Terrier irlandais

It is likely that from competition to competition, selection took place on the basis of selection points established by Ridgeway, under pressure from aesthetes. Members of the peasantry who had been attracted by competition were gradually excluded by the very organization of exhibitions and the constraints they imposed. At Dublin, in March 1876, the winner, Boxer, was entered 'breeder, owner, and origins unknown,' Shaw was indignant, while bitterly noting that this is 'a typically Irish trait.' At the same competition, Shaugraun was presented with the following note: 'raised by a member of the famous Limerick night watch. His pedigree is too long to be rewritten, but interested parties can present themselves at the guardhouse, where it is very likely they will be given to them.' And Shaw, scandalized, observed that an Irish breeder can prove incapable of finding the origins of his dog. While in 1875, Sport, the ideal type of Irish Terrier according to Shaw, was still struggling to assert its appearance against robust farm dogs, by 1879, competitions only brought together specimens approaching his type. Between the Dublin exhibition (March 1875) and that of Newtonards (1878), things had greatly changed. At the first, we are told in a report, 'long legs, short legs, short hair, hard hair, small heads and long muzzles, everyone was there.' At the second, the eye 'scanning the ranks, no longer had reason to be offended, the majority of mongrels having disappeared.' 1879 saw the birth of the Irish Terrier Club and the appearance of the ancestors of the current breed: Killiney Boy and Erin. Purists indeed found, south of Dublin, in County Wicklow and Ballymena, in County Antrim, preserved breeding lines from crosses which they needed to regenerate the breed. But the type of dog then considered the paragon of the Irish Terrier is still far from the one we know today, and dogs like Killiney Boy or Erin would not be admitted to compete today, the purity of their origins remaining questionable. In any case, these two dogs were the models of the Irish Terrier at the time, and documents allow us to see what aspect the breed presented at that time. Erin was born at Ballymena and, discovered by William Graham at an exhibition in Dublin, was purchased, although her origins are unknown. She was then the best show bitch and 'the very embodiment of what an Irish Terrier should be.' Known as Vic, she was described as 'bursting with qualities, with a long head, a calm and alert expression, a hard coat of red color, excellent lines, and a high-set tail.' Killiney Boy, on the other hand, had some show success, but remains primarily in the annals as an excellent stud. Of Welsh descent through his mother—a black and tan terrier named Jess—his coat was widely marked with black, notably a broad black stripe along the spine. His muzzle was pointed, his neck thick and short, and his ears cropped, as was customary at the time. Only a few dogs with particularly small ears escaped ear cropping, intended to prevent injuries and their prolonged scarring, a recurring problem in this naturally pugnacious dog. The tail was also docked very short for the same reasons. The influence of these two dogs (Erin and Killiney Boy) was so great in establishing the modern Irish Terrier that the pedigree of Belfast Rufus, published in 1906, contains, over eight generations, twenty-eight times the name Killiney Boy and twenty-five times that of Erin. Their first descendants, Playboy, Gerald, Pagan II, Poppy, Peggy, and Pretty Lass all became famous at exhibitions. Planned by Graham, the crosses of these first generations

The Irish Terrier, unlike other breeds, has no predisposition to obedience. However, in the United States, it is commonly presented in competition, and, if well-trained, can aspire to top places. The natural tendency of the Irish Terrier is to work around the difficulty or solve the problem its own way. Easily distracted, it becomes bored if the work is not presented in an appealing way. It can then become stubborn and mischievous. Finally, if it works in a group, interference with other dogs is to be expected. These flaws are offset by certain qualities: desire to please, keen intelligence, interest in amusing tasks. Appropriate training can bring the Irish Terrier to competition in the top ranks. Greenbriar Fiddler, owned by Mrs. Griffith, won in 1959 the Utility Dog Tracking after obtaining all the distinctions awarded by the American Kennel Club in obedience. Turfbreeze Barrister, owned by Mr. Powers, was awarded in 1961 a score of 199 and a half points (out of a possible total of 200) in a single competition. An average score of 196.167 over three competitions was obtained by another Irish Terrier, Gloccomara Gallan, owned by Mr. Childers. Numerous other Irish Terriers have passed the degrees awarded by the American Kennel Club (Utility Dog, Companion Dog, Tracking Dog), including obedience and tracking trials. According to professionals, the Irish Terrier approaches the trials 'somewhat its own way. It does not pay much attention to how it sits, it changes gait, and sometimes deviates. But the spectators love to watch it, and it is the happiest dog to work that one can see in obedience.'

The Irish Terrier, a medium-built, medium-sized breed, has no special nutritional requirements. The particular constraints of the breed pertain to exercise and coat maintenance. To have an Irish Terrier in its best condition and psychologically conforming to the standard, it is necessary to give it daily exercise, at minimum half an hour. A dog walked on a leash or left to its own devices in an enclosed space receives neither the exercise nor the stimulation that is the source of the drive it must demonstrate. Grooming should begin at three months, with simple brushing of the puppy positioned on the grooming table. Three to four minutes are sufficient initially, the aim being only to accustom the dog to handling, which must be repeated at least once a week. As the coat develops, it must be cleared of dead hair, with a brush if the coat is very hard, with a comb if it is softer. The dog should be hand-stripped in spring and again in autumn; this method being the only one to preserve the coat texture. The use of scissors and baths are not recommended.