DOG BREEDS THAT ORIGINATED IN IRELAND
March is traditionally known as Irish Heritage and History Month so we wanted to introduce you to some dog breeds that originated in Ireland.
THE IRISH TERRIER- This super cute, alert, spry and smart little dog was born in Dublin in 1873 and by 1885 was the fourth (4th) most popular dog breed in Ireland.
During World War One (WWI) the Irish Terrier and carrier pigeons were both used to transport messages between troops on the front lines.
These terriers have a brave, tenacious spirit and although amiable, are typically one person, one family dogs and one of the oldest of the Terrier breeds. The Irish Terrier has a dense, wiry, all-weather coat of red, red/golden, red/wheaten color that must be properly groomed, stands at 17”-18” at the shoulder, weighs between 24-27 pounds, has an ‘average’ lifespan of 13-14 years.
If you are familiar with American Football, you may recognize this little dog as the mascot for the Notre Dame Football team.
THE IRISH SETTER ( RED SETTER ) - This Majestic looking dog with long silky red fur was originally bred in Ireland as a ‘game’ bird dog to help bird hunters retrieve pheasants and quail.
The Irish Setter is a dog belonging to the ‘Sporting’ group of dog breeds and is a large, happy, agile, typically friendly dog who is of course well suited for those humans who are quite active.
This breed needs lots of room to romp, play, run and have fun and has a natural ‘prey’ drive.
The Irish Setter Stands between 25”-27” at the shoulder, weighs between 60-70 pounds, and has an average lifespan of 12-14 years.
The Red Irish Setter was first a Red and White dog, then red Or white, and finally were bred to be only Red, Chestnut, Mahogany.
This is a great family dog and probably one of the most well recognized as being a dog of Irish origin.
THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL- This breed was originally known as the ‘Shannon Spaniel’
and is thought to have it’s roots in Dublin in the 1830’s.
This dog has a very tightly curled coat much like that of a Poodle, but with a perm.
The coat is very unique and is of a dark purplish liver color. The Irish Water Spaniel is an excellent swimmer and loves water naturally, like a mermaid.
She is a one person, one family dog and naturally wary around most strangers.
Excellent endurance athlete in water as well as on land, loves to have fun and is funny by nature. The breed is very tall belonging to the Spaniel group, stands 21”- 24” at the shoulder, weighs between 45-70 pounds, could be described as a Medium/Large breed, and has an average lifespan of 12- 13 years and needs at minimum Sixty (60) minutes of exercise per day.
SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER- Is a Medium sized sweet tempered dog who is like many dogs in the Terrier group; willful and headstrong with an independent personality. Sometimes dogs with this type of temperament can be described as having their ‘own’ idea of what to behave like, having their own agenda, a bit of a stubborn streak. There are many dog breeds that exhibit these characteristics. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a very good watch dog who is good with most people and pets, and does need their soft silky coat brushed daily.
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier will do best with an owner/pet parent who is consistent and firm, yet gentle with their training methods.
This breed measures 17”-19” at the shoulder, weighs between 30-40 pounds, and has an average lifespan of 12-14 years.
They were first known as being a working dog on Irish farms and then they were shown in dog shows in Ireland on March 17, 1937 and then recognized in the United States in 1946.
KERRY BLUE TERRIER- Is a dog breed with a blue curly coat that originated in County Kerry in Ireland and is an all around dog; herder/watch dog, has a terrier instinct to drive out ‘vermin’, and is also a hunter of small game like birds.
Like most intelligent, quick-witted, social breeds, this means that you will need to provide this dog with plenty of things to keep his/her physically and mentally engaged; otherwise, boredom may lead to frustration and destructive behaviors.
The Kerry Blue Terrier is 17.5” - 19.5” at the shoulder, weighs between 33-40 pounds, and has an average lifespan of 12-15 years.
Their curly coat needs to be groomed every 6-8 weeks.
These dogs are people oriented, but oftentimes not dog- oriented, and because they are a breed with a hunting, watchful, prey drive, they will need to be carefully supervised and introduced gradually to other pets such as cats and probably not advisable to have household pets such as rabbits, hamsters, etc.
KERRY BEAGLE- This breed is a fairly rare breed, therefore *not easy to locate many photos of them. They are not actually what most people ‘think of’ as a Beagle; like the “Snoopy” Beagle. The Irish Gaelic word for small is ‘Beag. ‘ These Kerry Beagles have a smaller, refined head like an English Foxhound or an American Coonhound, and their Body structure more closely resembles that of a Hound, with lean body and long legs.
They are actually one of Ireland’s oldest ‘Hound’ breeds and are 22”- 24” at the shoulder, weigh approximately 60 pounds, have an average lifespan of 10-14 years and they Bay, rather than Bark. * As do many Hounds, including the Beagle.
