i have a boy kerry and he is perfect. i dont like girl dogs as much because they seem to be bitchy im not sure about kerrys with thst though. and my kerry loves my cat herman.but not birds he ate my bird
@djsshows I kinda agree. I have both a boy and girl kerry. The boy is more fun loving and cuddly. The girl is non stop cuddly, but VERY lazy. Also she's super possessive- if my boy come anywhere near her she'll start growling (which she still does regardless of how many times I yell/ bop her nose)-- shes just... well... bitchy to my poor boy lol.
All our Kerries have been female and they have all grown to love their cats. Although willfull, they are super trainable and amazingly smart. If you can give them a job, like fetching the newspaper from the bottom of the driveway, or keeping the squirrels off the bird feeders, they are much happier. They love to feel important and useful. Our last two Kerries have been the kind of dog that everyone who visits thinks they have a special relationship with.
Females are easier to deal with than the males & for anyone starting off it would be better to consider getting a female. I would say that is true of most dog breeds, not just Kerry Blues.
Male Kerries are great, they are very lovable and trainable, but like any terrier they are bred to think independently of a handler & therefore are clever & easy to train but may ignore commands if instinct takes over.
I have had German Shepherds since I was 2 years old, I would say my male Kerry is actually smarter than most of the German Shepherds I have owned. I taught him to speak on command with only three repetitions. He is nowhere near as obedient as a German Shepherd; he will on occasion decide to do what he wants even though he knows what I want him to do.
With Kerries it is important to be a leader before a lover; you have to take control of your dog. Cesar Millan says exercise, then discipline & then affection.
With a Kerry exercise should be several miles walking, running or biking a day (after the age of two & vet saying it is ok) really helps to calm the dog down. Some kind of regular obedience training is important, more important is a regular wlak in a really busy place to get the dog used to everything.
Love is also very important, if you can supply the exercise, love & discipline they need male Kerries can be great dogs, I would say they are one of the best house dogs you can buy, but they need a lot of exercise (mental & physical) to be happy.
Kerries are not a big dog as the only weigh about 40lbs and would be easily hurt by some of the larger more aggressive breeds out there like Rottweilers, Akitas & Mastiff breeds. So keep your dog on leash and under control is important for your dogs own safety.
It is important if you intend to buy a male Kerry that you realize you will probably have to keep it on a leash in public places. You should not try to keep two intact male Kerries in one house.
One more thing I would say is that male Kerries are very different to the females in personality; most male Kerries are not fond of other dominant male dogs no matter how much socialization is done. Our dog will happily run about with his male Poodle friends, but is not good with other dominant male dogs.
Some more information: they tend to be good with children, and will act as their guard. They are very smart dogs, a little too smart sometimes. If socialized early, they can do well with other dogs. And very loving dogs.
i have a boy kerry and he is perfect. i dont like girl dogs as much because they seem to be bitchy im not sure about kerrys with thst though. and my kerry loves my cat herman.but not birds he ate my bird
djsshows 2 years ago
@djsshows I kinda agree. I have both a boy and girl kerry. The boy is more fun loving and cuddly. The girl is non stop cuddly, but VERY lazy. Also she's super possessive- if my boy come anywhere near her she'll start growling (which she still does regardless of how many times I yell/ bop her nose)-- shes just... well... bitchy to my poor boy lol.
kat8kit 2 years ago
All our Kerries have been female and they have all grown to love their cats. Although willfull, they are super trainable and amazingly smart. If you can give them a job, like fetching the newspaper from the bottom of the driveway, or keeping the squirrels off the bird feeders, they are much happier. They love to feel important and useful. Our last two Kerries have been the kind of dog that everyone who visits thinks they have a special relationship with.
crowceilidh 3 years ago
Females are easier to deal with than the males & for anyone starting off it would be better to consider getting a female. I would say that is true of most dog breeds, not just Kerry Blues.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
Male Kerries are great, they are very lovable and trainable, but like any terrier they are bred to think independently of a handler & therefore are clever & easy to train but may ignore commands if instinct takes over.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
I have had German Shepherds since I was 2 years old, I would say my male Kerry is actually smarter than most of the German Shepherds I have owned. I taught him to speak on command with only three repetitions. He is nowhere near as obedient as a German Shepherd; he will on occasion decide to do what he wants even though he knows what I want him to do.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
With Kerries it is important to be a leader before a lover; you have to take control of your dog. Cesar Millan says exercise, then discipline & then affection.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
With a Kerry exercise should be several miles walking, running or biking a day (after the age of two & vet saying it is ok) really helps to calm the dog down. Some kind of regular obedience training is important, more important is a regular wlak in a really busy place to get the dog used to everything.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
Love is also very important, if you can supply the exercise, love & discipline they need male Kerries can be great dogs, I would say they are one of the best house dogs you can buy, but they need a lot of exercise (mental & physical) to be happy.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
Kerries are not a big dog as the only weigh about 40lbs and would be easily hurt by some of the larger more aggressive breeds out there like Rottweilers, Akitas & Mastiff breeds. So keep your dog on leash and under control is important for your dogs own safety.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
It is important if you intend to buy a male Kerry that you realize you will probably have to keep it on a leash in public places. You should not try to keep two intact male Kerries in one house.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
One more thing I would say is that male Kerries are very different to the females in personality; most male Kerries are not fond of other dominant male dogs no matter how much socialization is done. Our dog will happily run about with his male Poodle friends, but is not good with other dominant male dogs.
Lawrance12 3 years ago
Some more information: they tend to be good with children, and will act as their guard. They are very smart dogs, a little too smart sometimes. If socialized early, they can do well with other dogs. And very loving dogs.
jspepper 3 years ago