Irish Terriers

[MyKingdomForAName]

We're considering getting a dog in the future. Me and my DS6 can't seem to agree on the breed... He's decided he definitely wants an Irish Terrier after we read that they like children, are playful, love digging (he does too!). After doing some more reading, it seems they can sometimes be aggressive towards other dogs, so I'm now wondering whether they're a good dog for us to have as we live on the edge of a city so lots of dogs about at the parks/country walks that we can easily get to. Also, it seems they're quite difficult to find in the first place, so we could be waiting a long time for one? Can anyone share any Irish Terrier experiences?

Any thoughts on other breeds? I like whippets but my son's vetoes those. I was thinking Lab, but am worried about the various health concerns. I also like Beagles, but worried about the barking. I worry that I'm over thinking it all because there will be no perfect dog that ticks every box, will there?!

We could manage an hour's walk minimum on a weekday, more at the weekends. My son needs exercising just like a dog does, so daily trips to the park are do-able. But my son's pretty high energy himself, so I think high-energy dogs may be a bit too much inside the house...

We have just gotten a new Lurcher puppy.
Dpuppy friends needed!!
Socialise your new ddog whatever you get op!!
Looking for meet ups more than training as quite happy to do that myself.
Training is expensive from what I have found op. Figure that into costs !

Massive fan of lurchers here! My boy has been off lead since he was 10 weeks old and his prey drive is low with the exception of squirrels which always do the heads of lurchers in. That said, he's never going to catch one.

They're sweet natured, fun and not generally very barky as they were originally bred to be poacher's dogs and it wouldn't have been hugely helpful to have a dog that announced your intentions! They don't need vast amounts of exercise and they tend to alternate between 'on' and 'off' as they love their beds. They can be melodramatic and certainly I've never had a dog so accident prone but for all this, I find them irresistible. Lurchers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes too. It just depends on the individual breed crossing. My boy is a Bedlington/Whippet with deerhound and probably collie in him too.

Why not an Airedale, a bigger dog is often less aggressive. We one one who with some training is excellent with recall.
Soft Wheaten Terriers are often recommended to families with children.

Worth thinking about things like grooming too. Would you want a dog you could run a brush over or could you deal with a dog that needed regular sessions at the groomers?
The KC has a breed selector quiz online. It’s not the only one but worth a try?

Enid your Tatty Lurcher is amazing!!
Here is our dpuppy at 13 weeks...
Df is saluki and dm is wolfhound /deerhound cross.

Generally speaking i think its a terrier trait in general. Although i know before someone points it out its not one rule for all terriers. Id suggest going to discovery dogs at crufts next month. It has every breed and gives you a chance to speak to people that own the breeds and are passionate plus see every shape and size x

We've got Welsh terrier, quite similar to Irish terrier. Massive small prey drive. Wouldn't have chickens together with a terrier. Also wouldn't recommend a terrier for a first time dog owner. They're fab but harder to train.

I have two irish terriers bitches. They are absolutely NOT aggressive to anyone and never to other dogs. They also have great recall, are always wakes off lead and do exactly what I tell them. They are fantastic dogs and they adore children.
That being said I take them training every week and and train them every day. I always have treats in my pockets and I reinforce behaviour all the time.
Unless you are prepared to work them daily I wouldn’t recommend irish terriers, they are worth the effort but they will find their own amusement if they are left without something to do.