Of the terriers, the Airedale is known for its versatility, but there’s another terrier that can rival the Airedale in that department, and there are some sources, (Bryan Cummins, PhD, among them) that feel that few breeds have worked in as many diverse fields as the Kerry Blue Terrier. In “Dogs of Britain,” the Kerry is described as excellent in badger work and cited a diminutive Kerry bitch, well known in the English show ring, who drew and dispatched a 40-pound badger. The same book referred to a successful conformation bitch who hunted rabbit, she, the offspring of a sire and dam who were expert sheepdogs. A dog named Gandria Glengariff was used to hunt Kangaroo in Australia, while Mr. A.L.Henry wrote in 1919 that the Kerry was “the equal of any Setter for the gun.” A dark part of the Kerry’s past included a fighting dog heritage in which the breed’s gameness was valued, but on a happier note, it’s the only terrier included in the 1948 book, “Working Dogs of the World,” where the breed’s history use as a drover and flock guardian was acknowledged.  The breed could swim in strong currents after water rats, hunt, and was a cattle dog in County Kerry – and early owners expected no less.  The Kerry Blue, truly a dog for all seasons – and  reasons.

Kerry Blue Terrier head study by Daniele Trottier. This print is available for purchase here.