Irish Terrier Information

The Irish Terrier is one of the oldest terrier breeds. The first record of the Irish Terrier being shown as a recognized breed dates back to 1875.

In the 1800's, the Irish Terrier was the fourth most popular breed in England. In 1889, the Irish Terrier Club ruled that any Irish Terrier born after a certain date that year, must have natural ears. This ruling instigated the debate that eventually led to the ear cropping ban in the United Kingdom.

The popularity of the breed quickly reached the United States. The Westminster Kennel Club held their first class for the breed in 1881, and in 1896, the Irish Terrier Club of America was founded and adopted the British standard for the breed.

Irish Terriers are known for aggression toward other animals especially same sex aggression with males. It is not recommended to have an Irish Terrier male (especially an unaltered one) near any other animal unsupervised. Most reputable breeders will be very concerned with this issue and will most likely not sell to homes with other male pets. This is not a breed that should be owned by a novice pet owner-these dogs adore people but they require much supervision with other animals.

Irish Terrier males should stand at 18 inches tall and weigh 27 pounds, females should weigh 25 pounds. Their coat should be dense and wiry in texture. Colors can be red, golden red, red wheaten or wheaten.

Health concerns in the breed include allergies and skin conditions.