To Judge an Irish

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, September 2013 issue.

To Judge an Irish

How overwhelming is it to walk into a breed ring with 20 handsome Irish Terriers and decide on a winning line-up? What parameters do you use in your decision-making process? Yes, the Breed Standard is there for us to interpret, but to judge an Irish Terrier, you need to have a “feel” for the breed.

This means owning a terrier or two in order to better understand them. This statement is essentially true for all breeds, but terriers do stand out from the other groups. Temperament is paramount, especially for the Irish, along with structure, movement, coat, overall appearance, and expression. Thankfully, there are a few different approaches in judging an Irish Terrier line-up that can help you decide. Most are methods of conducting and controlling the Irish Terriers and their handlers in your ring.

If you have not owned an Irish Terrier or any other terrier breed, what do you base your decisions on in the ring to see temperament? According to the Irish Terrier Club of America (ITCA), “it is of the utmost importance that the Irish Terrier show fire and animation.” Temperament is referred to more often than any other feature of the breed.

What do you do to see this incredible “temperament”? First is the way the Irish Terriers are lined up in the ring. It is not necessary for them to be exactly head-to-tail in a perfectly straight line. Most Irish Terriers like to look at each other and prefer not to be overly handled. This allows you to see them acting naturally, not as push-button dogs. Irish Terriers should be able to watch the other dogs or bitches in the ring and face the direction they prefer. This way, you can observe the real dog.

Another method of assessing temperament is sparring. Sparring allows you to separate any number of dogs or bitches from the line-up and bring them closer together. This can help you make easier eliminations and final decisions. Sometimes, it is during these moments that a dog might “pull themselves together” and make a big impression.

Start with the dogs, then the bitches. If there is a larger number of Irish Terriers, you can mix the two sexes. Direct the handlers where you want them to stand, allowing yourself room to walk around the sparring dogs. Clearly instruct the handlers not to get too close, as “running up” happens frequently.

“Running up” is both dangerous and distracting, especially if there is a novice handler in the ring who might be unsure of how to control their Irish Terrier if another dog gets too close. Allow the dogs time to look at each other. It might take a few moments, but the effort is worth it. The dogs should maintain control—no fighting. Handlers should not string up their dogs, either.

Outbursts can occur, but growling and lip-curling are acceptable.

In evaluating an Irish Terrier line-up, it is often easiest to eliminate the obvious. Most essential is the overall appearance, which should be “all-of-a-piece,” presenting a balanced, vital picture of symmetry, proportion, and harmony. Furthermore, the dog must convey character.

This terrier should be active, lithe, and wiry in movement, with great animation. The breed should be sturdy and strong in substance and bone structure, but at the same time, free from clumsiness to allow for speed, power, and endurance. According to the ITCA, “the Irish Terrier must be neither ‘cobby nor cloddy’ but should be built on lines of speed, with a graceful racing outline.”

Any obvious undesirable structural formations should be easily identifiable. These can include a low tail set, uneven topline, low joining of the neck into the shoulder, improper layback at the muscle convergence, low ear position, short back, or lacking angulation. All these faults are evident when assessing the overall appearance of the Irish Terrier.

The head of an Irish Terrier is particularly important. In the days of the point system (no longer in use), the standard granted the Irish Terrier’s head 20 points, the most of any other part of the dog. The head should be long but balanced, without fullness in the cheeks or bumpiness over the eyes.

The ears of the Irish Terrier are set high, and the tips fall to the outside corner of the eye. The teeth are not overshot or undershot, and the eyes should be dark brown. The beard should present a finish to the foreface, and a goat-like beard is undesirable.

This describes the construction of the head, but the important part is the expression. When the Irish Terrier is looking at a person, food, or a toy, he appears happy with a kind expression. In the show ring, he will pull himself up, showing a characteristic of a true Irish, with all the “devil-may-care” attitude and expression that is so necessary and desirable in this breed.

The body of the Irish Terrier differs from most other terriers. They are not short-backed like a Wire Fox Terrier but have length and a distinct tuck-up at the loin. The neck is of fair length, gracefully arched, and blends into the shoulders. The shoulders should be laid back, sloping into the back. The chest should be deep, but not wide or well-sprung, and curve upward from the lowest point of the tuck-up. The chest should not be lower than the elbows.

The back must be strong and straight, free from an appearance of slackness or a “dip” behind the shoulders. The loin should be strong and muscular, arching slightly as it curves over the thighs, not the back or topline of the dog. This muscular curve gives strength to the longer back. The croup should be straight and short, giving the tail an upward set, with plenty of rear extending beyond the tail (known as the back porch). The thighs are strong and muscular, with hocks near the ground and a moderate bend of stifle.

Feet should be moderately small, with toes arched and turned, neither out nor in. The legs should be straight and moderately long, moving forward in a straight line. The stifles should not turn outward. “Cowhocks” are intolerable.

The coat should be dense and wiry in texture, with a broken appearance. At the base of the stiff outer coat, there should be soft hair that is lighter in color. Almost all colors are acceptable, but many dogs are colored unnaturally for the ring. The Irish Terrier coat is banded and not a singular color. On hair-convergent lines, like the neck and rear, there should be variations in color, usually lighter in these areas. A patch of white on the chest is permissible.

The furnishings should be dense and wiry, without being so full as to hide the shape of the legs. There should not be excess hair anywhere on this breed. If you see an area of an Irish Terrier with more or longer hair, examine the structure closely, as this can be a deceptive grooming practice.

The size of the Irish Terrier has been a constant controversy. The standard says about 18 inches in height and 25 to 27 lbs. in weight, but now many Irish Terriers are far larger. Wickets are no longer in use either, so it is a personal choice to include the element of desired size.

By using these methods, it should assist you in recognizing the important elements of the Irish Terrier. Judges are the true gatekeepers of the dog society. Judges issue their evaluations of dogs based on the order of awards given in the ring. It is a public statement of their opinion of the dogs they are judging that day.

This is why breeders show their dogs — to get opinions for their value in breeding purposes. So, spend some time with a terrier or two and get to know the real personality of the different breeds. I hope some of that time can be spent with an Irish Terrier.