Kerry Blue Or A Poodle?

[Monah]

that group included 3 stud dogs

Lovely, Becks, I never said anything about them being aggressive in any way.

Lucky you are in UK, it must be wonderful to be able to 'roam' without the snake worry. ours cant even go off the path here

[Monah]

boisterous - I like boisterous...aren't almost all young dogs boisterous? It totally makes sense to me that the wheatens are very different to Kerry's. I guess I read too much into the "blonde cousin" thing.

non-shedding - husband hates dog hair.

:D Um, yes many young dogs are boisterous, but some dogs are ALWAYS boisterous, esp gundogs...... :D

[Gayle.]

I would be concerned about the Lagotti being a newly popular breed but I have never heard of them and will definitely do some research.

Lagotti aren't new, they are actually a very old Italian breed....bred for truffle hunting, among other things I believe. They are quite new to this country though and relatively unknown. I definitely wouldn't call them a newly popular breed as they are still quite rare.

The breeder I got my first Australian Shepherd from breeds Lagotti too, and we met her first one when we bought our boy. I was super impressed by the friendliness of the dog and she is fabulous looking. Very "poodly" textured coat, but different dog altogether to a poodle.

They are an active, outgoing dog.....according to this breeder, the pups are a lot more active than Australian Shepherd puppies. Intelligent and fun to be around too.

I would love one, someday.

[NZVizsla]

My previous dog was a Standard Poodle. VERY different to a Kerry or Wheaten!!

I started off taking her off to be groomed, and then later learnt and worked for a groomer to be a groomer.

It is hard work learning, it really is. It is a skill, an 'art' and physically it is hard work.

But they are a beautiful breed, and are of course worth it.

My girl had to have hours of exercise everyday, and was full on from day one.

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.

[Sheridan]

I still think if you like the look of the Kerry, that a Lakeland may fit the bill, although it seems they may be a little small for you? Welsh terriers are lovely too.

Do lakies and welshies shed? My sister's irish terrier sheds like the clappers but I recall Lyndsay reporting that her Ruby doesn't so much.

Sheridan, I couldn't watch the clip, badger lover here :D I'm glad you mentioned about the dead badger so I didn't get traumatised. Terrier teeth are certainly lethal But then this is what they were bred for, and owners need to keep this in mind so it's good to remind us.

I have no particular feelings for badgers so no qualms here, Monah. Indeed, when the kerry doesn't want to let go I found it rather funny. That sounds bad, doesn't it. No illusions about kerries at all in the may kill small animals department; I know what they're like!

[SpikesPuppy]

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.[/size]

:D no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal.

Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys :D )

[Dogsfevr]

Do lakies and welshies shed? My sister's irish terrier sheds like the clappers but I recall Lyndsay reporting that her Ruby doesn't so much.

If maintained correctly no.

I would gather your sisters Irish sheds either because there not working enough on the coat & the dead stuff is starting to self shed

[frufru]

With the standard poodles (of which I have owned 3 and shown 2 others as youngsters - also met quite a few) I have not found them to be over the top boisterous - in fact a lot less boisterous than other gundog breeds such and labs and goldies. It may also depend on the "lines" that you buy from and of course which puppy in the litter you choose. I do not like "in your face" boisterous dogs and most of the standards I have met would not be described in this way. Having said that - my dogs are taught manners and boundaries from day one - that is the good thing about poodles they are very smart and easy to teach. They do require regular mental and physical stimulation and when this is provided they happily sleep while I am out. I walk my dogs twice per day and they go to the beach or for a run once per week as well as playing and doing some obedience.

My biggest problem with my current standard is that he is lazy and sometimes has to be dragged out from under the table for his walk LOL

[Quickasyoucan]

What about an Airedale.

I got a thread started in 101 because they are a breed I am interested in but I haven't come across anyone with much experience with them.

A friend has one and she is beautiful, but a pet only and I am not sure if representative of the breed. She just seems bouncy and happy to greet one and all.

