^«flf^^fl 
 
 
 
 The Scottish Terrier 
 
 Tlie Irisli Terrier 
 
 JAME5 E. GREEN. 
 
TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 
 
 3 9090 013 412 511 
 
 Webster Family Library of Veterinary IWedicine 
 Cummings Scliool of Veterinary [Medicine at 
 Tufts University 
 200 Westboro Road 
 North Grafton, MA 01536 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 
 
 AND 
 
 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 Their History, Characteristics and Development 
 to the present standard, etc. 
 
 Compiled and Published by 
 
 JAMES E. GREEN 
 
 WEST MEDFORD, 
 MASS. 
 
 Geo. R. Willis, Printer, 8 Friend St., Boston, 
 
^i 
 
 Copyright, 1S94. 
 
PART I. 
 
 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The compiler of this short essay on the Scottish Terrier 
 has given nothing but what has been taken from well-known 
 writers upon the breed. . His intention has been to give their 
 origin, their use as both house-dogs and field- workers, and, 
 in a w^ay, to answer the question so often asked, — What 
 claim has the present dog seen at shows to be called a Scot- 
 tish terrier ? That he is of old descent seems clearly proven. 
 They have remained longer in Scotland than the old Scotch 
 terrier so well known in America twenty years ago. Captain 
 Mackie, who made, some years ago, a trip through the West- 
 ern Highlands, to gain information about these gamey little 
 dogs from men who had them for work, says : 
 
 " Knocking about amidst uild scenery, and among Gaelic-speaking 
 folks, I have come across those who looked upon me as terrier daft ; 
 others fancied I was a blackguard dog-tax collector; while others recip- 
 rocated my liking for the wee dog, and gave me all the information they 
 possessed. It is this information, along with what I have seen, that I 
 
PREFACE. 5 
 
 desire to convey to the reader. I cannot immor-talize the ' die-hards,' 
 as Sir Walter did the Dandies ; but if I describe the types of terriers 
 that I have seen, tell who they belong to, and what they are used for, I 
 may be doing the breed a service." 
 
 These notes are compiled in the same spirit as Captain 
 Mackie wrote his, and with the hope that one of the best 
 httle dogs will soon take the highest place among " the 
 fancy," the lovers of true sport, and the general public, as 
 his worth deserves. 
 
SCOTIA'S TOWSY TYKE. 
 
 I ken the terrier o' the North, 
 
 I ken the towsy tyke ; 
 Ye'll search fra Tweed to Sussex' shore, 
 
 But never find his like 
 
 For pluck and pith, and jaw and teeth, 
 
 And hair,like heather cowes, 
 ^Yi' body lang and low and Strang, 
 
 At hame in cairns or knowes. 
 
 He'll face a foumert, draw a brock, 
 
 Kill rats and whiterits by the score ; 
 He'll bang tod-lowrie frae his hole, 
 
 Or stay him at his door. 
 
 He'll range for days, and ne'er be tired. 
 
 O'er mountain, moor or fell ; 
 Fair play, I'll back the brave wee chap 
 
 To fecht the de'il himsel'. 
 
 And yet beneath his rugged coat 
 
 A heart beats warm and true ; 
 He'll help to herd the sheep and kye. 
 
 And mind the lammies, too. 
 
 Then see him at the ingle side, 
 
 ^Vith bairnies roond him lauchin' ; 
 Was ever dog sae pleased as he, 
 
 Sae fond o' fun and daffin' .'' 
 
 But gie's your hand, my Hielan' man, 
 
 Guid faith ! we maunna sever ; 
 Then, " Here's to Scotia's best o' dogs, 
 
 Oor towsy tyke for ever." 
 
 (Gordon Stables, M. I). 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 D. I. Thomson Gray writes in "The Dogs of Scotland" : 
 
 "Towards the close of the famous Skye terrier controversy in 
 English journals devoted to canine subjects and field sports, and when 
 the editors of the various papers through which it was dragged refused 
 to print any more letters on the subject, a fresh disciission arose on the 
 ' Scotch ' terrier. At first the letters attracted little attention beyond 
 the small circle of those interested. 
 
 " Scottie's admirers, however, had adopted for their motto, ' Perse- 
 vere and succeed,' and stuck doggedly to their purpose, and persistently 
 kept writing, till they attracted attention. Although scant justice was 
 often done them, and they were sometimes beaten off by editorial 
 authority, they returned again and again to the charge, each time secur- 
 ing some little encouragement to renew their exertions. With such 
 persistency did they pursue this line of action that it was said of them, 
 'they would, mite by mite, beg a cheese.' By and by the 'fanciers ' of 
 what they called the pure and unadulterated Skye joined the ranks, and 
 the discussion became very warm. The writers were far from agreeing 
 on the type, and indulged strongly in personalities, which gained for 
 them the character of cantankerous grumbling, disputatious, fighting 
 Scotsmen, who had nothing to show to prove what they wrote, but 
 simply wrote from pure love of argument. To judge from these letters, 
 these remarks were partly justified. The writers could not agree as to 
 the type ; one held that his dog was the correct type ; another that his 
 
8 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 dog was the only type and original ' Scotch ' terrier, and so on. To the 
 uninitiated it was quite impossible, from the multitude of different 
 descriptions which were given, to say what a 'Scottish terrier' should 
 be. Some were described as • Scotch,' others as pure Skyes, and a third 
 as Aberdeen terriers. . . . 
 
 " To the initiated, the whole matter was clear. The dog which the 
 Scottish writers were trying to get established as the Scottish was the 
 Highland or Cairn terrier, — the terrier of the Highlands of Scotland, — 
 known in some parts as the short-coated Skye, a sub-division of which 
 is the Aberdeen terrier. 
 
 " For years previous to the commencement of the ' dispute ' in 
 question, we had these terriers from Mr. McDonald, Dunvegan, Skye, 
 and formed a high opinion of them. Our previous experience, how- 
 ever, would not allow us to call them the ^Scottish terrier, which, as 
 recognized in the Lowlands of Scotland, was a leggier dog, more 
 resembling the present type of Irish terrier. On this account, we 
 objected at first to the name Scottish terrier being applied to them ; 
 and it was only after we found that the race of terriers described by old 
 authors as the Scotch terrier was extinct i/i Scotland that we agreed to 
 the Highland or Cairn terrier appropriating the name, as being the 
 breed having the strongest claim to the title. 
 
 " We, however, hold that the race of terriers known for many years 
 in the Lowlands of Scotland as the Scotch terrier is not extinct, but 
 exists under the cognomen of Lish terriers. ' Stonehenge ' was of the 
 same opinion ; for he refused at first to insert a description of these 
 (Irish) terriers in his book, ' The Dogs of the British Islands,' as he 
 believed they in no way differed from the old Scots terrier commonly 
 met with in England in the early part of the present century, and about 
 which no two seem to agree. 
 
 " ' Stonehenge,' in his early works, describes the ' Scotch ' terrier as 
 closely resembling the English terrier in all but his coat, which is wiry 
 and rough; and hence he is sometimes called the wire-haired terrier, — 
 a name perhaps better suited to a dog which has long been naturalized 
 in England, and whose origin is obscure enough. 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 9 
 
 '•Beyond this difference in externals, there is little to be said 
 distinctive of the one from the other, — the colors being the same, but 
 white being more highly prized in the Southern variety, and black-and- 
 tan, when more or less mixed with grey, so as to give the dog a pepper- 
 and-salt appearance, being characteristic of the true Scotch terrier ; but 
 there are numberless varieties in size, and in shape and color." 
 
 Youatt confirms that the old Scots terrier was a leggy 
 clog, by saying : 
 
 " There is reason to believe that this dog (the Scotch terrier) is far 
 older than the English terrier. There are three varieties : First, the 
 common Scotch terrier, twelve or thirteen inches high ; his body mus- 
 cular and compact; considerable breadth across the loins; the legs 
 shorter and stouter than those of the English terriers. The head large 
 in proportion to the size of the body; the muzzle small and pointed ; 
 strong marks of intelligence in the countenance ; warm attachment to 
 his master,, and the evident devotion of every power to the fulfillment 
 of his wishes. The hair is long and tough, and extending over the 
 whole frame. In color they are black or fawn ; the white, yellow or 
 pied* are always deficient in purity of blood. 
 
 " Another species has nearly the same conformation, but is covered 
 with longer, more curly, and stouter hair, — the legs being apparently, 
 but not actually, shorter. This kind of dog prevails in the greater part 
 of the Western Islands of Scotland : and some of them, when the hair 
 has obtained its full development, are much admired. 
 
 " A third species of terrier is of considerably larger bulk, and three 
 or four inches taller than either of the others. The hair is shorter than 
 that of the other breeds, and is hard and wiry." 
 
 An illustration of a drop-eared, leggy dog, with docked 
 tail, and shaggy, curly coat, heads the article just quoted, 
 which goes to show that, besides the Dandie and Skye, there 
 
lO THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 existed at that time a dog three or four inches taller than 
 either of these, and with a short, hard, and wiry coat. 
 
 Brown, in "The Field Book," published in London, by 
 Effingham Wilson, in 1833, says: 
 
 "There are two kinds of terriers, — the rough-haired Scotch and 
 the smooth English. 
 
 " The Scotch terrier is certainly the purest in point of breed, and 
 the English seems to have been produced by a cross from him. The 
 Scotch terrier is generally low in stature, seldom more than twelve or 
 fourteen inches in height, with a strong, muscular body, and short, stout 
 legs ; his ears small, and half -pricked ; his head is rather large in pro- 
 portion to the size of his body, and the muzzle considerably pointed ; 
 his scent is extremely acute, so that he can trace the footsteps of all 
 other animals with certainty ; he is generally of a sandy color or black. 
 Dogs of these colors are certainly the most hardy, and more to be 
 depended upon ; when white or pied, it is a sure mark of the impurity 
 of the breed. The hair of the terrier is long, matted, and hard, over 
 almost every part of his body. His bite is extremely keen. There are 
 three distinct varieties of the Scotch terrier, viz. : The one above 
 described. Another, about the same size and form, but with hair much 
 longer, and somewhat flowing, which gives his legs the appearance of 
 being very short. This is the prevailing breed of the Westerji Islands 
 of Scotland. The third variety is much larger than the former two, 
 being generally from fifteen to eighteen inches in height, with the hair 
 very hard and wiry, and much shorter than that of the others." 
 
 Mr. Hugh Dalzeil, a Scotchman, born in Kirkcudbridge- 
 shire, and author of "British Dogs," writes, at the time 
 when the dispute was going on, and before anything definite 
 as to type had been agreed upon : 
 
 " . . . . The old hard and short-haired ' terry ' of the West of 
 Scotland, as I recollect him when a boy, was much nearer in shape to a 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. I I 
 
 modern fox-terrier, but with shorter and rounder head; the color of 
 their hard, wiry coat, mostly sandy; the face free from long hair, 
 although some showing a beard ; and the small ears, carried in most 
 instances semi-erect, in some pricked. The true old Scotch terrier 
 should be a stoutly-built dog, leggy in comparison with the Skye, 
 Dandle or Aberdeen, varying in size, as all breeds little cared for do, 
 but easily to be kept near to a standard of fifteen pounds to eighteen 
 pounds, which I hold to be the most useful for a working 'varmint' 
 dog, even if he is not wanted to go to ground. 
 
 "The head rather short, and the skull somewhat round; the jaws 
 being strong, and also short, more or less bearded; a long, lean punish- 
 ing jaw, as the phrase goes, is a modern feature in terriers of any variety, 
 and the idea is often carried to great excess. 
 
 " The eyes bright and keen, piercing through short, shaggy hair. 
 
 " The ears small, covered with soft, short hair, semi-erect, falling 
 over at the tip. 
 
 '• The neek short and strong. 
 
 "The ehest moderately deep; ribs strong, the back ones fairly 
 developed; the back short as a fox-terrier's, with strong loins and 
 good, muscular, square buttocks. 
 
 " The legs stout, well covered with hard hair; stifles only moderately 
 bent; forelegs straight, all covered with hard, short hair; the feet com- 
 pact, and hard in the sole, and the claws strong. 
 
 '•The tail, if undocked, eight inches to ten inches long, bush-like, 
 not fringed, the covering being hard hair. 
 
 '• The prevailing eolor sandy ; sometimes a dark grizzle ; and I have 
 occasionally seen them brindled. 
 
 " The coat hard and very dense, from one inch, or rather less than 
 two inches, in length at the greatest. 
 
 " I give the above, written from memory, as a rough description of 
 the Scotch terrier, as kept by my father, and such as were commonly 
 met with in the West of Scotland some forty years ago." 
 
 Whinstone again quotes Myrick's " House Dogs and 
 
12 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 Sporting Dogs," and says the following ludicrous description 
 of a " Scotch 
 
 '• I'he Scotch terrier is a shorter-legged and generally a heavier dog 
 than either of the preceding varieties [Bull, English, and Fox-terrier]. 
 He is equally plucky and clever, but not so active; and from this, and 
 his thicker coat, is not so serviceable in hunting rabbits. His hair is 
 long and matted, and often soft and silky. His color is usually a rich 
 black and tan, sometimes mixed with grey ; it is impossible to look at 
 his coat and color, and not suspect a cross with the collie. 
 
 " In height he is seldom over fourteen inches, but sometimes weighs 
 more than sixteen or eighteen pounds. There are innumerable varieties 
 of this breed. . . ." 
 
 "We have quoted these authors, — we cannot say authorities, after 
 Myrick's description, — to show that the old Scottish terrier was a leggy 
 dog; but we do not lean entirely on them for support, knowing how 
 unsicker some of their foundations are, but from what we have seen 
 with our own eyes, and what we have heard from the lips of old sports- 
 men and game-keepers who knew this breed in all its beauty. 
 
