Hi, First post here so am hoping this is the best place for this question (I think it is though). My partner and I are looking at purchasing a puppy towards the end of the year and am trying to ensure that we most informed choice of breed and are hoping that you could provide some advice. We both love the look and characteristics of the Irish Terriers, however we have not met any first hand and have some concerns as to the suitability of this dog for first time dog owners and also the suitability of our house. My biggest concerns are the train-ability temperament of the dogs. The internet is awash with advice saying that they constantly get into scraps with other dogs and can boarder on being aggressive and are very likely to bark a lot which according to forum postings by owners are unfair representations of the breed if trained properly. Also our garden area will be a raised terrace area (above garage) and there will not be 7ft fences around the edges. Reading that this dog is a jumper, I am concerned that we will have an escapee in ten minutes flat unless we have some form of free roaming leash mechanism set up. Exercising will not be an issue and someone will be around most days, however there will be some periods where the dog will have to be left alone for longer periods. Based on the above would you consider an Irish to be a potentially suitable choice of breed for our situation. Any advice greatly received.
Personally I would research breeders and phone them, ask if you could go and meet their dogs, even if they don' t have any pups on, any decent breeder should be happy for you to see their dogs as it ensures the pups will go to an informed home. My SIL and I did this when she was looking at Leonbergers about 5yrs ago and all the breeders she contacted were happy to chat all day about their dogs it's also a chance for you to get to know the breeder and their ethics before you go on a waiting list for a puppy Good Luck
Just what I was going to suggest. Some will even bring their dogs to your home so you can get a real sense of what it will be like.
Agree with what's already been said. You could also try visiting Discover Dogs section at Crufts. Having an Irish myself, all I can say is that if you do decide one is for you, you will need to be on your toes, as they are intelligent, opinionated, adore other people but adore you more, love other dogs but on their own terms, love the training but really make you work hard to get there (they don't just do it, they want to know why they are doing it). Mine is at work with me, and is currently begging me to play with her, but since everyone else has gone home, that's OK .... Good luck with your research!
I've had 2 and met many! Until other commitments meant I had to retire, I was the northern contact for Irish Terrier Rescue as well as being on the northern breed club committee and I used to organise an annual fun day. They are an absolutely lovely breed, but definitely a breed where you put a lot in and get a lot out What I'm going to write now is borne out of years of 'picking up the pieces' when it's all gone horribly wrong for people. Please take it as a friendly warning but don't let it cloud your judgement of what is by and large, a wonderful breed and possibly the best breed in the world Discover Dogs is okay, but nothing compares to meeting an experienced breeder and spending some time with lively (not tired out and slightly bored dogs, hand picked for their docile nature anyway) dogs outside and indoors. Temperament is something that frequently gets either swept under the carpet completely in this breed - or used to terrify anyone out of ever touching one with a barge pole... In the not too distant past, many Irish were bred only for the show ring and to adopt a very tense stance, with neck arched, tail up and ready to fly at the nearest opponent. This 'fiery' nature (or combination of reactive nature and lack of socialisation) was actively sought and encouraged. Many Irish are still very unsure of themselves around other dogs and will react to any real or percieved threat with a snarl and a lunge. However, this is not a unique trait of one breed. Many reactive and 'sharp' dogs are perfectly safe around other dogs if handled correctly and properly socialised. With people, most books and websites emphasise their empathy and gentleness. The breed standard says when 'off-duty' they have a 'quiet, timid, caress-inviting' appearance Now, to me, 'quiet and timid' never, ever equals 'caress-inviting' - a dog either wants to be left alone, or doesn't ;-) Anyway, in general, Irish are absolute party-animals, who love attention and love an audience (especially if they can show up their owner!) and are pretty bomb-proof with noises and movement (assuming they have been properly socialised of course) But there's the rub! You must, must, must make sure you buy from a person who has reared the pups properly and you must meet the mother and in my opinion, in this breed, it is worth making a few hours' worth of a trip to see the sire too. Some Irish are very, very reactive and live almost permanently on their nerves. In some cases, this is through poor rearing but in others, it is just in the genes somewhere. There is no need to buy an Irish like this IF you do your homework. Sadly, there are still breeders who breed from nervous dogs and even sadder, some still think nervous aggression = 'fiery'. A proper Irish should be a happy, confident dog who is always on the go and ready to play. Training needs to be fun and challenging. My last dog came to me totally untrained (well, he could trot round a ring until he decided grabbing the judge by the tie was more fun!) at 4 years old and he was trained in basic gundog work, agility and we used to do working trials search squares just for fun. He would come out with me sometimes when I 'bodied' for a friend and her search dog and it was easy to teach him the basic search and find sequence (hunt out a person and bark at them)He also absolutely hated cats and on the sad occasion he caught one, he killed it outright. He was also not averse to finding hedgehogs and carrying them to me! Avoid any breeder who makes spurrious claims about having 'working' Irish unless they can say what work the dog does and actually give you a demonstration. A dog that chases small fury things when off the lead is not 'working' it is just out of control! To own a dog that will work with you as a team, whether feretting, beating, rough shooting or whatever, takes time and patience. More time and patience than most people actually have! Avoid any breeder who says there are 'no' nasty Irish. This isn't true. There aren't many, but they do crop up from time to time. Avoid any breeder who keeps the pups in conditions you would not choose to keep your puppy in - no matter how many rosettes and trophies they have won. If the carpet stinks of urine and the mum isn't available to meet - get in your car and drive away! Likewise, if the dam is in any way nervous, leave. Avoid anyone who can't tell you why they picked the sire they chose (and 'because he was so nice' isn't a valid reason) A good breeder will tell you what specific attributes in temperament and conformation they were looking for in the sire to complement the dam. They should also be able to explain the pups' pedigree and have first hand knowledge of many of the dogs in it. Ignore all claims that the pedigree is 'full of champions' - they all are! The gene pool isn't huge and as with any dog promarily bred for the show ring, the same sires crop up time and time again. In fact, if I saw a pedigree with no champions in it, I'd be more surprised. Ask the breeder about footpad hyperkeratosis and if he / she gets defensive or says it's not an issue, walk away. It isn't at all common, but it did have a spell of being more prevalent not too long ago, when a breeder who (allegedly) breeds for 'temperament' deliberately bred more than once using a sire that was known to carry the condition. that's another thing: if someone says they are 'breeding for temperament' don't be afraid to ask what kind of temperament Personally, I like a strong-willed, lively, intelligent Irish with lots of drive and quick reactions, but without the nerves and jumpiness that can sometimes go with high reactivity. That's a proper Irish Terrier temperament to me - but that's maybe not the sort of dog most people (most sane people) seek out as a family pet or companion. Rather than Discover Dogs, or as well as, go to the breed ring and watch the judging. You will see that Irish Terriers come in a variety of shapes and sizes and coat types (even at Crufts) and you will probably meet people around the ring who are pet owners who have come to support their breeders and catch up with other owners. Obviously, accept the fact that many exhibitors get nervous and tense before they go in the ring, but once they are out, they are usually more than happy to chat. You will soon work out who the genuine ones are and who just wants to sell you a puppy! :? I really hope I haven't put you off completely! I just want to paint a realistic picture of the best breed there is.......................if you get a good one;-)