[frufru]

We like the larger terriers too and considered an airdale or schnauzer before we got our first standard poodle but we were put off by the descriptions of stubborn - I was drawn to the poodles because they were very trainable and eager to please but a little more independent and light on their feet than say a lab or goldie

Edited February 3, 2010 by frufru

[OliBlu]

As many have said, Kerrys are a Terrier and as such, can be dog aggressive - like most terriers. But I still love em to death and with the right guidance and training from puppyhood, they are great family dogs.

I have lived with many kerrys for a number of years - at the moment we have 7, and when we are home, they are all in the house together with us, under our feet and trying "to help" anyway they think they can . As a breeder and lover of Kerrys, we have placed many kerrys in great family homes over the years and they do and can fit in well in the average family home. I do not advocate a Kerry for every home, but I believe that they are a dog that should not be dismissed as a crazy dog that kills for no reason. - They can and are so much more. But I do not advocate Kerrys in off leash parks unless you have 100% recall, which is possible, but unless you put a lot of time into training and loving a Kerry, then this is very difficult to achieve and as this is one of your criteria, I would not be so sure that a Kerry would fit this bill for this reason.

I also have a great love of Poodles as I used to show them for friends a few years ago, (mins & standards), and if I could convince hubby, I would have a Standard in a heartbeat. They have such great natures and full of life - and yes, very smart as well - just as smart as a kerry. But then, I am a person who loves to groom and loves dogs who are full of life and love and mischievious to boot. And with regards to the poodle's "look", as many have said, a poodle's coat is so versatile, that the look can be changed to suit you.

I think you should talk to breeders of both Poodles and Kerrys and especially meet some, as this is really the only way that you can know what they are like and if you are suited to either breed.

[Monah]

I still think if you like the look of the Kerry, that a Lakeland may fit the bill, although it seems they may be a little small for you? Welsh terriers are lovely too.

Do lakies and welshies shed? My sister's irish terrier sheds like the clappers but I recall Lyndsay reporting that her Ruby doesn't so much.

Sheridan, I couldn't watch the clip, badger lover here :D I'm glad you mentioned about the dead badger so I didn't get traumatised. Terrier teeth are certainly lethal But then this is what they were bred for, and owners need to keep this in mind so it's good to remind us.

I have no particular feelings for badgers so no qualms here, Monah. Indeed, when the kerry doesn't want to let go I found it rather funny. That sounds bad, doesn't it. No illusions about kerries at all in the may kill small animals department; I know what they're like!

No, they don't shed at all. Also, I would never advocate Lakelands in an offleash park either (but I'm not a fan of any dog parks)

On the subject of shedding, my giants shedded (is that a word? :p ) if you get what I mean, so I'm guessing smaller schnauzers do too?? If they do, that really counts them out for the OP.

Oliblu, wow!! I'd love to meet your Kerries, stunning looking dogs, and I adore terriers to bits :p

Standard poodles are on my 'one day' list too

[Dogsfevr]

On the subject of shedding, my giants shedded (is that a word? embarrass.gif embarrass.gif ) if you get what I mean, so I'm guessing smaller schnauzers do too?? If they do, that really counts them out for the OP.

The only shedding should be in the brush,depends how you maintained there coats.

[NZVizsla]

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.[/size]

no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal.

Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys )

I'd never recommend clipping any Terrier. But here, in Wellington, few groomers can and will strip. And many clients aren't prepared to pay to get them stripped.

So they get clipped. No problems that I'm aware of. But I personally always stripped.

[SpikesPuppy]

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.[/size]

no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal.

Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys :p )

I'd never recommend clipping any Terrier. But here, in Wellington, few groomers can and will strip. And many clients aren't prepared to pay to get them stripped.

So they get clipped. No problems that I'm aware of. But I personally always stripped.

It's really not that difficult to learn and requires little financial outlay to do so. I just don't understand why someone would want a particular breed if they weren't prepared to take basic steps to maintain it's health and character It's an hour twice a year, geeze :p

[Dogsfevr]

I have lived with many kerrys for a number of years - at the moment we have 7, and when we are home, they are all in the house together with us, under our feet and trying "to help" anyway they think they can

Our kerries lived with our mini schnauzers ,GSD & show greys.