 " The usual color of the old Scottish terrier was sandy. No other 
 word is so expressive of the color, and will be readily understood by all 
 Scotsmen. There were other colors, such as grizzle and brindle ; sandy 
 was the popular one. They were not bred for 'fancy,' but for work ; 
 consequently the carriage of ears, and other little 'points of beauty,' so 
 greatly insisted upon by ' fanciers,' were ignored, and only the sterling 
 qualities of the animal prized. If he could kill rats, draw a badrer, 
 and face a cat without flinching, he was termed a terrier; if not, he v. as 
 a ' guid-for-naething, useless brute,' looked upon with contempt and 
 disgust, and often. I am sorry to say, kicked for his cowardice. Tiiat 
 was before the days of dog-shows, and when the worth of a dog \ as 
 according to the abilities he displayed at his work, — that of the terriers 
 being the extinction of vermin. With the extinction of such vermin as 
 the wild-cat, brocks (badgers), etc., in the Lowlands of Scotland, the old 
 race of terriers gradually died out. Being leggy, they were not so well 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 1 3 
 
 suited for hunting cairns, or going to ground after vermin, as the High- 
 land terrier, and consequently were seldom met with out of the Lowlands. 
 While possessing all the good qualities of terriers generally, their one 
 great distinguishing character was their undying affection for their 
 master. . . . 
 
 " The breed is now extinct in Scotland. wSome years ago we 
 endeavored to ascertain whether any of the old breed were still extant ; 
 but we only came across two very old dogs, one of which was blind. 
 Both have since joined their predecessors. Those who take an interest 
 in the old breed, may find their counterpart in the Irish terrier, which is 
 very highly spoken of as a sportsman's dog and companion." 
 
 Previous to 1879, the type of terrier now recognized as 
 the Scottish terrier was comparatively unknown. This is not 
 surprising, when we recollect that they were in the hands of 
 sportsmen, fox-hunters, game-keeps and crofters living in 
 remote parts of the Highlands and islands of Scotland, far 
 removed from the influence of dog show^s, and having little 
 communication with the world. Many families in the High- 
 lands seem to have had a strain of their own, of which they 
 were proud on account of their gameness and pluck. This 
 breed was first made prominent and popular over the border 
 by Messrs. Ludlow and Blomfield, in 1883. 
 
 Mr. Rawdon B. Lee says, in his book, "Modern Dogs" 
 (Terriers), Chap. XL : 
 
 " From what I have been told, and from what I have read, I believe 
 that this little dog is the oldest variety of the canine race indigenous to 
 North Britain, although but a comparatively recent introduction across 
 the border and into fashionable society, — at any rate, under his present 
 name. 
 
 " For generations he had been a popular dog in the Highlands, 
 where, strangely enough, he was always known as the Skye terrier, 
 
14 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 although he is so different from the long-coated, unsporting-like looking 
 creature with which that name is now associated. . . . 
 
 " Our little friend has, perhaps, been rather unfortunate so far as 
 nomenclature is concerned ; for, after being called a Skye terrier, he 
 became known as the Scotch terrier, the Scots terrier, and the Highland 
 terrier; then others dubbed him the cairn terrier and the die-hard; 
 whilst another move was made to give him the distinguishing appella- 
 tion of Aberdeen terrier. Now he has been thoroughly wound up, and 
 I suppose to suit those persons of teetotal proclivities who connected 
 the word ' Scotch ' with the national liquor called whiskey, has devel- 
 oped into the Scottish terrier. As such he is known in the Stud Books, 
 and is acknowledged as of that name by the leading Scotch, or Scottish, 
 authorities on the variety. Well, he is a game, smart, perky little terrier, 
 and I do not think that his general excellence and desirability as a com- 
 panion are likely to suffer from the evolutions his name has undergone. 
 Years ago, before dog-shows were invented, any cross-bred creature was 
 called a Scotch terrier, especially if he appeared to stand rather higher 
 on the legs than the ordinary terrier ; if he were on short legs, he was 
 an ' otter terrier.' 
 
 " Of the original Scottish terriers, some there were with semi-erect 
 ears ; others with prick ears. 
 
 " The prick ears are acknowledged now as the more fashionable? 
 though I fancy years ago the semi-prick ear was the more common. 
 However, the fact must not be overlooked that, as puppies, the ears are 
 usually carried thrown back or forwards, — some even not attaining the 
 correct and erect position until six or eight months old. The hard, crisp 
 coat, too, does not always appear until the puppy is casting its first set 
 of teeth ; and this hard coat is a sine qmi non, and no prize ought to be 
 given to any Scottish terrier unless the coat is thoroughly hard and 
 strong, and crisp and close, — it is the hard-haired Scottish terrier, 
 a fact which some judges have sadly overlooked. Another defect, 
 too, common and often overlooked, is to be found in the bat-like 
 ears, with round tips, which some breeders consider to point to a 
 cross with an impure strain. However, they are very unsightly, and 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 1 5 
 
 ought to act as a very severe handicap on dogs possessmg such aural 
 appendages." 
 
 " The Scottish terrier, in character and disposition, is charming ; as 
 a companion, most sensible and pleasant. He has no unpleasant smell 
 from his coat, nor does he carry so much cUrt into the house from the 
 streets of the town and from country lanes as a terrier lower on the 
 legs. Another advantage he possesses is, that he is not so quarrelsome 
 with other dogs as many terriers are. 
 
 " He will fight, and punish freely, too, when he is attacked and 
 really has to defend himself ; but the few that I have owned were slow 
 to set about it. But when they did ! I never saw such little dogs with 
 such big teeth, and which could make such big holes in the legs and 
 ears of a bigger opponent." 
 
 They will go to water well, and to ground likewise. In 
 fact, are bred to do all kinds of hard work both above and 
 underground. 
 
 Mr. Thomson Gray says, in " Dogs of Scotland" : 
 
 " The greatest difficulty is to get straight legs and ears tight up. 
 
 " My idea of a first-class specimen is a very game, hardy-looking 
 terrier, stoutly built, with great bone and substance ; deep in chest and 
 back rib, straight back, powerful quarters, on short, muscular legs; 
 and exhibiting, in a marked degree, a great combination of strength and 
 activity. Terriers built on such lines are very active in their move- 
 ments ; and for going a distance, or taking a standing leap, I do not 
 believe there is any short-legged breed of terrier can equal them. 
 
 " The coat should be one and one-half inches long, thick, dense, 
 lying close, and very hard, with plenty of soft under coat ; tail straight, 
 carried well up, well covered with hair, but not bushy ; the ears should 
 be as small and as sharp-pointed as possible, well carried forward, and 
 giving the dog a ' varmint ' appearance. The skull should not be too 
 narrow, being in proportion to the terribly powerful jaw, but must 
 be narrow between the ears, these being carried well up. If carried 
 
1 6 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 sluggishly, they spoil the appearance of the dog's head. The eyes 
 should be small and deep-set ; muzzle long and tapering, and, as already 
 stated, very powerful ; teeth extra large for size of dog, and level." 
 
 " The Scottish terrier can be steel or iron gray, brindle or grizzled, 
 black or sandy and wheaten. The black-brindle seems to be the most 
 fashionable ; but the dark brindles are not seen as clearly in the dark as 
 are lighter colors. White markings are most objectionable ; but still, 
 some of the best working dogs of this breed have been marked with 
 white. Dogs should be of seventeen pounds to eighteen pounds, and 
 bitches of fifteen pounds to sixteen pounds in weight. There has been 
 a great cry, of late, in regard to straightening the legs of these terriers. 
 
 Mr. Thomson Gray says, in regard to this : 
 
 " While I am in favor of having the legs as straight as possible, I 
 would not sacrifice bone and muscle to get this point, or make it a sine 
 qua lion in judging, as most, if not all, of the best terriers of this l^reed 
 are a little bent, and any really straight-legged specimens I have seen 
 have been deficient in bone, inclined to be leggy and shelly in build. 
 Now, it must be kept in mind that the Scottish terrier is, first of all, a 
 compact, firmly-built terrier, showing extraordinary strength for his size; 
 and to lose these attributes is to lose the strongest points in the breed. 
 Straight legs may be made a fad as much as any other point, and 
 fanciers are apt to run on one point to the detriment of the rest, thus 
 spoiling the even balance of the whole dog." 
 
 H. J. Ludlow, one of the oldest admirers of this breed, 
 and also, we might say, champion in regard to straight 
 fore-legs, gives this description of the Scottish terrier, in 
 the catalogue of the dog show held in Toronto, Canada, 
 September, 1893 : 
 
 "Head long, with very powerful jaw; eyes small, keen, and dark 
 in color; ears prick, set close together, and carried well up; neck short 
 and muscular. Body fairly short, well-ribbed back, with plenty of bone; 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 1 7 
 
 upper coat very hard, and not too long ; under coat shorter and softer. 
 The tout ensemble should convey universal strength and activity, but 
 with no approach to racing lines." 
 
 "During the 'straight-legged' war, a well-known scientist at the 
 Natural History Museum, South Kensington, on being asked his opin- 
 ion as to the crooked legs now found on many varieties of the dog, 
 said: 'The outward curve of the fore limbs (and I suppose of the 
 Scottish terrier, although I do not know them so well,) is an inherited 
 deformity, unlike anything in nature.' " 
 
 Mr. Ludlow writes : 
 
 " I take it that if Nature thought bent fore-legs were a necessary 
 formation for animals that depend upon burrowing for their safety, — 
 nay, for their very existence, — she would have produced the requisite 
 curve in at least some of them. I am satisfied to have Nature for my 
 guide in breeding ; and so long as I produce terriers that have to follow 
 and do to death these straight-legged diggers, I shall be content with 
 the spades that I find she has supplied her creatures with, rather than 
 run after the ' inherited deformities ' that some prejudiced persons go 
 rabid over. Looking at the question from a show point of view, there 
 can be no doubt that a terrier with straight fore-legs is a more taking 
 animal, than one with crooked limbs; and, for that reason alone, 
 Scottish terriers are, sooner or later, bound to be bred with fronts as 
 straight as those of the animals they are taught to look upon as their 
 hereditary foes." 
 
 The Scottish Terrier Club, estabUshed in 1889, has for 
 its Secretary Mr. A. McBrayne Irvine, and there is also a 
 Scottish Terrier Club for England, — the older establishment 
 of the two, — of which Mr. H. J. Ludlow is Secretary. The 
 description of the dog, issued by the former, is as follows : 
 
 '' Skull (value 5) — Proportionately long, slightly domed, 
 and covered with short, hard hair, about three-quarters of 
 
15 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 an inch long, or less. It should not be quite tiat, as there 
 should be a sort of stop, or drop, between the eyes. 
 
 "■Muzzle (value 5) — Very powerful,' and gradually taper- 
 ing towards the nose, which should always be black, and of 
 good size. The jaws should be perfectly level, and the 
 teeth square, though the nose projects somewhat over the 
 mouth, which gives the impression of the upper jaw being 
 longer than the under one. 
 
 '^ Eyes (value 5) — Set wide apart, of a dark brown or 
 hazel color ; small, piercing, very bright, and rather sunken. 
 
 ''Ears (value 10) — Very small, prick or half-prick (the 
 former is preferable), but never drop ; they should also be 
 sharp-pointed, and the hair on them should not be long, but 
 velvety, and they should not be cut. The ears should be 
 free from any fringe at the top. 
 
 '-'■ N'eck (value 5) — Short, thick, and muscular, strongly 
 set on sloping shoulders. 
 
 " Chest (value 5) — Broad in comparison to the size of 
 the dog, and proportionately deep. 
 
 ''Body (value 10) — Of moderate length, not so long as 
 a Skye's, and rather fiat-sided ; but well ribbed up, and 
 exceedingly strong in hind quarters. 
 
 "Legs and feet (value 10) — Both fore and hind legs 
 should be short, and very heavy in bone, the former being 
 straight or slightly bent, and well set on under the body, as 
 the Scottish terrier should not be out at the elbows. The 
 hocks should be bent, and the thighs very muscular ; and 
 the feet strong, small, and thickly covered with short hair. 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 1 9 
 
 the fore-feet being larger than the hind ones, and well let 
 down on the ground. 
 
 " Tail (value 2^) — Which is never cut, should be about 
 seven inches long ; carried with a slight bend, and often gaily. 
 
 ''Coat (value 15) — Should be rather short (about two 
 inches), intensely hard and wiry in texture, and very dense 
 all over the body. 
 
 '•'Size (value \6\ — ^ About sixteen pounds to eighteen 
 pounds for a bitch, eighteen pounds to twenty pounds for 
 a dog. 
 
 " Colors (value 2tV) — Steel or iron grey, brindle or 
 grizzled, black, sandy and wheaten. White markings are 
 objectionable, and can only be allowed on the chest, and 
 that to a small extent. 
 
 " General Appearance (value 10) — The face should bear 
 a very sharp, bright, and active expression, and the head 
 should be carried up. llie dog (owing to the shortness of 
 his coat) should appear to be higher on the leg than he 
 really is ; but, at the same time, he should look compact, 
 and possessed of great muscle in his hind-quarters. In 
 fact, a Scottish terrier, though essentially a terrier, cannot 
 be too powerfully put together. He should be from nine 
 inches to twelve inches in height. 
 
 "FAULTS. 
 
 " Muzzle — Either under or over-hung. 
 '■'■ Eyes- — Large or light colored. 
 
 "Ears — Large, round at the points or drop. It is also 
 a fault if they are too heavily covered with hair. 
 
