The Kerry Blue Terrier also known as the Irish Blue Terrier hails from County Kerry in the southwest of Ireland and is the officially recognized National Dog of Ireland. The Kerry Blue Terrier is really not blue but rather various shades of grey but as so often happens in pedigree dog circles there is a tendency to embrace the exaggerated! The puppies of this dog breed are born black and the coat color changes between nine and 24 months of age. Generally, the sooner the change in coat color the lighter will be that individual dog’s final coat color.

Legend has it that the Kerry Blue Terrier dog breed arose from an unknown ancestor that swarm ashore from a shipwreck in the Bay of Tralee. The truth however is probably to be found somewhere closer to home and it is believed that the Kerry Blue Terrier was developed from a cross between the Irish Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier.

Whatever its origins the Kerry Blue Terrier dog can claim to be an all-purpose terrier dog whose original function was to kill rats and take to the water to hunt down otters. Later on the Kerry Blue’s duties expanded to include sheep and cattle herding, hunting small game and birds, trailing as well as policing work.

Strangely enough despite its very distinct and attractive appearance the Kerry Blue Terrier never really managed to grab the public’s affection. For the longest time the breed was largely confined to its native country of Ireland where it existed for centuries as a working dog. It was not until a few specimens of the breed made it into the local Irish dog shows in the late 19th century that the breed caught the attention of the pedigree dog-show crowd.

In 1920 the Dublin Kerry Blue Terrier Club was formed and the breed was recognized in 1922 by the then newly formed Irish Kennel Club. In that very year a specialist breed club was established in England and the breed standard was set. Later in 1924 the Kerry Blue Terrier dog breed was officially recognized by the AKC.

Despite early recognition by the large kennel clubs the world over, the Kerry Blue Terrier has been largely shunned by the dog loving public. The breeds popularity peaked somewhere between World War I and World War II and by 1998 fewer than 300 Kerry Blue Terrier dogs were registered with the Kennel Club in London.

Article on kerry blue terrier written by Kayye Nynne

Kerry Blue Terrier Dog