'll find a way up there) and, of course, barking at every passing car, dog, bicyclist — you get the idea. Dogproof your home, teach him what's acceptable behavior and what's not, and crate him when you can't be there to supervise, especially during his curious puppyhood. A crate protects him from getting into trouble for being destructive, and it protects your belongings from destruction.When it comes to training, the Irish Terrier has a "What's in it for me?" attitude. You've got to give him an incentive to do what you want, and if you don't keep training fun and interesting, he'll just ignore you. Training an Irish Terrier requires creativity, firmness, and positive reinforcement in the form of praise, play, and food rewards. He's sensitive and won't respond well to harsh treatment. Keep training sessions short, change them around a lot, and always end them when he's done something well and you can praise him for it.

Recommended Health Tests from the National Breed Club:

No recommended health tests

The Irish Terrier is probably one of the oldest Terrier breeds and may have as one of its ancestors the now-extinct black and tan Terrier and a larger wheaten-colored terrier. He emerged as a recognized breed in 1875 or thereabouts, at a dog show in Glasgow, Scotland, of all places. By 1879, two Irish Terriers, Ch. Erin and Killney Boy, were producing many champions and are considered the foundation of the breed.The 1880s were a banner decade for the Irish Terrier. During that time, they were the fourth most popular breed in Britain. They were also the source of a controversy that led to a major change in the appearance of British dogs. It had been common practice to crop the ears of terriers and some other breeds, but in 1889 the Irish Terrier Club required that all dogs born after a certain date that year have uncropped ears if they were to be shown under Kennel Club rules. This led to a great outcry but eventually resulted in the banning of ear cropping for any breed in Great Britain.The breed rapidly spread to the United States. The first Irish Terrier was shown at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1881, and the first Irish Terrier registered with the American Kennel Club was Aileen in 1885. The Irish Terrier Club of America was founded in 1896.In World War I, Irish Terriers distinguished themselves as messenger dogs and sentinels, receiving many accolades for bravery and loyalty. The commandant of the British War Dog School, Lt. Col. E. H. Richardson, wrote of them: "Many a soldier is alive today through the effort of one of these Terriers.... They are extraordinarily intelligent, faithful, and honest, and a man who has one of them as a companion will never lack a true friend."Given his fine qualities, it's surprising that the Irish Terrier has slowly faded from popularity. He's rarely seen in the show ring with the exception of specialty shows, which are well attended, but his popularity may receive a boost from the 2007 movie Firehouse Dog. Irish Terriers rank 123rd among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.