Skye Terriers were created on one of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides islands (the Isle of Skye) to rid farms of earth dwelling creatures whose burrowing holes broke many a leg of livestock. After all, the Skye is the longest and lowest of all terriers, and is probably better adapted to do the work of a terrier than any other. The breed gained in favor in 1840 through the patronage of Queen Victoria who may have first seen them during visits to her Scottish holdings. Eventually, she had a kennel full of them. The writings of Sir Walter Scott and the paintings of Sir Edwin Landseer only helped the breed’s profile.
Later, Skye Terriers made frequent appearances in the works of Agnes Giberne (1845-1939) including “St. Austin’s Lodge, “Mr. Berkeley and his Nieces,” Kathleen: The story of a Home,” and in 1898, “A Modern Puck” from which this illustration by Florence M. Cooper comes. By the way, did anyone catch the Skye Terrier, “‘Good Time Charlie’ winning Best in Show at the 2015 National Dog Show on Thanksgiving?