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Puppies
It is important to understand that while we think Irish Terriers are the perfect dog we know that they are not perfect for everyone. This is a very trainable breed, having a distinguished career during the great war and also succeeding in the obedience ring. However, if you are expecting that to mean they train like working breeds then you will be frustrated. Irish Terriers (in fact all terriers) have been bred for independent thinking, working dogs and gun dogs were bred to work to orders from a person, hounds were bred to work in a pack......getting the picture?? If you are considering adding an Irish Terrier to your family you should contact a breeder in your area (see our Breeders List) and have a discussion about your lifestyle and what you're looking for in a dog. Generally speaking this breed is great with children and can be raised to live with cats. Living with (and ignoring) chooks, birds, rabbits can take a fair bit of training and supervision. Of the coated terriers the Irish is the easiest to maintain, requiring less grooming than Airedale Terriers, Wire Fox Terriers, Welsh Terriers or Lakeland Terriers. They shed very little hair which makes them ideal for being in the house. This is still a hardy breed and veterinary treatment usually involved yearly vaccinations, in older life they may need geriatric care. This breed averages 12 - 14 years with some reaching 17 or over. This is a long time to have a dog so we recommend people seriously consider the long term care before purchasing a puppy. If you are ready to go and talk to breeders here are a few tips that will make your visit run smoothly;
If you decide to buy a puppy please respect the years of experience, hard work and expense that has gone into producing that puppy. When you get it home don't think of it as an easy way to make money by breeding puppies. The reality is that none of us has made money in breeding dogs, in fact the reverse it true. When people breed indiscriminate litters of puppies or let their male dog produce cross breeds it simply erodes the hard work and efforts of generations of breeders but the worst thing of all is it puts the integrity and health of our breed in jeopardy. True lovers of Irish Terriers just wouldn't follow this path.
Liz Walmsley Southern River, WA, Australia Phone : - Email : - |