20 
 
 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 '■'■ Coat — Any silkiness, wave, or tendency to curl is a 
 serious blemish, as is also an open coat, 
 
 ''Size — Specimens over eighteen pounds should not be 
 encouraged. 
 
 "SCALE OF POINTS. 
 
 Skull . 
 Muzzle 
 Eyes . 
 Ears 
 Neck . 
 Chest . 
 Body . 
 
 Valui 
 
 5 
 15 
 
 5 
 10 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 15 
 
 Eeet 
 
 Vau'e. 
 10 
 
 Eegs and 
 
 Tail 2\ 
 
 Coat 15 
 
 Size 10 
 
 Colors 24- 
 
 General Appearance . . 10 
 
 50 i 
 Grand Total, 100. 
 
 Mr. Lee adds : 
 
 •• I need scarcely say that the teeth must be large, powerful, and 
 white ; and being undershot, even in the slightest degree, should ensure 
 disqualitication. An overshot or pig-jawed mouth ought to be a severe 
 handicap, and, if very pronounced, likewise disqualification." 
 
 The following is from an article or extract from " A 
 Paper," published in England, headed "The Scotch Ter- 
 rier," and written by Hugh Dalzeil. The whole of Mr. 
 DalzeiTs article is not quoted, as the compiler of this short 
 sketch of Scottish Terriers does not intend to give any 
 especial strain or any particular kennel a boom : 
 
 " Scotland is prolific in terriers, and for the most part these are 
 long-backed and short-legged dogs. Such are the Dandie Dinmont, the 
 Skye, and the Aberdeen terrier, the last now merged in the class recog- 
 nized at our shows as the Scotch terrier; Ijut the old, hard and short- 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 2 1 
 
 haired 'terry' of the West of Scotland, as we recollect him when a boy, 
 was much nearer in shape to a modern fox-terrier, though with a shorter 
 and rounder head, the color of his hard, wiry coat mostly sandy, the 
 face free from long hair, although some showing a beard, and the small 
 ears carried in most instances semi-erect ; in some, pricked. 
 
 " The descriptions given by those eininent writers, Youatt, Richard- 
 son, and • Stonehenge,' are in practical agreement, and apply to the kind 
 of terrier we have spoken of as within our own recollection. There 
 has, however, been of late years a re-arrangement of classes of terriers, 
 and it is the sorts that have come uppermost, and are now recognized 
 by the several clubs and show authorities, with which we have to deal. 
 
 " The dogs now recognized as Scotch terriers are closely allied to 
 the Skye terrier, and, by a number of gentlemen of Skye and the South- 
 west Highlands, were at one time called Skye terriers. We suggested 
 that, as they presented sufficiently distinctive characteristics, they might 
 form a distinct class at our shows, under the name of ' Highland ter- 
 riers.' The idea, but not the name, has been adopted ; and, indeed, the 
 name has given rise to some discussion. ' Cairn terrier' was suggested, 
 but not generally adopted, and they have been called the ' Die-hards.' 
 
 " ' WTiinstone ' insists on the breed being called the Scottish 
 terrier. This seems to us to be a case of unnecessary hair-splitting. 
 Under the words ' Scots ' and • Scottish,' Dr. Ogilvie refers those who 
 consult this dictionary to 'Scotch,' which, he says, 'is the established 
 word.' As long as we get Scotch collops from Scotch bullocks, and 
 .Scotch whiskey from Scotch barley, to aid the digestion of the collops, 
 we may surely have Scotch terriers ; and, at all events, the terrier under 
 any name will bite as sore. 
 
 "Mr. J. Gordon Murray, in the first edition of 'British Dogs,' 
 described three strains of these terriers, according to the localities in 
 which they were reared, and, as will be seen, differing only in minor 
 points. Of these he says : 
 
 ■' ' The Mogstad Skyes were of a dark greyish color, with wiry hair 
 from three inches to three and a half inches long, with body low but 
 long, and measuring well in girth ; legs stout and short, and well pro- 
 
2 2 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 
 
 vided with very strong claws ; the greater part prick-eared, and all of 
 them excellent workers. 
 
 •' ' The Drynocks are another very splendid breed of the original 
 pure Skyes, closely resembling the common Scotch seal in color; short, 
 wiry hair, with body of a medium size, a good deal like the Mogstads, 
 and all of them first-rate workers. 
 
 " ' The Camusennaries are another famous breed of the very real 
 and pure Skye terriers, and derive their name from a wild and moun- 
 tainous tract of land in Skye, extending from Coirnisk on the west to 
 the Spar Cave on the east. The breed was originally reared there by a 
 Lieutenant Macmillan, long passed away ; the whole of them short, 
 wiry-haired, like the afore-named breeds ; color almost always dark all 
 over, middle part of hair in many instances grey, but again dark next 
 the skin, no white on feet or chest ; a thin, medium-sized prick ear, and 
 very pointed; and in every third or fourth litter a reddish-yellow one.' 
 
 " Among Scotch fanciers Captain Mackie did a great deal towards 
 improving the breed, though his first love was for a dog of a type not 
 now recognized, namely, the long, low, bat-eared Skye form. He was a 
 man of remarkable force and energy, and, as is often the case with such 
 men, of a singularly frank and generous disposition. On the subject of 
 this terrier he was an enthusiast, and undertook voyages among the 
 Hebrides, and long and arduous journeys through the Western High- 
 lands, collecting information, and purchasing the best specimens of the 
 breed procurable, from the oldest known strains. The story of at least 
 one of these journeys of discovery is excellently told in the ' Dogs of 
 Scotland,' to which we refer readers for details. The result was, that 
 Captain Mackie soon got together a kennel of these Highland terriers 
 of acknowledged superiority. 
 
 " As .companion dogs of the terrier Uibe, the Die-hards possess 
 qualities that recommend them to many. They are hardy and plucky, 
 will stand any weather, and are good for any amount of sport. Dis- 
 posed to be impetuous and self-willed, they often require more than 
 ordinary care in training ; hut that is well repaid, for the material is 
 good to work upon. Another advantage to many people is that. — the 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 23 
 
 coat being of a length and quality that does not long hold wet and 
 dirt, — they can be allowed a place on the hearth-rug or door-mat ; and 
 those who want a dog, of whatever breed, to be really obedient, lovable, 
 and well-behaved, cannot have the animal too much with them. 
 
 " With regard to the popularity of the Scotch terrier in this country, 
 this is undoubted, and no better proof can be adduced than that afforded 
 by their numbers at big canine gatherings of the present day. Take the 
 late Kennel Club Show, at which Scottish terriers took sixth on the list 
 in the matter of entries ; while amongst the different breeds registered 
 at Cleveland Row, during 1893, they occupy a similarly high position in 
 the list. One has but to carry one's mind back even a decade ago, to 
 fully recognize the headway the compact little tyke has made in the 
 fancy. Though in this respect, of course, not to be compared with the 
 Fox-terrier and one or two other breeds that might be instanced, yet he 
 has made a bold bid for the favor of the dog-fancying public ; and 
 the measure of success attained could hardly have been anticipated by 
 even the dog's warmest admirers." 
 
 SCOTTIE'S WORK IN HIS NATIVE LAND. 
 
 Scattered throughout different mountainous parts of 
 Scotland, there are immense cairns of stones, where the 
 fox takes up his abode ; and it is to drive Reynard from 
 his retreat among these stones that the terriers are em- 
 ployed. 
 
 In olden times, each district had its tod-hunter, and, as 
 will be seen from Captain Mackie's interesting notes ("Dogs 
 
2 4 THE SCOTTISH TERRIER, 
 
 of Scotland," Whinstone), that functionary still exists in 
 different parts of the Highlands. 
 
 The following graphic description of the tod-hunter and 
 his gang, with their modus operandi, was given by a corres- 
 pondent in a letter to the " Fanciers' Gazette " : 
 
 " In many districts of Elgin, Aberdeen, and Nairn, foxes were a 
 great scourge. Lambs, sheep, and poultry, were frequently taken by 
 them in open day, and I have known as many as twenty lambs slaugh- 
 tered in one night. I can remember being in a certain church, where, 
 after sermon and before the blessing was pronounced, the precenter. — 
 /. c, the leader of the singing (Lord love you ' such singing then in the 
 auld kirk), — rose up and exclaimed: ' N oo, lads, min', we're gaun tae 
 hunt the tod on Tiesday ; be a' up at tae laird's house in guid time^ and 
 Johnie Eraser's comin' wi' a' his doogs.' This last was quite a character 
 in his way. He hailed from Glenlivet, and well I mind on ould Johnie's 
 dogs. He had a few hounds, — large, heavy-headed animals, much 
 resembling in appearance the description given of the Irish wolf-hound ; 
 they were not so fast as the present race of fox-hounds, but could stick 
 to a scent a great deal better, — no losing, once on it, and the deep bay- 
 ing they made, when following, was enough to frighten 'Auld Hoofy ' 
 himself. In addition to these great dogs, Johnie had a few small Skyes, 
 perfect devils to work, and which always kept as near to the hounds as 
 possible. Several tods would frequently escape from the coverts and 
 take to the hill cairns, in spite of the old. Queen Anne muskets of the 
 farmers. On went the hounds, followed by old Johnie and his little 
 varmints, and gunners and beaters, till they came to where the tod had 
 taken refuge, frequently in some huge cairn, perhaps a quarter of a mile 
 in circumference. The big dogs and Queen Annes surrounded the 
 cairn, an outer line was composed of the beaters, while old Johnie 
 advanced on to the boulders, and at the words, * Hie in, my darlin's 1 ' 
 off they were, just like so many ferrets in a rabbit-warren, and the fox 
 had either to come out and face death in a gentlemanly sort of way, or 
 be killed l:)y these game little dogs." 
 
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER. 25 
 
 A terrier, to go into a fox's earth, must necessarily be 
 small, and, besides being small, must be flat in the rib, to 
 enable him to work his way into borrows, which he has 
 often to do on his side ; and, besides these natural qualifica- 
 tions, he must have the necessary pluck to tackle game, and 
 force the quarry to bolt, or die in the attempt. This is just 
 what the Scottish terrier will do, and it is on that account 
 termed a " Die-hard." 
 
 It is said that George, Fourth Earl of Dumbarton, had a 
 famous pack of Scottish terriers, which were so noted for 
 their pluck and determination, that they were termed " Die- 
 hards," and that his regiment, the Royal Scots, was named 
 after his favorites, '' Dumbarton's Die-hards." 
 
PART II. 
 
 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The object of this publication is to help in the endeavor 
 to preserve and encourage the true type and characteristics 
 of the breed of Irish terriers, and to promote its growth 
 in public favor. 
 
 Although in this country the interest in it has only just 
 begun, it is to-day one of the most popular and fashionable 
 breeds of terriers in England and Ireland, where it is more 
 widely known and appreciated. In fact, Irish terriers are now 
 one of the interesting features of England's greatest shows. 
 
 In offering this little volume to the public, the main 
 object has been to bring together, in a concentrated form, 
 everything that has been said or published of the genuine 
 Irish terrier, worth recording, in order to trace and focus, if 
 possible, its origin and early history, as well as its develop- 
 ment up to the present standard, its characteristics, utility, 
 excellencies and deficiences, and thus to enable any one, and 
 especially beginners, to start with some of the knowledge 
 bJtherto possessed only by a few breeders and judges, who 
 
25 PREFACE. 
 
 have made a specialty of this breed, which latter, like most 
 other breeds of terriers, has to be known to be appreciated 
 at its proper value. 
 
 We fully recognize that a publication like this must 
 necessarily be, in a great measure, a compilation ; and any 
 attempt to prepare a work of this character without taking 
 advantage, to the fullest extent, of the labors and knowledge 
 of acknowledged authorities, would result in a failure. This 
 treatise does not, therefore, claim to have any literary pre- 
 tensions, but only to be a collection of reliable and interest- 
 ing facts and records, and we take pleasure in acknowledging 
 the valuable aid derived from the various authorities quoted. 
 
 We confidently hope and believe that the more thoroughly 
 the general character and merits of the different breeds of 
 terriers are understood and appreciated, the less danger will 
 there be in having these useful dogs degenerate into mere 
 ladies' pets, — fit for the show-bench only. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 Early Histjry of the Irish Terrier. 
 
 The early history of the Irish Terrier seems somevvhat 
 vague and mixed, and opinions as to its origin seem to differ 
 considerably. •' Stonehenge '" at first refused to recognize 
 in his book a dog about which, at the time, no two seemed 
 to agree, and which it was believed in no way differed from 
 the old Scotch Terrier commonly met v;ith in the early part 
 of the present century. 
 
 In "Vero Shaw's" "Book of the Dog," Mr. George R. 
 Krehl, one of the most enthusiastic admirers of the breed, 
 as well as a prominent breeder and authority, is quoted as 
 follows : 
 
 •• The Irish terrier is a true and distinct breed indigenous to Ireland, 
 and no man can trace its origin, which is lost in antiquity. 
 
 '■ Mr. Ridgway, of Waterford, whose name is familiar in Irish 
 terrier circles, from having drawai up the first code of points, states that 
 they have been known in Ireland as long as that country has been an 
 Island, and I ground my faith in their age and purity on the fact that 
 there exists ' old manuscript in Irish ' mentioning the existence of the 
 breed at a very remote period. In old pictures representing scenes of 
 Irish life, an Irish terrier or two are often to be descried. Ballymena 
 and County Wicklow may almost claim to be the birthplace of the breed. 
 Most of the best specimens hail from Ballymena and the neighborhood, 
 where Mr. Thomas Erwin, of Irish setter fame, boasts an extensive 
 
30 
 
 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 experience of this breed, and has always kept a few of the right old 
 working sort for sporting purposes ; and in County Wicklow, Mr. Merry 
 says it is well known that the pure breed of Irish terriers has been care- 
 fully kept distinct, and highly prized for more than a century. Mr. E. F. 
 Despard, whose name is well known in Irish terrier circles as a very suc- 
 ces-sful breeder and exhibitor, claims an acquaintance of over forty years 
 with the breed. 
 
