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;

• have some questions ready, you can always ask more later but it is a good idea to have an understanding of what you want from a dog and whether this breed really will suit,
• be prepared to give honest answers about the size of your yard, the height of your fences, the amount of time you have for a dog and whether the dog will live inside or out,
• if you're planning to start a family or add to your family discuss with the breeder how you should integrate your dog into that scenario,
• ask to view the parents or grandparents, sometimes breeders will have brothers and sisters from an earlier litter.  While we might not have the parents living with us most breeders have enough dogs around to give you an idea of what our breed is like,
• ask if the breeder has an information sheet you can read.  If you decide to buy a puppy it is good to have read this before you collect the puppy because it is very difficult to stay focused on anything but THE PUPPY on the day you collect it,
• find out if your puppy will be on the main or limit register.  The difference is that if you want to show or breed your dog you need it to be on the main register, dogs on the limit register can compete in all forms of obedience and agility but cannot be shown at conformation shows, bred from or exported.  Expect to pay more for a puppy on the main register,
• if you make a time to visit a breeder try to be prompt, breeders are very busy and usually have a tight schedule throughout the day.  Puppies need to be fed at certain times and then they sleep, kennels need to be cleaned and dogs exercised etc.  And breeders still need to do all the other mundane things in life, like house work etc.  While we welcome people to come and visit it makes life much easier if people arrive at the agreed time and
• keep in touch.  If you have questions before or after buying a puppy you should feel free to make contact.

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. 

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