Canis lupus familiaris
Kerry Blue Terrier
Featured photokerry-blue-terrier.jpgThe Kerry Blue Terrier is a Kerry-County multi-purpose Irish farm-terrier — Sinn Féin's symbol of an Irish national dog. The Kerry Blue Terrier is one of the four native Irish terrier breeds and is named for the County of Kerry in southwestern Ireland, where the breed has been kept since at least the early 19th century as a multi-purpose farm dog used to dispatch vermin, herd sheep and cattle, and act as a hunting dog for badger and otter.
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Terrier
- Origin country
- Ireland (Kerry)
- Origin period
- 19th century (formalized 1922)
- Coat type
- Curly
- Coat colors
- Slate Blue (any shade from deep slate to light blue-grey) — puppies born black and changing to blue between 9 months and 2 years
- Average lifespan
- 12-15 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1922 · FCI 1954 · UKC 1948 · Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers)
Origin
The Kerry Blue Terrier is one of the four native Irish terrier breeds and is named for the County of Kerry in southwestern Ireland, where the breed has been kept since at least the early 19th century. Foundation crosses are not documented in detail but probably involved the now-extinct old Black Irish Terrier and possibly the Irish Wolfhound and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. The breed has historically been a multi-purpose farm dog — dispatching vermin, herding sheep and cattle, and acting as a hunting dog for badger and otter. The breed was the official dog of the original Sinn Féin movement and was the centerpiece of a 1920 campaign for an 'Irish national dog' led by Michael Collins (an enthusiastic Kerry Blue owner). The Irish Kennel Club registered the breed in 1922 and the AKC followed the same year.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1922, the United Kennel Club followed in 1948, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 3) in 1954. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a strongly-built, well-balanced terrier of upstanding carriage and good substance — neither racy nor cobby, but with definite substance and bone. The defining feature is the soft, dense, wavy single coat that is born black and gradually changes to a slate-blue colour between 9 months and 2 years of age (the unique 'colour clearing' is a breed-defining trait). Solid slate-blue (any shade from deep slate to light blue-grey) is the only acceptable adult colour; black is disqualifying after 18 months. Males stand 46-49 cm at the withers, females 44-48 cm.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kerry Blue Terrier's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the Kerry Blue Terrier in the Terrier Group. The Terrier Group gathers breeds developed to hunt and dispatch vermin or to go to ground after fox and badger; the name derives from the Latin terra ('earth'). The breed's foundation working role was as a Kerry-County multi-purpose Irish farm-terrier — Sinn Féin's symbol of an Irish national dog.
When was the Kerry Blue Terrier officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1922; the United Kennel Club followed in 1948; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 3) in 1954.
What is the average lifespan of a Kerry Blue Terrier?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the Kerry Blue Terrier's average lifespan in the 12-15 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