 " Mr. George Jameson, too, has known and kept them many years, 
 and up till a little while ago had won more prizes than all the rest of the 
 breeders put together. I mention these proofs of the age of the breed 
 to show those who have lately come to admire them that it is not a 
 made-up, composite or mushroom breed. . . ." 
 
 From the same authority we quote : 
 
 " Now, although they have always been Ireland's national terrier, 
 yet it must be admitted, and it is only too patent, that for many years 
 the breed had been much neglected, — allowed to ' grow wild,' in fact, 
 and left too much in the hands of one class. I cast no reflection on 
 ' the foinest pisintry in Europe ' when I say that, knowing nothing of 
 dog shows, they bred to no standard, and kept their dogs for work ; and 
 if they thought that a cross with neighbor Mickey's dog would improve 
 their own in that quality, they did not stop to inquire about pedigree. 
 In this manner the breed depreciated, and Scotch and other blood crept 
 in, to the injury of the pure breed; but, fortunately, when the tide in 
 their favor set in, the genuine breeder found plenty of pure, unadulterated 
 material to commence upon." 
 
 Mr. R. G. Ridgway, of W'aterford, who was most promi- 
 nent in the drawing up of the standard of excellence and 
 code of points descriptive of the Irish terrier, claims for this 
 dog a long and pure descent. He says : 
 
 "That the Irish terrier is and has been a pure breed of dogs 
 indigenous to Ireland, is a fact undoubted, and undisputed by the oldest 
 fanciers and breeders still living, who can well remember the dog fifty 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 3 1 
 
 or sixty years ago, and at a time before the introduction to this country 
 of the Skye, Yorkshire or English Bull terrier, now so fashionable in 
 many parts." 
 
 Mr. Rawdon B. Lee, Kennel Editor of the London 
 " Field," has recently published his work entitled " A His- 
 tory and Description of the Modern Dogs of Great Britain 
 and Ireland," and one of the volumes deals entirely with 
 terriers. Here we find the following : 
 
 " Mr. W. J. Cotton, of Blessington, County Wicklow, who has bred 
 and kept Irish terriers for a great number of years, writes characteristi- 
 cally of their origin as follows : 
 
 " To Sir Walter Raleigh, through potato skins, the Irish cottier, and 
 hardships, we owe the Irish terrier. When Ireland was more thickly 
 inhabited, there were small parties of cottiers grouped together ; each 
 had his cabbage and potato garden badly fenced, and each family spent 
 the greater portion of their time round the turf hearth, watching the 
 murphies boil. The circle was incomplete, and liable to be disturbed in 
 their beloved indolence, without a dog, which was hissed on when the 
 neighboring pig or goat invaded the boundary of the estate. A large 
 dog required too much support ; one with some spice of pluck was, 
 however, required in order to enforce its authority. The combination 
 of Pat, pig, and potatoes, was conducive of rats, — and rats of sport and 
 rivalry. As such terriers were indiscriminately bred, and all ran wild, 
 the dog with the most pluck exercised the largest influence on the breed. 
 We can thus imagine the pups bearing the greatest resemblance to any 
 particular champion were selected ; hence in this respect the survival of 
 the fittest. During the day, as described, these terriers lay at the fire, 
 and at night, though the pig might be given a corner of the cabin, the 
 terrier was shown the outside of the door, to guard the larder, — which 
 was the potato pit, — look after the general safety of the estate, and to 
 find a bed in the ditch or butt of the haycock. Generations of this 
 treatment developed them into the 'pine knots' they are. 
 
32 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 " Driving along the roads any hour of the night, this state of things 
 you Avill find still to exist, and it is a matter of wonder how the inmates 
 sleep and quite ignore the choruses of howls on moonlight nights. I 
 believe, myself, that the Irish garrisons distributed over the country the 
 bull-dog, which was used for crossing. As many native fanciers say, to 
 this day, there is nothing like a ' eras ' of the bull, and I think the Irish 
 terriers' disposition largely shows it. You find them still of all types, 
 long in leg, short on leg, and long in body, and ci"ooked in legs, and of 
 all colors, — red, black, blue, brindle, — and those with tan legs often 
 have the best coats. I know, at the present time, brindles showing 
 more of the modern type, as regards length of leg and general conforma- 
 tion, than the other colors. 
 
 " There is a glen (Imaal) in the Wicklow mountains that has always 
 been, and still is, justly celebrated for its terriers. It would be hard to 
 specify their color in particular, — the wheaten, in all shades, to that of 
 bright red. In Kerry, I think the black-blue is most prevalent; quite 
 black very uncommon, and I hardly ever saw a good specimen that 
 color. Mr. Chas. Galway, of Waterford, the breeder of the celebrated 
 greyhound Master McGrath, tor years, long before the Irish terrier came 
 into fashion, always kept and bred the variety, and I am told there was 
 no getting one from him. I am also informed the coats of his terriers 
 were rather inclined to curl, and that the dogs themselves were unde- 
 niably game." 
 
 On another page in the same book we find : 
 
 "'Mr. C. J. Barnett, of Hambleden, whose name is a household 
 word in connection with Irish terriers, says : ' There is no doubt that 
 the Irish terrier was the common terrier of Ireland a century ago, and 
 is to this day the friend and companion of the native. IJefore railways 
 were introduced, inter-breeding, in certain localities, caused a type which 
 might have varied slightly in certain districts. . . . 
 
 Speaking of terriers in general, Mr. Lee says : 
 " Since Stonehenge's ' Dogs of the IJritish Isles ' was first published 
 (in 1867), which included the same varieties he had given eight years 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 33 
 
 earlier, in his ' Rural Sports,' great strides have been made in the 
 improvement and classification of our terriers, and the volumes of the 
 Stud Book of the Kennel Club contain varieties which, by careful selec- 
 tion, no doubt originally came from one stock, with the additions of 
 various crosses. Our newest strains have become popularized, and as 
 it were, individualized, — including the Welsh terrier, the Airedale terrier, 
 the Clydesdale or I'aisley terrier, and perhaps the Scotch and Irish 
 terriers (though I fancy that both these varieties are actually much older 
 as such than they are usually given credit for)." 
 
 The following notes by Mr. W. C. Bennett, of Dublin, 
 will perhaps be interesting, although they go over much the 
 same ground as that which we have already traversed : 
 
 " From what I have been a]:)le to gather from those who, like myself, 
 are interested in this variety of the canine race, and from what I can 
 recall of early specimens. I have come to the conclusion that the present 
 show terriers are a more or less ' made-up ' breed, though doubtless a 
 variety of terrier existed, resembling the present dogs, somewhat as a 
 half-bred filly resembles a thoroughbred mare. 
 
 •' My first recollection of the breed dates back some thirty years, to 
 a brace of bitches owned by a relative residing in Parsonstown, who 
 procured them from a trainer on the Curragh. They were high on the 
 leg, somewhat open in coat, and wheaten in color, and this latter is, I 
 have always considered, the proper shade for the jacket of any Irish 
 terrier. Most of the earlier specimens exhibited were of this hue, — 
 the bright red now, or recently, so fashionable, being almost unknown. 
 About the same time, or a few years later perhaps, I made the acquaint- 
 ance of a rare old stamp of bitch, which was brought from the North 
 of Ireland, and many a day's outing we had together. She was harder 
 and closer in coat than those mentioned above, colored bright wheaten, 
 and nearer in shape and character, and in all respects, to the present 
 show type than anything else I saw at that period. 
 
 " Few people in those early days gave much attention to the appear- 
 
34 THE IRISH ^^ERRIER. 
 
 ance of their terriers, and if they were game, and good at destroying rats 
 and other vermin, tlrey would be kept and bred from, and as these terriers 
 were principally owned by farmers and cottiers, who kept one or two 
 roaming about their houses and farms, they were hardly likely to be very 
 select in the matter of breeding. Even to this day, in parts of ihe coun- 
 try, one comes across this old breed, as often as not with tails undocked, 
 and sometimes, alas ! showing a dash of greyhound blood. Many of 
 them, too, are brindled in color, and certainly smart, terrier-like animals. 
 
 " I have several times been assured, by those from whom I sought 
 information, that a special strain of Irish terriers was kept in their fam- 
 ilies for generations, and they usually described them as wheaten colored, 
 open coated, with long, punishing jaws; and I was shown, by a friend 
 of mine (lately deceased), a game-looking wheaten-colored bitch, long 
 and low on the leg, with a very open coat, long, level head, with little or 
 no stop visible. 
 
 " County Wicklow lays claim to a breed of what were so-called Irish 
 terriers. They frequently showed a blue shade on the back, were long- 
 in body and rather short on leg, and even so recently as the year 1887, 
 a class was given at the show held in Limerick, for silver-haired Irish 
 terriers, the specimens exhibited being a slate-blue color. They were 
 not, to my mind, a distinct variety, nor very terrier-like in appearance ; 
 and I believe the difficulty in getting a uniformity of type when breeding 
 from the very best blood obtainable is proof positive that more than one 
 strain was used in producing the present fashionable dog. 
 
 " In the first collection I saw in the Exhil^ition Palace Show, held 
 in Dublin early in the seventies, there were scarcely two of the same 
 size or weight exhibited, and with few, very few, exceptions, they were a 
 rough lot. 
 
 "The North of Ireland was the stronghold of the Irish terriers for 
 many a day, and still holds its own, with Mr. William Graham to aid it. 
 Even there I should doubt if a pure descent of Irish terrier could be 
 traced back for thirty years, as so long ago no one cared to go to the 
 trouble of breeding them to one uniform type ; and those who used 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 35 
 
 them for fighting purposes, crossed them with the bull terrier, to 
 increase their gameness and punishing power. 
 
 " Wexford, Dublin, and other parts, had strains of their own, and 
 when classes were formed at shows, and good prizes offered, fair speci- 
 mens of the old sort were to be had, which, with judicious mating, pro- 
 duced a level and neat terrier; but these, as before observed, frequently 
 threw back to the old stock, and sometimes a rough, open-coated puppy 
 still appears in the best bred litters, differing from all his brothers and 
 sisters. Strange to say, the freedom from stop, which is one of the 
 characteristics of the present dog, was highly thought of in the dogs 
 bred in former days, and as the ears were almost invariably cropped, it 
 mattered little how they came ; but if uncut, were usually heavy and 
 carried low on the head. 
 
 " A glance at the earlier show catalogues confirms what I have 
 written above as to the doubtful breeding of the earlier terriers. 
 
 " Take the Exhibition Palace Show at Dublin in 1874. Here classes 
 were divided as ' dogs and bitches exceeding nine pounds, and dogs and 
 bitches under that weight.' In the former class, ten competed, and half 
 that number had no pedigree assigned to them ; in the latter class, only 
 three competed, — one of these, the second prize winner, having no pedi- 
 gree. The following year, three classes were provided, including a 
 champion class ' for winners of a first prize at any show.' Dogs over 
 nine pounds and bitches over nine pounds. Four champions (save the 
 mark!) competed; two had pedigrees, and the other two had none. In 
 dogs over nine pounds, six competed, two only having pedigrees. Four 
 bitches over nine pounds were entered, half that number having pedigrees 
 and half not. 
 
 " In the Dublin Show, in 1S78, there were even fewer competitors, 
 a dog and bitch class being given, with no restrictions as to weight. In 
 the former, there were four entries, and in the latter, three, but only two 
 of the lot appear to be able to boast of a pedigree. 
 
 " Does not the above prove that pedigrees, in those days, were little 
 attended to.? otherwise, surely, they would be stated, if known. Some 
 of the entries in these old catalogues are amusing, one entry being 
 
36 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 described as ' Pedigree terrier, well bred ; ' another, appropriately named 
 'The Limb, this bitch has jumped off all the highest bridges in and 
 about Dublin.' Needless to say, she was entered as -not for sale.' 
 ' Jack ' appears to have been a favorite name, and three with this cogno- 
 men competed in one class ; and, oh ! ' the grumbling ' at the awards, for 
 every one thought his tyke the only true and only genuine article, and 
 owners were by no means loth to express their opinions in words." 
 
 Vero Shaw gives the following account of the earlier dog 
 shows at which Irish terriers appeared : 
 
 "At Belfast, in June, 1875, ^^'' Ii'i^h Terrier Club was for the first 
 time spoken of, but nothing came of it. Before this time, a discussion 
 upon the points of the breed had been going on in the ' Live Stock 
 Journal,' and in July, 1875, ^" illustration was given of two of Dr. Marks' 
 dogs. The illustration does not, however, represent the modern type of 
 Irish terrier at all ; they look like Scotch terriers with a few drops of 
 Irish blood in them. They have long hair all over the head and neck, 
 and it actually parts down the centre. What could be more Scotch ? . . . 
 The surest sign of Scotch blood in a rough terrier is the length of hair 
 on the forehead. Another thing which goes to prove the Scotch cross, 
 is the vein or furrow running up the centre of the forehead. This is 
 not to be met with in Irish terriers." 
 
