Description: The Irish Terrier is a medium-sized breed, that is slightly longer than it is tall. This breed has a long head,that is flat between the ears. In show dogs, the ears are glued, using a special glue, to the top of their heads. This forms the correct shape, as the cartilage fills in. This will give us the V shape folded forward in the direction of the outer corner of the eyes.

The Irish Terrier teeth meet in a scissor or level bite. This breed has a black nose, and has long whiskers with a bearded muzzle. The stock has small eyes that are dark in colour, with bushy eyebrows which are a feature of the breed. It has muscular, strong straight front legs. In countries that permit docking, the tale is docked to about a quarter.

The Irish Terrier have a thick wiry coat that is close to the body. This comes in solid colours; golden red, bright red, red Wheaton, all Wheaton, a small patch of white is permitted on the chest. This breed has a double coat, with the undercoat being soft. The Irish terrier stands at about 18 inches in height, and weighs 25 to 27 pounds.

History: It is believed, this is one of the oldest breeds of terrier and is thought to be some 2,000 years old. It is thought the Irish Terrier has come from black and tan terrier type dogs found in Britain and Ireland, similar to the Kerry blue. This dog was bred not for genuine looks, but for its working abilities. As with all terriers this breed is a good ratter. In their history, they were a mix of colours, whereas today we see solid colour. This breed was found in County Cork, Ireland and was used for hunting. Animals they hunted include; water rats, and otter as well as rats and mice. This breed was recognized by the AKC in 1885. In the later part of the 19th century a proper selection process of this breed began, which eliminated the differences between dogs. Without which we would have seen all colour coats and different sizes within the same breed.