Frequently Asked Questions

1) Are Irish Terriers good with kids?

Absolutely. They adore kids and their lively games. Irish Terriers were originally hardy all around farm dogs with a quick intelligence. They have a "happy go lucky" attitude and are always looking for who wants to play next. Of course, any dog or puppy needs to be supervised when around young children. Both dog and child can easily become over stimulated and rougher than desired. Puppies need to be taught not to "mouth" people, and children need to be taught not to tease. If possible, training classes will help with the adjustment of the puppy in the home. It is also important that the child never rolls around on the floor with the puppy and gets BELOW the dog. A dog views this as a submissive posture and will regard the child as below it on the totem pole.

2) Are Irish Terriers good for people with dog allergies?

Perhaps. I have heard that many people do well with Irish Terriers. I have also placed several puppies with people with allergies and they are satisfied. However, there is no such thing as a non-allergenic dog. Irish Terriers do not shed and are low on dander, so they are sometimes recommended to people with allergic problems. However, each allergic person is different and I do not sell my puppies as non-allergic dogs. I recommend that allergic people find some Irish Terriers to hug enthusiastically and then see if they keel over in an allergic fit.

3) Do Irish Terriers fight with other dogs?

In my personal opinion, socialization is a key issue here. I have placed many puppies in homes with another male dog. The owners take their puppies to obedience classes. The owner maintains the alpha position in the household and lets the dogs know what the rules are and enforces them. Neutering also tends to curb the male testosterone thingey. There are obvious tactics that limit problems: don't set food bowls next to each other, have a defined"space" for each, etc. If there are females in heat around, all bets are off. Most of it is common sense. My dog is not aggressive unless one of his harem is in heat. However, as playful as these dogs are, they will not back down from a fight initiated by another dog.

4) Are Irish Terriers yappy or destructive?

My Irish Terriers do not bark for pure joy. They usually only bark if there is something wrong. Sometimes they bark when people arrive to visit, other times they are absolutely silent. However, they are always out there to greet them. If a possum or raccoon comes on the porch, Brandy will have a fit and bark, Corky just sits there and stares. Of course, if the local fire engine siren goes off, they all bark regardless. I would not describe them as yappy dogs. I grew up with yappy poodles and there is no similarity. As for destructiveness, all puppies chew as part of their teething process. The Irish have teeth like sharks, so they can go through leashes, electric cords, bathroom plumbing, doorknobs, tomato plants, etc, like crazy. But once they outgrow the puppy hood chewing, I have not had any problem. As a Master Gardener, I am an avid gardener. In the last 8 years, the only time my Irish Terriers have dug in the yard is when there was a mole or vole down there. Each spring and summer, they litter my lawn with dead rodents, which in my opinion, is a good thing. They do not dig if there is not a rodent. So I am happy. A rodent would destroy all my rare plants.

5) Do Irish Terriers make good watch dogs?

Yes and no. I personally do not see that these are great watch dogs. You will always know if someone is at the door or in the yard. But their attitude is more like "look who has come to play". These guys are not aggressive in my opinion.

6) Can Irish Terriers adapt to apartment living?

Irish Terriers need exercise. They need the intellectual stimulant to prevent them from becoming bored, so it is advisable to take them out for walks, "to see the sights". A dog cooped up in an apartment or small yard is going to start looking for something to do, regardless of whether it is appropriate or not. So the answer is that if you go walking three times a day and have a varied amount of activity, the Irish might enjoy your living accommodations.

7) Are Irish Terriers difficult to train?

The Irish is a very smart dog. After all, they were used as Messenger Dogs during WWI, so they have to be fairly trainable. However, it is also very bullheaded. You have got to be consistent and more bullheaded than the Irish. Most of my puppy's owners are reporting back that their little guys are graduating top of their obedience class. My kids have taught their dogs to fetch, jump through hoops, flip cookies off their noses and catch them. There is a difference between Irish Terriers and other dogs. They are not like Labradors. If you ask a Labrador to jump, it will reply "How high?" (I wish my kids were like this!) If I ask my male, Corky, to jump, he looks at me and says, "What's in it for me?" The terrier has a brain, and a life. You have to make it worth his while. Now, Corky loves going for walks, so he is a perfect gentleman on a leash. You see, it is worth the walk for him to behave. Also, you have to remember that the Irish is perfectly willing to wait until you leave the room to get into mischief. The trick is to think two steps ahead of the Irish. It can be done, and really, most puppies present the same kind of problems that an Irish Terrier puppy does. They want to explore everything, and put it in their mouths. Kind of sounds like a human baby, right?

8) Is this a good breed for first time dog owners?

I do not usually place an Irish Terrier puppy with someone who has never met a Terrier of some kind. Terriers are radically different from, say, poodles or Labradors. However, once a person has been hooked on Terriers, it is for life. I would suggest that a first time dog owner chose a breed that lives to worship humans and is very easy going, not one that is so independent and intelligent. Terriers can be a handful even though they are good with families, adaptable, fun loving and smart.

9) Are they indoor or outdoor dogs?