 The above, of course, refers to the old-fashioned Scotch 
 terriers. Regarding the incompetency of the Judges at the 
 Alexandra Palace Show, in December, 1878, Vero Shaw 
 says : 
 
 "The pent-up feelings of the Irish Terriers now burst forth, and 
 first took shape in a petition, which was to be presented to the Kennel 
 Club, praying them in future to appoint them special judges, or. failing 
 that, to let the same gentlemen that had wire-haired fox terriers also 
 judge Irish terriers. . . . However, seeing the support which the petition 
 promised to receive, the question was raised: Why not establish a Clul) 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 37 
 
 at once? In a week or two the Club numbered fifty, nearly half of 
 which were Englishmen. Even so soon, the Irish Terrier Clul3 was one 
 of the greatest successes in the dog clubs on record, and since that time 
 the number and interest in it have gone on increasing." 
 
 As will be seen from the foregoing, it is only within the 
 past fifteen to twenty years that the popularity of the Irish 
 terrier has come about, and, during this time, lovers of the 
 breed, — those who know best its inherent good and useful 
 qualities, — worked hard and patiently to gain for it public 
 recognition as a distinct variety, and. labored long before 
 success crowned their efforts. As stated before, previous to 
 this period, the breed was much neglected, and allowed to 
 degenerate, and undoubtedly Scotch and other blood crept 
 in, to the injury of the pure breed. 
 
 Of those who have done so much to popularize this 
 hardy terrier, the following may be mentioned as among the 
 pioneers : Messrs. Morton, Erwin, Ridgway, Montgomery, 
 Jameson, Crosbee Smith and Dr. Marks, and, later, Messrs. 
 A. Krehl, G. R. Krehl, Despard, Dr. Carey, Waterhouse, 
 and manv others. 
 
CHAPTER IL 
 
 The Modern Terrier and His Recent Development to the 
 Present Standard. 
 
 We quote from Mr. Lee's book : 
 
 '•The Irish Terrier Club was estabhshed in 1879, and, proving 
 unusually liberal in supporting certain shows, has no doubt done much 
 to popularize the variety over which it looks. . . . The popularity of the 
 Irish terrier has only come about during the past fifteen years or so. 
 Dog shows have been his fortune, and the Club has no doubt assisted 
 him to his high position. ... A good one will bring a hundred pounds 
 any time you want to sell it. A first-class Irish terrier is worth about 
 as much as a fox terrier, and, as a so-called marketable commodity, 
 ranks only after the latter, the collie, and the St. Bernard in value. He 
 is a favorite dog, hence his worth. ... It was as far back as about 1882 
 that I was judging dogs at Belfast, and was then very much struck with 
 the extraordinary character possessed by sundry Irish terriers which were 
 brought into the ring. They included Mr. J. N. R. Pim's ' Erin,' perhaps 
 the best all-round specimen of her race that ever lived, — - her progeny, 
 ' Poppy' and ' Playboy,' — and there were several other typical terriers, 
 whose names do not occur to me. I became enamored of the variety, 
 and then prognosticated a popular future for them should they only 
 breed fairly true to character and type, and be produced with ears that 
 did not recjuire cutting. That I was not far wrong is plainly in evidence, 
 as the Irish terrier must certainly be placed as the second terrier in pop- 
 ularity at the time I write. 
 
 "The early volumes of the 'Kennel Club .Stud Book' did not 
 contain special classes for Irish terriers, they being grouped with the 
 wire-haired fox-terriers. However, in 1S76 they had a division for them- 
 selves, in which there were nineteen entries, five of which were owned 
 by Mr. G. Jameson, of Newtownards. To prove how the variety has 
 increased since then, attention need only be called to the two hundred 
 
IHE IRISH TERRIER. 39 
 
 and twenty names of Irish terriers that appear in the most recent volume 
 of the Stud Book published in 1S93. In 1S78 and 1879, Birmingham 
 first arranged classes for Irish terriers, and in the latter year, when there 
 were fifteen entries, Messrs. Carey, W. Graham, A. Krehl and G. R. 
 Krehl were amongst the exhibitors in the two divisions provided. 
 
 '• Nearly all the best terriers are descended from ' Killiney Boy,' 
 bred by Mr. Burke of Queen Street, Dublin, and it is difficult to find 
 one that has not some drop of his blood in his veins. This dog passed 
 to a Mr. Flannigan, residing at Castlenock, which place was purchased' 
 by Mr. Donnegan, Dane Street, Dublin, who found ' Killiney Boy' run- 
 ning about, deserted. The dog was duly adopted, and afterward given 
 to Mr. Howard Waterhouse, with whom he died a short time ago. Many 
 terriers trace their union back to that dog with a bitch named ' Erin,' 
 bought by Mr. W. Graham of Belfast, before being shown at Dublin in 
 1S79. This bitch was perhaps the best Irish terrier ever seen, and I very 
 much doubt if any terrier of to-day is her superior, if her equal. Both 
 'Killiney Boy' and 'Erin' were cropped; but in their first litter there 
 was a puppy born whose ears were so good that they were allowed to 
 remain as Nature made them. This puppy was afterwards named ' Play 
 Boy ' ; the others in the litter were ' Poppy,' • Pagan II.," Gerald,' ' Pretty 
 Lass,' with ' Peggy,' who, later on, was dam of Ciarryford. This must l)e 
 acknowledged as a most extraordinary litter, and such a one has seldom 
 been produced at one time. 
 
 •• • Erin ' was afterwards mated with another dog, named ' Paddy II.,' 
 and -(larryowen' and 'Glory' were two of their puppies, and a bitch 
 named -Jess,' who put to -Killiney Boy,' threw a dog called ' Gripper.' 
 The latter was not successful at the Stud, and bitches by him, when put 
 to dogs by either Killiney Boy or dogs descended from him, are very apt 
 to throw black and tan, brindle or grey. 
 
 •■ Play Boy' was not a success in the Stud, though he has sired a 
 dog named ' Bogie Rattler,' who took after him in good looks and good 
 ears, but was lower on the legs, more cloddy, and not of ' Play Boy's ' qual- 
 ity. ' Bogie ' mated with ' Biddy III.,' by Clripper' and 'Cora' (drop ears), 
 
40 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 produced, first, Champion ' Bachelor,' and in the next litter, • Benedict.' 
 
 "'Benedict' became the most celebrated Stud dog of the day, for 
 he is sire or grandsire of more winners than any other Irish terrier. 
 
 " ' Bachelor ' was very successful in the show ring, and took after his 
 sire and grandsire in having a good pair of ears. He had also a very 
 hard coat, of good color, yellow, tipped with red. a long neck, which 
 was very muscular, and a well-shaped head, which never grew too thick. 
 His hindquarters were rather short, and his shoulders somewhat coarse, 
 the latter no doubt caused by the amount of work he did. ' Benedict ' 
 ^vas a darker color, with a lot of coat on his forequarters, but little on his 
 loin or hindquarters, and of rather a lighter make than ' Bachelor.' It 
 may interest my readers to know that in the litter which included ' Bach- 
 elor ' there were three red, one grey, and five rough-black and tan-colored 
 puppies, and in that in which ' Benedict ' was produced there were three 
 red and five rough-black and tan in hue. 
 
 " A noted rival of ' Bachelor's ' on the show was Mr. Graham's 
 ' Extreme Carelessness (afterwards sold to ^Ir. Graves of Liverpool), a 
 bitch that, when a puppy, was almost black, or rather, nearly every hair 
 was more black than yellow. At four years of age, the tips of a few 
 hairs only were black; and two years ago, just before she died, I saw 
 the old bitch in Ireland, looking very fit and well, but of a beautiful 
 yellow-red color, and entirely free from any black tinge. She was given 
 back to Mr. Graham after she had finished her show career. ' Extreme 
 Carelessness ' was cropped, her head rather heavy, and she had a slight 
 slackness behind the shoulders ; otherwise she was a charming bitch of 
 great character and of good quality. She and 'Bachelor' had many 
 hard struggles for 'specials,' their successes being about equal. 
 
 '^ ' Erin,' two years after her celebrated litter, again visited ' Killiney 
 Boy,' and threw a bitch, ' Droleen,' who, put to a long-haired dog named 
 ' Michael,' by ' Pagan II.,' a grandson of both ■ Killiney Boy ' and ' Erin.' 
 threw for her owner, Mr. E. A. Wiener, the best dog since ' Bachelor's' 
 days, ' Brickbat ' by name, who has had a most successful show career, 
 winning the Challenge Cup, given by the Irish Terrier Club, twelve times, 
 without once being defeated, and finallv he secured it outright. 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 41 
 
 " ' Brickbat ' is unfortunately cropped, and his expression requires 
 greater smartness. He is ratlier too big, and has a mere apology of 
 a stern ; otherwise this excellent terrier is pretty nearly perfect. . . . 
 Although ' Brickbat '' has retired from the show-bench, he is still alive 
 and vigorous. . . . 
 
 " Some of the best Irish terriers have already been mentioned, but 
 omission should not be made of dogs so good as ' Gripper ' ; Major 
 Arnand's ' Fury II. ' ; ^ Phadruig ; Dr. Carey's ' Sting ' ; • Peter Bodger ' 
 (Mr. AVaterhouse) ; Mr. H. A. (braves' ' Glory' (the smallest Irish terrier 
 that attained champion honors) ; Mr. W. Graham's ' Gilford ' ; Mr. Back- 
 house's ' Buster,' ' Bumptious Biddy,' and 'Begum'; ' Nora Tatters,' a 
 great favorite of mine, with ' Droleen ' and ' Bencher,' all Mr. Wiener's ; 
 Mr. Sumner's 'St. George' and ' B. A.' ; ' Dan'l II.,' Breadenhill ; Mr. 
 F. Break ell's ' Bonnet ' ; Mr. Mayell's ' Chaperon ' and Mr. A. E. Clear's 
 ' Breda Mixer.' Still another youngster that I opine will not be long in 
 becoming a champion, is Mr. C. J. Barnett's ' Black Sheep,' — a dog of 
 twenty-four pound weight, about the size the best of them have been. 
 His dark face may be objectionable, and he is perhaps a mere trifle long 
 in back ; but, all round, I have never seen a Ijetter terrier, and I fancy 
 that, assisted by his excellent pair of natural ears^ he will be the first dog 
 to lower the colors of Mr. Wiener's so long successful ' Brickbat,' if his 
 owner has the temerity to place the latter on the bench again. 
 
 " Another favorite Irish terrier of mine is Mr. Barnett's ' Birthright.' 
 She weighs eighteen pounds, and has been kept out of many prizes 
 because some judges consider her too small. Her character and general 
 form are exquisite. Other typical Irish terriers, up to date, are Mrs. 
 Butcher's ' Bawnboy ' and ' Ted Malone ' ; Mr. T. Yarr's ' Poor Pat ' ; 
 Mr. F. Parkyn's 'Firefly'; Mr. Jowett's ' Crowgill Sportsman'; Mr. C. 
 B. Murless's 'Magic'; Mr. Krehl's 'Bishop's Boy"; Mr. Wallace's 
 'Treasurer'; whilst from time to time Mr. James Sumner, Mr. J. W. 
 Taylor, Dr. Marsh, Mr. F. W. Jowett, Mr. H. Benner, Mr. C R. Norton, 
 Mr. C. M. Nicholson and Mr. T. C. Tisdall have all owned Irish terriers 
 of more than ordinary excellence." 
 
42 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 More value than ever is now being attached to good ears, 
 and a marked improvement is visible. A very strong feel- 
 ing has grown up against cropping, which was done very 
 extensively in former years. Good ears must now be bred 
 for, and breeders will have to produce dogs that do not 
 require cropping. Acting on the advice of the Irish Terrier 
 Club, the English Kennel Club has passed a rule that no 
 cropped Irish terrier, born since December 31, 1889, can 
 compete at shov/s under their rules. 
 
 The most preferable and fashionable color is a bright red 
 and orange, tipped with red ; but other shades are by no 
 means signs of bad breeding. Color is merely a question 
 of fashion, and, as red or yellow are now considered the 
 " correct " color, the dark puppies are generally destroyed. 
 The dam of '' Killiney Boy," — the very pillar of the breed, — 
 was a rough black-and-tan, and the type now accepted as the 
 Welsh terrier. As already stated, in the litter which included 
 that successful dog " Bachelor," there were three red, one 
 grey, and five rough black-and-tan colored puppies ; and in 
 that in which the celebrated " Benedict " was produced there 
 were three red and five rough black-and-tan in hue. 
 
 In Mr. Lee's book we find the following interesting 
 remarks regarding color and coat : 
 
 •■ When red puppies are born in the same litter as black-and-tans, 
 the former are nearly always a good bright red ; but the black-and-tan 
 have the better coats, invariably as hard as pin wire. I am by no means 
 certain that, by not using the latter to breed from, we are losing the hard, 
 wiry coats, and brighter red color ; and were it not for the art of trim- 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 43 
 
 ming, many of our winning terriers would have coats almost as shaggy 
 as are found on some mountain sheep.'" 
 