She was spunky & we new when she needed her space but never hada fight but we never under estimated her breed & because of that management was easy

[Sayly]

Do lakies and welshies shed? My sister's irish terrier sheds like the clappers but I recall Lyndsay reporting that her Ruby doesn't so much.

If maintained correctly no.

I would gather your sisters Irish sheds either because there not working enough on the coat & the dead stuff is starting to self shed

Ruby really sheds very very little. Literally a couple of hairs in her bed. But her coat is worked regulary. If she was worked less often and perhaps say only with a Mars coat king, she would shed a little more I think but no where near as much as our short coat dog or the Aussie Shepherds.

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.[/size]

:p no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal.

Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys :p )

I'd never recommend clipping any Terrier. But here, in Wellington, few groomers can and will strip. And many clients aren't prepared to pay to get them stripped.

So they get clipped. No problems that I'm aware of. But I personally always stripped.

It's really not that difficult to learn and requires little financial outlay to do so. I just don't understand why someone would want a particular breed if they weren't prepared to take basic steps to maintain it's health and character It's an hour twice a year, geeze :D

Gracie is a pet BT and she's maintained with the Coat King, and Mum strips her right out before summer. That's all she usually gets, she doesn't knot so doesn't get brushed/combed, just the coat king over her occasionlly keeps it at a nice level. She doesn't drop much hair, but isn't completely shed-free either.

I understand the attraction to Kerries, they are wonderful, impressive looking dogs. But even coming from a terrier household (grown up with Irish Terriers and terrierXs, now have a BT and a Bull TerrierX) I don't personally feel like I would make a good home for a Kerry. I think they are TOO much terrier for me. :D I admire them though, and love the look!

An Irish Terrier may suit the original poster, they are full terriers and like the Kerriers CAN be dog aggressive IF not well socialised. I have just found a newsletter from a few years ago sent out by the Irish Terrier Club of Aust and in it are several photos of several Irish Terrier meets. I went to the SA one, and there was one squabble between the two oldest bitches there, thankfully it was all noise. They are a breed that may not start an arguament but they will definately finish one.

We can take Ruby to dog parks/DOL meets as she has been well socialised. Our old Irish, there would be NO way we could do that. Similar lines but different upbringing.

Irish can be trained, there's a team in WA doing agility with them. They aren't the easiest breed to train, and are real terriers, but not as full on as a Kerry. They are clows, LOVE kids and are fantastic pets if they have the right owner. An Irish Terrier MAY suit you IF you are happy to do alot of positive dog socialisation as a pup, have a secure back yard, don't want a dog that wants to please you, wants a clown of a pet and can set boundaries and stick with them. Irish do shed a little, but if kept groomed, they shed very very little.

Bit smaller than a Kerry or Std Poodle but a bit bigger than a Lakeland.

Their look isn't for everyone though.

She's a clown!

[OliBlu]

showdog

Our kerries lived with our mini schnauzers ,GSD & show greys.

She was spunky & we new when she needed her space but never hada fight but we never under estimated her breed & because of that management was easy

I agree as we also have 2 griffons as well as the kerrys, and they all get on well together, but you have to be able to understand each of your dogs and read them as well. If you see a puppy annoying one of the oldies, then you just have to redirect their play, but in general, everyone is great together. When we are not home, the kerrys are paired off in separate yards - but this is something that we have always done with any breed that we have had. Better safe than sorry.

And Monah, you are very welcome to meet the Kerry Kids! They love visitors.

Lindsay

An Irish Terrier may suit the original poster, they are full terriers and like the Kerriers CAN be dog aggressive IF not well socialised. I have just found a newsletter from a few years ago sent out by the Irish Terrier Club of Aust and in it are several photos of several Irish Terrier meets. I went to the SA one, and there was one squabble between the two oldest bitches there, thankfully it was all noise. They are a breed that may not start an arguament but they will definately finish one.

We can take Ruby to dog parks/DOL meets as she has been well socialised. Our old Irish, there would be NO way we could do that. Similar lines but different upbringing.

