Doggone Etiquette—

An Irish Weekend

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dogs:          

We’re a day late for St Patrick’s Day, but I’m sure all you Irish dogs will be celebrating the whole weekend, so not to worry. Now that most of the snow is gone, your extra bit of barking and running around outside are only a couple of ways to let your VIPeople know you are indeed Irish. You will be letting the neighbors know it, too — but don’t get too raucous or you’ll be brought indoors and told to cool it!

A Word to the Dogs’ Owners:

The charm of the Irish can steal you heart, and that goes for every one of the Irish breeds of dogs. There are enough different breeds to suit almost any dog lover. For starters, there’s the three-foot-tall, 130-pound Irish wolfhound (or “Cu Faoil” as he’s known in Ireland) dating back to around 1500 BCE They were canine warriors in their heyday, ridding the country of wolves and guarding the property of nobility. Because of their large size they were too much for the average farmers to house and feed, but even living with the landed gentry, this breed almost reached extinction during the great famine of 1845–46. A short-lived breed, but as for temperament, the wolfhound is correctly known worldwide as the “gentle giant.”              

The solid red Irish setter is well known in the United States. It is a true hunting dog, but the breed quickly won the hearts of pet owners with its good looks and happy-go-lucky personality. Its cousin, the Irish red and white setter, is an old breed, but a newcomer to our shores. He is still an excellent gundog, but both of these breeds thrive on physical activity and, as pets, need early training to keep their excessive energy under control.             

There are spaniels of every size and shape, native to almost every land, so of course there is an Irish water spaniel. He’s a fun dog (of course — he’s Irish!) with a crisp, curly, liver-colored coat complete with a topknot so you can spot him working in the water. With the active mind of a good sporting dog, once again consistent early training is needed to keep this charming Irishman in line.

Then we come to the terriers — the essential dogs for a nation of small farms. They were bred to keep down the rats and other vermin, but at the end of the workday, shared the hearth with the family rather than being relegated to the kennel. Once the joyful Irish spirit in them is under control (more good early training), all these bright, brainy breeds make excellent companions.

The Kerry blue terrier originated in County Kerry, but is known as the Irish blue terrier on its home turf. The Kerry is an intelligent all-rounder, used to rid farms of vermin, badger and rabbits, but also well known for retrieving in field and water, and even for herding sheep. The Irish blue terrier has been declared the “national dog of Ireland” and you can’t get much better acclaim than that! The Kerry is well known in the United States as a pet, but their intelligence takes them successfully into police work and as therapy dogs. Need we repeat, he only needs good early training to ease up his otherwise hearty Irish outlook on life!

The Irish terrier is a game dog and true sportsman, but one that easily adapts to family life wherever his family happens to live. He’s slim, sleek, and trim, weighing around 27 pounds, with a solid red wiry coat and alert, often mischievous, eyes. For all his spirit, he makes an affectionate and devoted companion.         

The soft-coated Wheaten terrier is best known to the public as the exuberant one with a thick soft creamy-colored coat you can get your hands into — as the dog is jumping up to greet you! (It’s a Wheaten hello trademark.) Appropriately first registered in Ireland on St Patrick’s Day 1947, the SCWT Club of America was founded on the same day in 1962! How Irish can you get!

The smallest and latest import is the Glen of Imaal terrier, a dog that is on short legs with a long substantial body and comes in a variety of colors from cream to blue (gray) or brindle. The Glen is a relatively docile, gentle dog — for a terrier that is — with an appealing friendly expression. He has plenty of spirit when needed.

Until next time — ERIN GO BRAGH!

—Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.