 The following we copy from " Whispers," in the " English 
 Stock Keeper," probably expressing Mr. Khrel's opinion : 
 
 "Dark shadings in Irish terriers frequently form the subject of 
 serious discussion among the breeders of this variety, and by those whose 
 knowledge of the breed is superficial, are suspiciously regarded as evi- 
 dence of a taint in the pedigree. These wiseacres have as little founda- 
 tion for their surmises as a certain all-round judge possesses for calling 
 Irish terriers a made-up and fabricated breed, and who, in the same 
 breath, would probably be capable of considering bull-terriers to have a 
 better claim to purity of strain. The wheaten red is, now-a-days, the 
 orthodox Irish terrier color; but people who know this breed in the 
 rough, are cognizant of the fact that the national terrier of Ireland is 
 to be met with, in different parts of the country, of various shades of 
 color. The grey-blue used to be highly esteemed, brindles are to be met 
 with, and even black-and-tans, but they are always rough and Irish. 
 Any skillful dog breeder could take a few specimens of the old rough 
 parent stock, — the big, thirty-pound terriers with shaggy coats and often 
 linty heads, — and, by careful selection, breed from them a modern Irish 
 terrier. The different colors are undoubtedly in the blood of our modern 
 specimens, and the dark colors will occasionally re-assert themselves, 
 according to nature's law of atavism. All Irish terrier breeders have 
 remarked the grey patch on so many of their dogs' sterns, and the black 
 eyelids and muzzle may be attributed to the same cause. But to pre- 
 tend that they should be regarded as disqualifying defects is absurd ; 
 they are undesirable, and in competition with a dog equal in all other 
 points, but even colored all over, they would weigh against their pos- 
 sessor. The best dogs before the public throw back to a dark union, 
 for ' Killiney Boy,' the very pillar of the breed, was out of a rough black- 
 and-tan Irish bitch. A whole colored yellow dog is now orthodox ; but 
 even his ears ought to be of a darker shade than the rest of his coat, 
 without any linty, straggling hairs. The softer, light-colored topknot. 
 
44 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 which even the best dogs will occasionally show symptom of, is a throw- 
 back to their early rough origin. The most unpardonable color in the 
 Irish terrier is the deep mahogany-red, which is often associated with ■ 
 smooth coats, greyhound heads, and a fatuous, un-terrier-like expression. 
 They ought to be tabooed by the judge, but breeders have found that, 
 matched with rough-coated sires, they invariably throw hard coats. For 
 this purpose they may serve, but they should be guarded in the privacy 
 of the brood kennel. The theory respecting these undesirable mahog- 
 any ' smooths,' is that they are tell-tales of an early Manchester terrier 
 experiment ; and we have little doubt that, when an old-fashioned rough 
 and top-knotted bitch was bred to a Manchester, the produce were likely 
 to be clean-skulled, and their coats harsher and less abundant." 
 
 Mr. C. J. Barnett, of Hambleden, whose name is a household 
 word in connection with Irish terriers, is quoted as follows : 
 
 '■ As in the earlier days, color was of minor consideration, — we so 
 often find puppies, even to the present day, black-and-tan, grey or brindle 
 in color. This does not show bad breeding, but rather the contrary, to 
 continue the color through so many generations, for these dogs, like 
 Welsh ponies, no matter whatever they are crossed with, appear to per- 
 petuate their peculiar characteristics. I have heard that the pAire Irish- 
 man was originally a large terrier, and, to reduce the size, a cross with 
 the Manchester terrier was used, hence the black-and-tan puppies that 
 are so often produced. I am happy to say that I cannot find the slight- 
 est foundation for this statement. I have myself tried such a cross 
 carefully, and it quite failed ; and I am convinced it would take years to 
 breed out the black-and-tan strain, with its sleek coat, and get back to 
 the somewhat rugged outline and waterproof jacket of the Irish terrier. 
 At an early show, in 1874, there were classes given for Irish terriers 
 under nine pounds weight, clearly showing that small terriers were fash- 
 ionable then. In my rambles through Ireland, I generally asked for the 
 man who kept the best terriers in the village, and went to see his dogs. 
 I have seen good terriers which would get a prize at many of our English 
 shows, but which were so kept out of sight. These were owned by cot- 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 45 
 
 tiers in the small towns and villages. I noticed that the majority of such 
 dogs had a few grey or black hairs on their coats, but as a rule they were 
 inclined to be a light red in color and very hard in texture ; the ears are 
 also larger, as a rule, than is fashionable in England, but well carried." 
 
 The question of size, before the present standard was 
 drawn up, seems to have caused many disputes among the 
 different factions. In olden times, certain strains seem to 
 have run up to thirty and thirty-five pounds, but as the pres- 
 ent standard weight has been fixed at twenty-four pounds or 
 under, it is time that more dogs under twenty-four pounds 
 should be produced. The fact that the attention of the 
 judges has been especially directed to the Club standard 
 will probably have a good effect in the direction of lessening 
 size during the coming years. 
 
 In issuing his thirteenth report (1893) of the Irish Terrier 
 Club, Dr. R. B. Carey, J. P., the Honorable Secretary, men- 
 tions that coat seems to him to be the point now requiring 
 most attention, many of the dogs seen during the past year 
 wanting in hardness and density of jacket. As already 
 stated, many of the winning terriers of to-day, were it not 
 for the art of trimming, would have shaggy coats. Light 
 eyes are too often met with. They are very objectionable, 
 besides spoiling the dog's expression ; they ought to be of a 
 dark hazel color, small and keen, not prominent. Expression, 
 besides type and quality, is one of the essential points, and 
 of great importance. The general appearance of the dog 
 should be lively, wiry, and graceful ; the lines of the body 
 should be speedy, without signs of heaviness or anything 
 approaching the cobby and cloddy. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Characteristics of the Irish Terrier. 
 
 In " Dogs of the British Islands," by '^ Stonehenge," 
 Mr. George R. Krehl writes as follows : 
 
 " If I were asked to name the most prominent characteristics in 
 the temperament of the Irish terrier, I should reply, ' Courage and good 
 temper.'' Their courage is quite national in its quality, being of that 
 dashing, reckless, ' dare-devil ' description that is associated with the 
 human inhabitants of their native country. The Irish terrier fears 
 nothing that ever came on four legs with a furry skin. They have no 
 caution in their gameness, but go straight at their enemy with a heedless 
 pluck utterly regardless of consequences. They do not always conquer, 
 but they do or die unless pulled off. It would occupy too much space 
 to relate a few of the many instances of their courage publicly recorded. 
 . . . Their other quality is quite as bright a side to their character. 
 Their good temper is remarkable in so game a terrier. Terrier men will 
 bear me out that a quarrelsome dog is seldom truly game. I question 
 whether any of my colleagues in the Irish Terrier Club can give an 
 instance of one of the breed biting a human being. They are, there- 
 fore, peculiarly fitted for house dogs, where there are women and chil- 
 dren. They make the most admirable companions, — faithful, intelligent, 
 and always full of high spirits. Whether accompanying their master 
 out walking, following a trap or bicycle, their never-tiring liveliness will 
 amuse their master and relieve his loneliness. . . . They are a peculiarly 
 hardy breed, and seldom succumb to the many ills that puppyhood is heir 
 to. Shows have done much for their outward appearance, and without 
 that softening effect on temperament which usually follows in its wake." 
 
 Regarding the characteristics of the Irish terrier, we 
 quote Mr. Barnett (in Lee's book) : 
 
 " Although so popular on the show bench, it is as a companion that 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 47 
 
 the Irish terrier has won his way into the hearts of those who own a 
 dog for the house, and to keep down vermin. I am glad to say that the 
 show bench has not spoiled their good qualities ; although many are 
 ' kennel fools,' this is their misfortune, not their fault. I have entered 
 my terriers to all kinds of vermin, except otter, — at that they have not 
 had the chance ; but one small terrier, bred, by a friend, from my dogs, 
 and given to Mr. Harry Clift, when hunting the otter hounds he kept 
 at Newbury, Berks, was one of the gamest terriers he ever o\\ ned, — 
 almost too keen, and quite fearless. 
 
 " I remember turning out a badger to see if ' Bachelor,' when he 
 was under a year old, would seize and hold it. At first, they fought 
 until almost tired out ; then the dog got the badger by the cheek, and 
 there held him until they were both quite exhausted. ... It is in the 
 water that Irish terriers excel, as they take to it as naturally as a duck, 
 and as a rule retrieve well therefrom. I have a bitch that will dive 
 many yards after a rat, or rather run in shallow water, with her head 
 under, trying to grab it. She will also, if about to kill in the river, and 
 the rat dives, dive under and kill ; but often she has to leave go and 
 come up for breath, when the rat sinks. In clear water I have seen her 
 do this, and afterwards get the rat up, so there is no doubt she often 
 kills under water. My terriers sometimes spend a day in digging out a 
 rat. They go in hammer and tongs, and make a great show of having 
 it out at once ; but there is a method in their madness, as they keep an 
 eye on the bolt holes, and, after a vigorous scratch, jump up every now 
 and then to see if the rat is trying to escape at the holes either above 
 ground or those below the water line. . . . 
 
 " I do not know a better companion for the man or woman who 
 only keeps one dog, than the Irish terrier, as he is easily trained, and in 
 the house is most affectionate and thoroughly cleanly. To see him play 
 with children, or guard them, is a pleasure. I have had some scores of 
 Irish terriers, and I never yet saw one turn on or snap at a child. I had 
 six out with me one day, and called at a friend's house where a children's 
 party was being held. The dogs ran on the tennis lawn, and the little 
 ones caught them and rolled them over. One dog, recently bought, had 
 
48 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 always been kennelled until he came to me, so I was afraid he might 
 resent being pulled about, as he was of rather a quick temper; but, to 
 my surprise, he enjoyed the romp, which was more than some of the 
 children's mothers did." 
 
 In another place we find : 
 
 " I can also speak personally of the capabilities of the Irish terrier 
 as a water dog, for I have seen puppies at four months old swim across 
 a strong stream fifty yards wide, follow the older ones hunting, and as 
 keen ' on rats ' as the fully grown dogs could possibly be. These juven- 
 iles would also kill rabbits, and generally their precocity was quite aston- 
 ishing. But it must be borne in mind that these young Irishmen had 
 not been reared in kennels, they, on the contrary, having a free range in 
 which to play, and where they could hunt either rabbits or rats when so 
 inclined." 
 
 This is Dr. Gordon Stables' opinion of the Irish terrier : 
 
 "The Irish terrier, I myself think, can hardly be beaten as an ordinary 
 country sportsman's dog. In general appearance he looks a terrier all 
 over, — lively, bold, and rough, with a coat that can defy anything." 
 
 In " Hugh Dalzeil "' we find : 
 
 " As so many warm and generous hearts beat under ' cloth of frieze,' 
 so under the rough, unkempt coat of the Irish terrier there is a spirit of 
 ' derring-do,' a strength of affection for his master equal to his pluck, 
 and a stamina that carries a little racing-like, wiry form through the 
 hardest of days." 
 
 Mr. Ridgway : 
 
 " As a breed, they are peculiarly adapted to the country, being 
 particularly hardy, and able to bear any amount of wet, cold and hard- 
 ship without showing the .slightest symptoms of fatigue. Their coat 
 also being a hard and wiry one, they can hunt the thickest gorse or furze 
 cover without the slightest inconvenience. As for the capabilities of 
 these dogs taking the water, and hunting in it as well as on land, I may 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 49 
 
 mention, as one instance, that a gentleman in the adjoining county of 
 Tipperary keeps a pack of these terriers, and has done so for years, with 
 which he will hunt otter as successfully as any one can with any pack 
 of pure otter hounds." 
 
 Mr. Jameson : 
 
 " The Irish terrier is able to stand much more cold, wet and fatigue 
 than most other terriers. The coat is so hard and flat that water cannot 
 penetrate it, and not being too long, does not hinder the dog in cover- 
 work." 
 
 Mr. Vero Shaw, in his book, devotes more space to the 
 characteristics of the Irish terrier than any other writer. 
 Among other things we find : 
 
 " (Jne's first acquaintance with the ' pre-historic terrier ' is apt to be 
 disappointing (except to a really 'doggy' terrier man), that is, because 
 there is no meretricious flash about them ; but there is that about them 
 which you learn to like, — they grow upon you. They supply the want 
 so often expressed for a 'smart looking dog with something in him.' 
 There is that about their rough and ready appearance which can only 
 be described as genuine terrier, or more emphatically ' tarrier character.' 
 They are ' facile princeps ' the sportman's terrier, and having never been 
 made fashion's darlings, still retain, in all its purity, their instinctive love 
 of hard work. . . . 
 
 " Among those wise old fellows one comes across in the country, 
 who like a dog with something in him, and a ' terrier,' of course, the 
 Irishman is a prime favorite. And they know what they are about, — 
 those old fellows, — and are sportsmen, too, in their own sort of way, 
 when the sun has gone down. This reminds me of a discreditable fact 
 in the history of Irish terriers, that were not always only ' the poor 
 man's sentinel,' but oftentimes something more, when, by the aid of 
 their marvelous noses and long legs, they, when the shades of night had 
 fallen, provided the pot with that which gave forth the savory smell and 
 imparted a flavor to the 'spuds.' This, however, if it affected their 
 moral principles, certainly sustained their love and capability for rabbit- 
 ing. In olden times, too, the larger sizes were bred and used for fighting, 
 
50 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 and there is still a dash of the old fighting blood in their descendants. 
 They dearly love a mill, and though it would be calumny to say they 
 are quarrelsome, yet it must be admitted that the male portion of the 
 breed is perhaps a little too ready to resent any attempt at interfering 
 with their coats ; but are they not Irish, and when did an Irishman shirk 
 a shindy ? 
 
 " The Irish terrier is a very intelligent dog, and most lively and 
 amusing companion. He is equally suitable for town and country. He 
 is a mine of fun for a country ramble, putting up everything he comes 
 across ; and there is no better terrier than a well-broken Irish for a quiet 
 ramble round the fields with your gun. 
 
 " Mr. Despart aptly describes him as the 'poor man's sentinel, the 
 farmer's friend, and generally the gentleman's favorite ; ' they are such 
 merry, rough-and-ready looking fellows, and the dash of the ' devil ' they 
 all carry in their bearing makes them very attractive to terrier lovers. 
 
