Kerry Blue Terrier Profile

history

Ireland--specifically, the mountainous area of County Kerry--is the birthplace of the Kerry Blue Terrier. He was originally a working terrier, hunting small game and birds, killing rodents, and guarding his homestead. He was used successfully for herding sheep and cattle. Eventually, the breed was shown in conformation and highly favored. English fanciers saw potential, too, and the breed was recognized by the Kennel Club.

Aggressiveness was originally was bred into the Kerry Blues intentionally. In early dog shows, the Irish Kennel Club required each to pass a "gameness" test before he could be judged. The tests included catching rabbits and bringing a badger to bay. From these tests, the Kerry Blue earned the nickname "Blue Devil."

No one really knows who brought the first Kerry Blue to the United States. He was thought to have appeared at the Westminster show in 1922, and the breed was officially recognized by the Amercian Kennel Club in 1924. During the Westminster show of 1926, a group of fanciers met at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and organized the Kerry Blue Terrier Club of America.

In the early 1900s, Irish patriot Michael Collins introduced legislation to name the Kerry Blue the National Dog of Ireland. His own Kerry Blue was named Convict 225. Collins was murdered, however, before the legislation could be passed, and after his death, interest in the initiative was lost.

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