The Irish Terrier was originally bred as a good all around farm dog. However, they are extremely social animals and adore people. It is not fair for them to be outside all the time when they really want to be in the same room with their owners. They are people dogs and are extremely loyal. They would go nuts if housed outside in a kennel or left alone all day. Although I do not allow my dogs to sleep on my bed or get on my furniture, I know that they sneak into my kids' room to be with them. I consider my dogs to be both indoor and outdoor dogs. They love the outdoors, but they know how to behave properly in a house.

10) Do they make good obedience dogs?

I have heard that the Irish Terrier does very well in the Obedience Trials and have taken first place even. Irish Terriers do very well in the Obedience and Training Classes. Of course, you have to be consistent. I am not, so Corky basically just walks on the leash for me. The kids' dogs however do much better because kids have more energy and persistence to teach their pets tricks and such.

11) Does the Irish Terrier require a lot of maintenance?

The Irish Terrier is a very low maintenance dog. It really depends on how scruffy you want the dog to be. Because the Irish does not shed, it requires hand stripping which is not difficult. It only takes about 20 minutes a night for a week, twice a year. Of course, most pet owners do not expect their dogs to look like the show ring dogs. The show ring dogs are groomed for a minimum of 6 weeks before each show and there is a lot more involved than just hand stripping. Most groomers will not hand strip due to the work involved. Instead they will clip the hair. This is not desirable because it does not remove the second coat and leaves the remaining short hair soft. However, I am not obsessive compulsive and I believe that an owner can groom their dog as they wish. One of my puppy owners has her dog cut in a Schnauzer cut and it is beautiful. As long as the dog and owner are both happy, and the dog is clean and cared for, it doesn't matter what cut one prefers.

12) How do I find a Irish Terrier puppy?

Irish Terriers are a rare breed. The AKC defines a rare breed as having less than 2000 puppies born and registered in a given year. Last year, or the year before, only about 326 Irish Terriers were born and registered. Some Irish Terriers are available as "rescues". The only problem with rescues is that one does not know why it is homeless. One never knows if it was mistreated, had a bad temperament, the owner had a health problem that excluded pets, or what. Dogs in "rescue" need good homes, but be sure to find out its history before bringing it into your home, especially if you have children. If at all possible, visit the breeder's home to see the conditions that the puppy was raised in. Do not ever buy a puppy from a Pet Store. Puppies in pet stores are never from desirable environments.

13) How are Irish Terriers different from other Terriers?

**The Irish Terrier is not a hyper, noisy dog. It is an alert dog.
**The Irish and the Airedale are the only two terriers that are not hyper
**The Irish is a medium sized dog of 30-40 pounds
**Irish Terriers do not have genetic problems
**The hair of the Irish Terrier does not tangle like the wheaton terrier
**The Irish Terrier does not have skin problems
**The Irish Terrier is not a one person dog like some little dogs

14) Can Irish Terriers get along with cats?

All dogs are individuals. However, I introduced my two puppies into my household when I had two adult cats. The cats slapped the puppies around a bit and an equilibrium was developed that included play and "safe, no touch zones". Everything was fine until I acquired two more puppies, and then it was four against two. Needless to say, the dogs knew they had the upper hand and all was not fine in paradise any longer. I now have two more kittens, the two adult cats having passed on, and everything is fine if there is only one dog in the house at a time. For some reason, the "pack instinct" takes over when there are two dogs in the house. So, count how many dogs you have and do the math. Supervision is a must, but peaceful coexistence can be achieved.

15) Can I run long distances with an Irish Terrier?

I have placed puppies with low key runners, and there is an Irish in Atlanta, GA that regularly runs with his owner. However, puppies cannot do very much, because they are babies. It is really important here to use common sense. Just as a human must build up their mileage capacity, so must a dog gradually increase their distance and speed. Pay attention to your dog. If they are gasping for air, and dragging on their leash, there is a problem. If they can keep up with you, (or ahead of you) and are happy and enthusiastic, then you are ok. The Irish Terriers are not "superior" runners, so I would not advise these dogs for more than 4 miles a day, if that. Be sure and carry water, and avoid extremes in weather conditions. There are good books available about running with dogs. Since I only walk, I am not an expert on running with dogs and my information is second hand.

16) How much does an Irish Terrier cost?

The cost of a good dog reflects the care that goes into it. There are some breeders that ask much less for their dogs than the average market price. However, after a little investigation, one usually finds that there is no socialization and limited care, and that they also wholesale their dogs to pet distributors. After the purchase price, one must also be ready to pay for veterinary care, food, obedience classes, pet insurance, petsitting/boarding, and replacement of all the items that get worn out, out-grown, emptied, or chewed up. Fortunately, Irish Terriers are a very healthy breed and rarely need more than the annual visits to the vet for vaccinations.

17) What kind of companion can I get for my Irish Terrier?

The best companion for an Irish Terrier is YOU! Irish Terriers are people-oriented. Irish Terriers want to be included in the family activities and consider themselves a member of the family. They cannot be left alone at home all day. They could become neurotic and develop undesirable behaviors.

18) What should I feed my Irish Terrier?

The pet food industry, in my opinion, is not all that great. I recommend that people read the website Bones and Raw Food (B.A.R.F for short) for their wonderful information. Please be aware that I take the middle of the road approach and am not a zealous fanatic about everything that they say. However, they do have a lot of valuable and logical information that is not usually addressed by pet food market. Dogs were originally carnivores and scavengers and were never meant to be fed the same pet food 24/7 for their entire life.