 " Mr. Erwin says : There are some strains of them that will hunt 
 stubble, or, indeed, any kind of field or marsh, quartering their ground 
 like a setter or pointer, and, moreover, standing on their game in their 
 own style. When a lad, I had a dog of this breed, over which I have 
 shot as many as nine couple of snipe, and have been home in good time 
 for school at ten o'clock a. m. There was little tinie for missing on the 
 part of either of us, and the dog did not make a single mistake. 
 
 " Irish terriers are not quarrelsome, but can and will take their own 
 part if set upon, — the size of the aggressor no object. Kallymena hav- 
 ing sent more terriers to the bench-show than any other locality that I 
 know of, and this breed of dogs having been a favorite here since 
 I remember dogs, I have had a good opportunity of studying them, and 
 think more highly of them the longer I know them. 
 
 " Their great merit lies in the following qualities : 
 
 " PLUCK. — Irish terriers are remarkably good tempered, and can 
 be implicitly relied upon with children ; they have this peculiarity, that 
 they often appear shy and timid, but their true nature soon flashes out 
 on occasion. Some of the pluckiest I have owned have had this pecu- 
 liarity of appearing often timid, such as the late ' Tanner,' ' Sporter,' 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 51 
 
 ' Banshee,' ' Belle,' etc. It is almost superfluous to speak of Irish tei'riers' 
 pluck ; they are the bull-terriers of the sister Isle ; fea^- is unknown to 
 them ; they are not only plucky as a breed, but individually. 
 
 '* It is their fear-nothing nature that makes them so suitable for use 
 against the larger vermin. There are too many instances of their pluck 
 on record to enumerate them. Mr. W. Graham, v.riting in the • Live 
 Stock Journal,' says : In disposition, the Irish terrier is very tractable, 
 steady at work, and easily kept under command, compared with other 
 breeds possessing the same amount of courage. I am sorry to say they 
 are kept by some parties for fighting purposes. I once went to pur- 
 chase pups, where the man insisted upon my seeing the dam, a champion 
 bitch, dxaw the badger before taking away my purchase; and I knew a 
 prize dog lately killed a badger before his hold could be removed. 
 Again, I know a bitch puppy, under nine months, that killed the first 
 cat she ever saw, and in a very short time. 
 
 " Mr. Galloway writes : My Irish terrier bitch (' Eily O'Connor,' 
 by 'Sporter') jumped into the river Logan to retrieve in the month of 
 January last, at which time the river was half frozen over, when my 
 ' Retriever' refused point blank to go, although he saw the duck drop, 
 and the retriever boasts of England's best blood. 
 
 " RABBITING.- — Looking at them as workmen, rabbiting must first 
 be mentioned. This is their special function, and there are few things 
 I can imagine so enjoyable as a day's ferreting with a couple of Irish 
 terriers. Rely upon it, their quick noses never make a mistake ; they 
 never pass a burrow where a bunny lies, nor do they stop a second at 
 an empty one ; and once the ferret in, bolt the rabbit ever so rapidly, 
 he'll not escape the attention of the wild Irishman waiting outside for 
 him. It is marvelous the pace these dogs go ; their action represents 
 the level sweep of a thoroughbred, and their powerful hind legs propel 
 them forward at an enormous rate. It is only when one sees them at 
 full speed that one can understand the necessity for insisting upon their 
 peculiar build. Hunting in the furze, they fear nothing, but boldly push 
 in through brambles, pricks, etc., that would make a thin-skinned dog 
 yell out with pain. At this work they are superior to the conventional 
 spaniel, who works too slowly and carefully, and his long, thick coat 
 
52 
 
 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 holds him often enough; but the short, hard jacket of the red Paddies 
 is no impediment, and they work about with a dash and fervor enjoyable 
 to witness. Again, see them working hedgerows ; how assiduously and 
 well. You would never want to use another breed. 
 
 " STAMINA. — They will bear any amount of hard work and rough 
 usage ; constitution appears to never trouble them ; they can give most 
 breeds points for stamina. Mr. Graham says : ' As I work all my ter- 
 riers with ferrets, and require a good, game dog, — -also a constitutionally 
 strong one, to work in winter for a whole day, and probably sit for hours 
 in frost and cold, should the ferrets lodge, — I find no breed suits me 
 nearly so well as Irish terriers. They are more hardy, require less care, 
 and are more free from disease than any other terrier with which I am 
 acquainted.' 
 
 "BADGER. — At badger, the Irish terrier is not to be touched. 
 No punishment frightens them off ; they will hold on till death. 
 
 " FOXES. — With regard to foxes, a well-known breeder writes : 
 ' I have experience of five packs of fox-hounds, and not one terrier of 
 any breed is kept in either kennel. When the varmint is earthed, some 
 persons detatch themselves from the crowd, and run to the nearest house 
 where lives an Irish terrier. -They need not to be trained, nor especially 
 bred; they will do the work if Jrish terriers proper, without tuition. In 
 the winter of 1874, in the County Louth, I was at the killing of five 
 foxes. From the meet, at nine A. m. until three p. m., there were three 
 of them earthed, and these were unearthed by two different Irish ter- 
 riers — one ten pounds and the other twenty-seven pounds weight. The 
 pack was owned by Viscount Massareene and Ferrard. I prefer to give 
 these quotations, as they contain facts and not general remarks.' 
 
 " OTTERS. — Here the Irish terrier is in his element, and all his 
 quahties are brought into play, — love of the water, nose, pluck and 
 stamina. I quote an authority on this subject — Mr. Robert Dunscombe 
 of Mount Desert — who says : ' I have had the pleasure of hunting two 
 different packs of otter hounds, the former belonging to Mr. Johnson of 
 Hermitage, and the latter to the Earl of Bandon of Castle Bernard, with 
 both of which packs pure bred Irish terriers were used. I owned one, 
 called ' Dandy,' who would go to ground, challenge and bolt the largest 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 53 
 
 otter out of any se^\ er. no matter how long or how wet. He, poor fellow, 
 was poisoned by accident. This dog ran with Mr. Johnson's hounds, 
 which were sold some years since. My present terrier ' Jessie,' a pure 
 Irish bred one, of a light yellow color, was given to me by a poor coun- 
 tryman, and her equal I never saw anywhere. She has bolted otters 
 innumerable, and has always shown extraordinary gameness. I may 
 mention, as a proof of her pluck, that during a capital hunt with Lord 
 i)andon's hounds, some weeks since, while the otter was being pressed 
 from place to place by the hounds, ' Jessie,' winding him under a bush, 
 dived under water and laid hold of him ; after a severe struggle, she 
 came to the surface, half drowned, being badly bitten across the loins. 
 The otter, when killed, weighed twenty pounds. 
 
 "WATER. — I had ' Sporter ' and ' Moya Doolan ' hunting the 
 creeks in the marshland in Essex for water rats ; and it was a pretty 
 sight to see them, one on each side, working the banks, uttering no 
 sound, only showing their excitement by their agitated sterns. As the 
 rats dropped into the water, the dogs dived in after them. The Irish 
 terrier is as fond of the water, and takes to it as readily, as a Newfound" 
 land, and one enthusiastic owner claims a forty-five minutes' swim for a 
 dog of this breed belonging to him. 
 
 " RATS. — Irish terriers deserve no praise for their ratting qualities. 
 It is pure instinct with them ; they cannot help it; they rat as naturally 
 as a bird flies. My ' Banshee II.' killed her first rat with her milk teeth 
 when she was only twelve weeks old.. The following extract of a letter 
 from Mr. Ridgway speaks for their ratting capabilities and intelligence : 
 ' An incident, which I think speaks volumes for the sagacity and wisdom 
 of the old Irish terrier breed, was written to me lately by a gentleman 
 residing in the County Antrim (north of Ireland, where, I may add, I 
 believe some very fine specimens exist, from all I hear), and it \\ as regard- 
 ing the performance of a bitch of this breed, named ' Jess,' in his pos- 
 session. On one occasion we were boring a bank for the purpose of 
 bolting rats, and at one place a rat bolted. ' Jess,' as usual, had him 
 almost before he cleared his hole. Then came another and another, so 
 fast that the work was getting too hot for ' Jess,' when a happy thought 
 seemed to strike her ; and, while in the act of killing a very big one, she 
 
54 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 leaned down her shoulder against the hole, and let them out one by one, 
 until she had killed eighteen rats. That Irish terriers kill neatly I can- 
 not say; they kill not wisely, but too well. Vour little black-and-tan 
 shakes the life out of the rat; but the Irish terrier's jaw is so powerful 
 he does not need to shake, but crunches them into purgatory. They 
 always impress me with the idea that the game is not big enough for 
 them, and they put too much energy in it." 
 
 Mr. Lee states that there exists considerable difference of 
 opinion regarding the description of the Irish terrier, as issued 
 by the Irish Terrier Club, it evidently being modeled on that 
 of the fox-terrier ; and, in his book, Mr. Lee publishes a 
 description, compiled by an '• up-to-date " admirer and suc- 
 cessful breeder of the variety, which will give an idea of the 
 " points " of an Irish terrier. Undoubtedly the ''Club descrip- 
 tion " has given rise to a considerable amount of controversy ; 
 but it was drawn up by the leading admirers of the Irish 
 terriers a few years ago, and if fault may be found with one 
 or two of the items, such are of little importance so far as the 
 general delineation of the dog is concerned. Nevertheless, it 
 will be interesting to hear both sides, and we therefore give 
 both. * • 
 
 Description as given in Mr. Lee's book : 
 
 Head. — Long and flat, not pinched or lumpy, and not too 
 full in the cheek ; showing but a very slight stop in profile. 
 Jaw strong, of a punishing length, and of good depth. A 
 thin, weak jaw is objectionable, as is a short, thick head. 
 
 Teeth. — Level, white, and sound ; both over or undershot 
 objectionable and disqualifying. 
 
 Nose. — Black. 
 
 Eyes. — Brown, dark hazel, or black ; the latter, however, 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 55 
 
 are apt to give the dog a curious expression. They should 
 be small, keen, and more almond-shaped than round, set in 
 the head and not on the head. Light eyes very objectionable. 
 
 Ears. — Fairly thick, V-shaped, and set on to fall to the 
 corner of the eye and close to the cheeks, but not at a right 
 angle to the head ; they should not be set on too high or 
 point to the nose. 
 
 TV^rX'. — Long, clean, and muscular, slightly arched, free 
 from throatiness, and nicely placed in the shoulders, not set 
 on the top of them. 
 
 Shoulders. — Strong and fine, nicely sloping to the back 
 and firm to the hand, the dog should feel strong when 
 pressed on the shoulders, the withers narrow, and gracefully 
 joining the neck and back. 
 
 Chest. — Of- good depth, wide enough to give the heart 
 and lungs free play, but not wide when viewed in front. 
 
 Back. — Straight and strong. 
 
 Loin. — A^ery slightly arched. 
 
 Stern. — Docked or shortened, set rather high ; must be 
 gaily carried, but not curled. The stern should be placed 
 on in a line with the back ; if too low, it gives the dog a 
 mean and unsymmetrical appearance behind. 
 
 Body. — Of good depth, w^ell ribbed up, but not too far 
 back, or it will make him seem too thick-set and cobby, and 
 detract from his appearance of liberty ; flank slightly tucked 
 up, but not enough to make the dog look shelly or light. Ribs 
 inclined to flatness, and not too much arched or sprung. 
 
 Legs and Feet.—T\\^ legs should be strong, straight, and 
 muscular, but not too upright in the pasterns, which should 
 
56 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 be slightly springy; elbows set strongly to the shoulders, 
 moving freely, not tied too closely under him ; the feet thick 
 and hard, toes arched ; open, long or thin feet most objec- 
 tionable. 
 
 Hijidqiiarters. — Very strong and muscular, long from hip 
 to hock ; not too wide, but thick through, with no appearance 
 of weakness ; legs fairly under the dog ; the hocks must move 
 straight ; cow-hocks or hind legs bent outwards most objec- 
 tionable. 
 
 Coat. — Hard, straight, and wiry, free from silkiness any- 
 where ; about 2y inches long on body, shorter on the head 
 and ears, save a beard on the chin, short and hard on the legs, 
 on no account curly ; a soft, curly or open coat objectionable. 
 
 Color. — Red-yellow, wheaten or light brown, inclining to 
 grey ; the best color is orange, tipped with red, — the head 
 slightly darker than the body, and the ears slightly darker 
 than the head. The color should not run on the legs a dirty 
 or dull, dark red ; a mahogany shade is objectionable. 
 
 Size. — Height, dogs, 16 inches to 16^ inches; bitches, 
 15^ inches to 16 inches. Length from shoulder to set on 
 of stern, dogs, i4f inches to 15I- inches; bitches, 14 inches 
 to 15 inches. Girth of chest, 20^ inches to 21^ inches. 
 Weight for dogs, 20 pounds to 24 pounds; bitches, 18 
 pounds to 22 pounds. 
 
 Gene7\-il Appearance. — The Irish terrier should appear to be 
 of good constitution, somewhat rough in outlook, but thor- 
 oughly symmetrical. As the stern is high set on, it gives the 
 hindquarters a somewhat jumped-up look ; the movements are 
 rather jerky behind, as if the hindquarters possessed the 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 57 
 
 power of moving quicker than the fore-end, — ahnost a hare- 
 like movement ; the expression should be wicked, but intelli- 
 gent, although a rough, merry, but game-looking terrier, not 
 cobby nor too coarse. 
 
 Te7nperai7iejit. — Temper very good, often shy, but always 
 game. When at work, utterly without fear, and rather head- 
 strong ; when in the house, quiet, affectionate, and loving. 
 It is a characteristic of the Irish terrier to thrust his nose 
 into his master's hand, or rest the head on his foot, or against 
 
 his legs. 
 