These dogs were hunters of large game like deer, have a very strong ‘prey’ drive, are super fast and have great endurance like a marathon runner does.
An Interesting anatomical fact is that their middle toe is longer than the other toes, like Greyhound’s middle toes are; which enables them to run at faster speeds.
They only require minimal bathing and brushing; ie. every 2-3 months and they were often the first to be set on the trail of game to pick up the ‘scent’ and then the Big Dogs- The Irish Wolfhounds were set loose to finish the hunt.
IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTER- Actually came prior to the Red Irish Setter many know as the Irish Setter of today. This beautiful, lithe sporting bird dog is brave, super social, gentle natured, friendly, usually good with other pets, people/family friendly, and prefers praise over treats.
The Red and White Irish Setter stands 22.5”- 26” tall at the shoulder, weighs 35-60 pounds, has an average lifespan of 11-15 years and is in the Sporting breed group and considered a large dog.
Fun fact- The Red and White Irish Setter is known for how he/she ‘sneaks’, crawls on his/her belly, does a freeze stance, then points with his/her tail to show the human where the ‘game’; usually birds are while out hunting. Back in the day, humans used to hunt with these dogs and throw nets over the prey.
Like many sensitive, gentle natured breeds including Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Collies, American Eskimo Dogs and many more, this dog responds best to Gentle and Positive training and reinforcement rather than forceful or loud styles of training.
GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER- This Irish Dog Breed originated in the remote valley of County Wicklow, Ireland so long ago it is believed that it was before the 16th century. In the 16th century some of the Flemish people migrated to Ireland and brought their dogs with them. These dogs mixed with the little local terriers inhabiting the remote Glen of Imaal, and then developed into the breed we know and recognize today.
These dogs are 12.5”- 14” tall at the shoulder, are very hardy and stout rather ’big’ dogs on short powerful legs, weigh 32-40 pounds, and have an average lifespan of 10-15 years.
The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a high spirited, feisty personality, agile dog and works actively and silently.
Originally bred to hunt both badger and fox, an ‘odd’ fact is that they were even bred to work as a ‘turn-spit’ dog; which means that they actually ‘ran’ on something like a hamster wheel to turn the roasted meat over a spit fire pit while their human counterparts prepared the rest of the meal.
This terrier is equally at home in both a city/urban as well as a country environment, they are sweet as pets for both singles and families, but since they have a high ‘prey’ drive, they may not do well around household pets such as cats and other small animals.
IRISH WOLFHOUND- This ancient breed of Irish dog is both the tallest and the largest of the ‘Hound’ group.
They stand 30”-32” at the shoulder, weigh 105-120 pounds, and have an average lifespan of 6-8 years. They’re double-coated ,but unlike many double-coated breeds they do NOT blow their undercoat 2 times per year. Their coat colors are gray or cream.
You need to brush them 1-2 times per week to keep them looking nice and bathe as necessary. Due to their sheer large size and long legs they Do need a large yard with room to RUN and stretch those legs.
The Irish Wolfhound is associated with accounts of one of the most famous Irish mythological heroes; Cu’ Chullain. *(Pronounced as Coo Cullen.) In Irish Gaelic the word Cu’ means Hound, so this name roughly translates to’ Hound of Cullen’. Cu’ Faoil in Irish Gaelic means ‘hound of wolf’ or ‘wolfhound’.
Wolf in Irish Gaelic is: Mac Tire. The literal translation is: Son of The Countryside. Mac means ‘son’. Tire’ means country, or countryside.
Wikipedia says that these dogs are mentioned as Cu’ in Irish Laws and Literature dating from the 6th Century.
Some accounts as far back as 391 say that Ancient Gaels used these dogs to fight off lions and bears as well as to hunt Big Game such as wolves, deer, and Irish Elk.
Irish Elk are extinct and were said to have stood 6 foot tall at the shoulder.
The Irish Wolfhound is lithe, ultra fast, very sweet, social, gentle natured and hunts solely on its extraordinary powers of sight, not by scent like many hounds do.
The Irish Wolfhound we know today was developed by a breed enthusiast by the name of George Augustus Grant in the 1860’s as the Ancient Irish wolfhound did it’s job so well it not only drove the wolves in Ireland to near extinction, it became near extinct itself.
They are quiet by nature and although very large in size, they are not actually guard or watch dogs. They are usually one person one family dogs and love their own family pets too. They are often friendly and social even with strangers.
We here at The Dog Goddess hope that you learned something new in this informative, interesting article on Dog Breeds That Originated In Ireland and that you and yours enjoy a wonderful Month of March- Otherwise known as Irish Cultural and Heritage Month.