I would just like to say that the Kerry that most show people see at the show, is not the real personality of a Kerry. They appear to be "All Terrier", but in actual fact, if you took out the word Irish Terrier in Lindsay's quote - you would be describing one of my Kerrys. We used to take our Kerry boy to the off leash park and he was always 100% reliable. Having said that, in the showring, people would move out of our way as he was coming to the ring - and not because he did anything wrong, just because Kerrys have that reputation and he always looked on his toes at all times when at the show.

Edited February 3, 2010 by OliBlu

[SpikesPuppy]

Do lakies and welshies shed? My sister's irish terrier sheds like the clappers but I recall Lyndsay reporting that her Ruby doesn't so much.

If maintained correctly no.

I would gather your sisters Irish sheds either because there not working enough on the coat & the dead stuff is starting to self shed

Ruby really sheds very very little. Literally a couple of hairs in her bed. But her coat is worked regulary. If she was worked less often and perhaps say only with a Mars coat king, she would shed a little more I think but no where near as much as our short coat dog or the Aussie Shepherds.

Terrier wise, I'd go with a Border Terrier. Although they are small, they are full of heart. And you can either learn to strip yourself, or.. gasp.. clip them off with clippers.

If you clip you will lose the harsh texture of the coat. But, if it doesn't matter to you, easy peasy.[/size]

no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal.

Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys :p )

I'd never recommend clipping any Terrier. But here, in Wellington, few groomers can and will strip. And many clients aren't prepared to pay to get them stripped.

So they get clipped. No problems that I'm aware of. But I personally always stripped.

It's really not that difficult to learn and requires little financial outlay to do so. I just don't understand why someone would want a particular breed if they weren't prepared to take basic steps to maintain it's health and character It's an hour twice a year, geeze :p

Gracie is a pet BT and she's maintained with the Coat King, and Mum strips her right out before summer. That's all she usually gets, she doesn't knot so doesn't get brushed/combed, just the coat king over her occasionlly keeps it at a nice level. She doesn't drop much hair, but isn't completely shed-free either.

Exactly. The coat king costs what? $70 or so?? Does seem to depend on the coat quality but overall, I feel clipping is uneccesarry.

[Sayly]

showdog

Our kerries lived with our mini schnauzers ,GSD & show greys.

She was spunky & we new when she needed her space but never hada fight but we never under estimated her breed & because of that management was easy

I agree as we also have 2 griffons as well as the kerrys, and they all get on well together, but you have to be able to understand each of your dogs and read them as well. If you see a puppy annoying one of the oldies, then you just have to redirect their play, but in general, everyone is great together. When we are not home, the kerrys are paired off in separate yards - but this is something that we have always done with any breed that we have had. Better safe than sorry.

And Monah, you are very welcome to meet the Kerry Kids! They love visitors.

Lindsay

An Irish Terrier may suit the original poster, they are full terriers and like the Kerriers CAN be dog aggressive IF not well socialised. I have just found a newsletter from a few years ago sent out by the Irish Terrier Club of Aust and in it are several photos of several Irish Terrier meets. I went to the SA one, and there was one squabble between the two oldest bitches there, thankfully it was all noise. They are a breed that may not start an arguament but they will definately finish one.

We can take Ruby to dog parks/DOL meets as she has been well socialised. Our old Irish, there would be NO way we could do that. Similar lines but different upbringing.

I would just like to say that the Kerry that most show people see at the show, is not the real personality of a Kerry. They appear to be "All Terrier", but in actual fact, if you took out the word Irish Terrier in Lindsay's quote - you would be describing one of my Kerrys. We used to take our Kerry boy to the off leash park and he was always 100% reliable. Having said that, in the showring, people would move out of our way as he was coming to the ring - and not because he did anything wrong, just because Kerrys have that reputation and he always looked on his toes at all times when at the show.

There aren't any Kerries here being shown, I have had very little to do with them but they seem like the terrier-est of the terriers!

I'd love to meet some more Kerries.

It's funny walking the Irish by the working dog ring, you can see the exhibitors keep their distance. Poor Ruby! She loves to play and flirt with most other dogs.