 POSITIVE Points. 
 
 Head 
 
 Teeth and Eyes 
 
 Ears 
 
 Neck 
 
 Value. 
 
 lO 
 . 10 
 . lO 
 
 • 5 
 
 Ne(;ative Points. Value. 
 
 White on Toes or Feet . . 5 
 Mouth undershot or over- 
 
 - shot 20 
 
 Very much white on Chest . 5 
 Cgat curly or soft .... 20 
 
 Legs and Feet 15 
 
 Chest and Shoulders ... 10 
 Back and Loin and Hind- 
 quarters 15 
 
 Coat 10 
 
 Color 5 
 
 General Outline 10 
 
 100 50 
 
 Disqualifying Points. — Brindled in color; nose cherry or flesh- 
 colored ; white legs— indeed, any white, either on the feet, chest or else- 
 where — is objectionable. At four or five years old, a few white hairs, 
 giving a grizzly appearance about the muzzle, is not detrimental. 
 
DESCRIPTION ISSUED BY THE IRISH 
 TERRIER CLUB. 
 
 (THE OFFICIAL STANDARD.) 
 
 Positive Points. Value. Negative Points. Value. 
 
 Head, Jaw, Teeth and Eyes 15 While Nails, Toes and Feet 
 
 Ears 5 minus 10 
 
 Legs and Feet 10 Much white on Chest . . 10 
 
 Neck 5 Ears cropped 5 
 
 Shoulders and Chest ... 10 Mouth undershot or can- 
 Back and Loin 10 kered 10 
 
 Hindquarters and Stern . . 10 Coat shaggy, curly or soft . 10 
 
 Coat 13 Uneven in color .... 5 
 
 Color 10 
 
 Size and symmetry ... 10 
 
 100 50 
 I)LSQUALIFVIN(; PuixTS. — Nose, cherry or red. iJrindle color. 
 
 Head. 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 
 
 -Long ; skull llat, and rather narrow between ears. 
 
 getting slightly narrower towards the eye ; free from wrinkle : 
 stop hardly visible, except in profile. The jaw must be 
 strong and muscular, but not too full in the cheek, and of a 
 good punishing length, but not so fine as a white English 
 terrier's. There should be a slight falling away below the 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 59 
 
 eye, so as not to have a greyhound appearance. Hair on 
 face of same description as on body, but short (about a quar- 
 ter of an inch long), in appearance ahiiost smooth and 
 straight: a slight beard is the only longish hair (and it is 
 only long in comparison with the rest) that is permissible, 
 and that is characteristic. 
 
 Teeth. — Should be strong and level. 
 
 Lips. — Not so tight as a bull-terrier's, but well-fitting, 
 showing through the hair their black lining. 
 
 Nose. — Must be black. 
 
 Eyes. — A dark hazel color, small, not prominent, and full 
 of life, fire, and intelligence. 
 
 Ears. — When uncut, small and V-shaped, of moderate 
 thickness, set well up on the head, and dropping forward 
 closely to the cheek. The ear must be free of fringe, and the 
 hair thereon shorter and generally darker in color than the 
 body. 
 
 Keck. — Should be of a fair length, and gradually widening 
 towards the shoulders, well carried, and free from throati- 
 ness. There is generally a slight sort of frill visible at each 
 side of the neck, running nearly to the corner of the ear, 
 which is looked on as very characteristic. 
 
 Shoulders and Chest. — Shoulders must be fine, long, and 
 sloping well into the back ; the chest deep and muscular, but 
 neither full nor wide. 
 
 Back and Loin. — Body moderately long ; back should be 
 strong and straight, with no appearance of slackness behind 
 the shoulders ; the loin broad and powerful, and slightly 
 
6o THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 arched ; ribs fairly sprung, rather deep than round, and well 
 ribbed back. 
 
 Hindquarters. — Well under the dog ; should be strong 
 and muscular, the thighs powerful, hocks near the ground, 
 stifles not much bent. 
 
 Stem. — Generally docked ; should be free of fringe or 
 feather, set on pretty high, carried gaily, but not over the 
 back, or curled. 
 
 Feet and Legs. — Feet should be strong, tolerably round, 
 and moderately small ; toes arched, and neither turned out 
 nor in ; black toe-nails are preferable and most desirable. 
 Legs moderately long, well set from the shoulders, perfectly 
 straight, with plenty of bone and muscle ; the elbows work- 
 ing freely clear of the sides, pasterns short and straight, 
 hardly noticeable. Both fore and hind legs should be moved 
 straight forward when travelling, the stifles not turned out- 
 wards, the legs free of feather, and covered, like the head, 
 with as hard a texture of coat as body, but not so long. 
 
 Coat. — Hard and wiry, free of softness or silkiness, not 
 so long as to hide the outlines of the body, particularly in 
 the hindquarters, straight and flat, no shagginess, and free 
 of lock or curl. 
 
 Color. — Should be "whole-colored," the most preferable 
 being bright red ; next wheaten, yellow, and grey, brindle 
 disqualifying. White sometimes appears on chest and feet ; 
 it is more objectionable on the latter than on the chest, as a 
 speck of white on chest is frequently to be seen in all self- 
 colored breeds. 
 
THE IRISH TERRIEK. 6 1 
 
 Size and Syvimeiry. — Weight, in show-condition, from i6 
 pounds to 24 pounds, — say i6 pounds to 22 pounds for 
 bitches, and 18 pounds to 24 pounds for dogs. The most 
 desirable weight is 2 2 pounds, or under, — which is a nice, 
 styhsh, and useful size. The dog must present an active, 
 lively, lithe and wiry appear*ance ; lots of substance, at the 
 same time free of clumsiness, as speed and endurance, as 
 well as power, are very essential. They must be neither 
 " cloddy " nor '' cobby,"" but should be framed on the " lines 
 of speed," showing a graceful "racing outline." 
 
 Tc7npera7?ient. — Dogs that are very game are usually surly 
 or snappish. The Irish terrier, as a breed, is an exception, 
 being remarkably good tempered, notably so with mankind, 
 it being admitted, however, that he is, perhaps, a little too 
 ready to resent interference on the part of other dogs. There 
 is a heedless, reckless pluck about the Irish terrier which is 
 characteristic, and, coupled with the headlong dash, blind to 
 all consequences, with which he rushes at his adversary, has 
 eajrned for the breed the proud epithet of the " Dare-devils." 
 When "off duty," they are characterized by a quiet, caress- 
 inviting appearance, and when one sees them endearingly, 
 timidly pushing their heads into their masters' hands, it is 
 difficult to realize that on occasion, at the "set-on," they can 
 prove they have the courage of a lion, and will fight on to 
 the last breath in their bodies. They develop an extraordi- 
 nary devotion to, and have been known to track their masters 
 almost incredible distances. 
 
RULES AND REGULATIONS 
 
 IRISH TERRIER CLUB 
 
 FOUNDED 1879 -- REVISED 1893. 
 
 NAME AND OBJECTS OF THE CLUB. 
 
 Rule I. — That this Club shall be called the Irish Terrier 
 Club. That its objects be — (a) To promote the breeding 
 of pure Irish terriers ; {/?) To define precisely and publish 
 a description of the true type, and to urge the adoption of 
 such type on breeders, judges, dog-show committees, etc., as 
 the only recognized and unvarying standard by which Irish 
 terriers are to be judged, and which may in future be uni- 
 formly accepted as the sole standard of excellence in breed- 
 ing and awarding prizes of merit to Irish terriers ; (r) To do 
 all in its power to protect and advance the interest of the 
 breed, by offering prizes, supporting certain shows, and 
 taking any other steps that may be deemed advisable. 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 63 
 
 ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION. 
 
 Rule II. — That this Club consist of a President, two 
 Vice-Presidents (one residing in Ireland, the other in Eng- 
 land), a Committee, Honorable Secretary in Ireland, Hon- 
 orable Secretary for England, Honorable Treasurer, and an 
 unhmited number of members, whose names and addresses 
 shall be kept by the Honorable Secretaries. That any 
 respectable person, favorable to the objects of the Club, 
 shall be eligible for admission as a member, and that each 
 candidate shall be proposed by one member of the Club and 
 seconded by another. The election of members to be made 
 by the Committee by voting papers, and one negative in five 
 votes to exclude. That, prior to any name being put up for 
 election, thirty shillings (the amount of entrance fee and 
 subscription) shall be deposited with the Honorable Secre- 
 tary, to be returned in the event of non-election. 
 
 SUBSCRIPTION. 
 Rule III. — That the annual subscription for each mem- 
 ber shall be one pound, due on ist of January in each year, 
 and that there be an entrance fee of ten shillings for all but 
 "original members" of the Club. That no one be deemed 
 a member, or entitled to the privileges of membership, until 
 his annual subscription shall have been paid. That any 
 member failing to pay his subscription by ist February, 
 shall be reminded of his omission by the Honorable Secre- 
 tary ; and should it remain unpaid on ist March, he shall 
 cease to be a member of the Club. 
 
64 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Rule IV. — That the affairs of the Ckib shall be con- 
 ducted by a Committee consisting of fourteen members (half 
 residing in Ireland), including the two Vice-Presidents, Sec- 
 retaries and Treasurer, to be elected annually by voting 
 papers. The name of any member or members put forward 
 for election on the Committee must be sent, with their pro- 
 poser's and seconder's names, to the Honorable Secretary, 
 prior to the 30th November in each year. The existing 
 Committee, together with the new candidates, to be then 
 submitted to each member of the Club for election. In the 
 event of their being no such candidate, the Committee to 
 continue in office. The voting papers to be returned to the 
 Honorable Secretary, with votes recorded, on or before a 
 fixed date. 
 
 POWERS OF COMMITTEE. 
 
 Rule V. — That the property of the Club shall be vested 
 in the Committee, which shall have the power to make neces- 
 sary by-laws, arbitrate in disputed matters, or expel any 
 member who, in their opinion, has been proved guilty of 
 dishonorable conduct, or a breach of the Rules. That the 
 Committee shall also have power to deal with any question 
 not provided for by the Rules, and also to fill up, if thought 
 necessary, any vacancy occurring in their numbers ; but their 
 selection must receive the approval of the General Meeting 
 next ensuing. 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 65 
 
 MEETINGS. 
 
 Rule VL — That two General Meetings of the Ckib 
 shall be held each year, at such place as the Committee 
 think desirable. 
 
 METHOD OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS. 
 
 Rule VII. — That, inasmuch as it is scarcely possible 
 for the Committee to meet more than once or twice a year, 
 it shall be competent for the Honorable Secretaries to transact 
 all such business as might be done at a meeting of the Com- 
 mittee by letter ; but the replies, in writing, of the majority 
 of the members of the Committee must be obtained before 
 such business shall be considered as having the sanction of 
 the Committee, and binding accordingly. 
 
 JUDGES. 
 
 Rule VIII. — That, for the guidance of Dog-Show 
 Societies, a list of gentlemen, in the opinion of the Club 
 competent to officiate as Judges of Irish Terriers, be drawn 
 up annually. The name or names must be sent in to the 
 Honorable Secretary, with proposer's and seconder's names, 
 prior to 30th November in each year. The existing list of 
 Judges, v>'ith ?ieu> candidates, to be then submitted to each 
 member of the Club for election ; those having over fifty per 
 cent, of recorded votes to be considered elected. The voting 
 papers to be returned to the Honorable Secretary, with votes 
 recorded, on or before a hxed date. 
 
66 THE IRISH TERRIER. 
 
 EXPENSES, REPORT, Etc. 
 
 Rule IX. — That no expense be incurred by the Hon- 
 orable Secretaries, Honorable Treasurer, or by any member 
 of the Committee, beyond the funds in hand. That an 
 Annual Report, together with the Rules of the Club, the 
 names and addresses of the Members, Committee, Officers, 
 etc., shall be printed and supplied to all members ; and that 
 the Annual Abstract of Accounts (duly audited by two 
 members elected a General Meeting) shall be open to the 
 inspection of members. 
 
 PRIZES. 
 
 Rule X. — That two grand Challenge Cups, one for 
 either sex, entitled " The Irish Terrier Club Challenge 
 Cups," be offered by the Club, for competition by Jiienibcrs 
 o}ih\ at two shows in Ireland, two in England, and one in 
 Scotland, each year, held under Kennel Club Rules, and 
 approved of by the Committee. The Cups to become the 
 absolute property of any manber winning them twelve times. 
 That the Club's prizes shall only be offered at such Shows 
 as appoint a Judge on the Club's list of Judges ; but when 
 a Show Committee is unable to procure the services of one 
 of the Club's approved Judges, they will be satisfied with 
 the appointment of the ''\\'ire-hair Fox Terrier Judge." 
 The Club medals or other prizes may be offered, at the dis- 
 cretion of the Committee. That the Committee be enabled 
 to demand solvent security from the holder of the Challenge 
 
THE IRISH TERRIER. 67 
 
 Cup, that he will undertake to forward it to the Secretary of 
 any Show where it is to be competed for, one week prior to 
 the date of Show, on receiving notice from the Honorable 
 Secretary of the Irish Terrier Club to do so. 
 
 METHOD OF VOTING. 
 
 Rule XI. — That at all General Meetings of the Irish 
 Terrier Club, each member be entitled to vote on any 
 question by proxy at the meeting. 
 
 ELIGIBILITY. 
 
 Rule XII. — That all dogs competing for Irish Terrier 
 Club Prizes must be entered according to t/ic latest Revised 
 Rules of the Kennel Club. 
 
 ALTERATIONS. 
 
 Rule XIII. — That none of the foregoing Rules be 
 altered, except at an Annual Meeting of the Club convened 
 for the purpose. 
 
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