Irish Dog Breeds

The beautiful Emerald Isle is home to some of the most devoted and fun loving dog breeds. A little background on the most popular Irish dog breeds would lead us to an useful discussion on the Irish dog names.

Wheaten Terrier

The Wheaten Terrier is the largest of the true terrier breed of dogs. It can weigh up to 45lbs and has a soft coat. During the early days, it was used as a herding dog and is still being used so at some places. The long coat requires maintenance. However, people with allergy problems are known to tolerate this particular breed.

Kerry Blue Terrier

This breed has always been known as a watch dog and was used to control vermin. It can weigh between 33 to 40lbs. Kerry blue terrier is a very devoted dog. Its highly intelligent and loves socializing. It has a coat that is non shedding and hence people with allergies can tolerate this dog.

Kerry Beagle

This is said to be one of oldest of all the Irish dogs. It was introduced to Ireland during the early Middle Ages. Kerry Beagle is well known for its hunting skills. It comes with a great deal of energy and requires a lot of exercise. Hence, ideally you would need to provide a lot of space for it to run around. It is a friendly dog and ideal as a family pet.

Irish Wolfhounds

As the name indicates, Irish Wolfhounds are well known for wolf hunting. But these days they are very gentle dogs although their size can be quite frightening. These dogs have a massive size weighing around 90 to 100 lbs. This breed is the tallest of all dogs and can grow to the size of small pony. They are rightly nicknamed as ‘gentle giants’. They require daily walk. Massive size means they require lot of open space and hence are not ideally suited for apartments.

Irish water spaniel

This breed was introduced in the 1800′s. It was found to be good at retrieving water fowl. The weather in North Ireland can get quite cold and hence Irish water Spaniel requires a warm coat to keep warm when in water. It has long curly hair in between the eyes giving it a funny look and a name ‘clown of the spaniel family’. This is probably the tallest in the spaniel family. The water spaniels have webbed feet which help their swimming. This breed is smart, gentle and eager to please its owner. People with allergy can tolerate this dog.

Irish Terrier

This is the oldest of the terrier breeds and the only all-red terrier. Its small built weighing about 25 to 28 lbs. Some of the dogs from this breed are real daredevils, doing things that other dogs cannot even try. However, Irish Terrier is good tempered and spirited. It loves companionship and thrives on it. It can be aggressive towards other breeds and it is not advisable for homes which have non-canine pets.

Irish Setter

Irish Setters are admired for their flowing mahogany coats. They have a silky coat with feathering at legs, ears, chest and tail. Dogs from this breed are cheerful, carefree and outgoing. They always want to be part of the family activities and remain sensitive to the happenings in the family.

Glen of Imaal

Glen of Imaal is a valley in the Wicklow mountains. The dog breed is named after this region. These dogs have a body that is proportionately longer than their height. They are full of energy and can often be found running in circles or dashing from one place to another with sudden bursts of energy. They have a double coat which requires regular brushing. But they don’t shed hair.

Irish red and white setter

This is the smallest of the setter family of dogs and share few qualities of the spaniel breed of dogs. They do require a lot of exercise and can be good family dog.

Irish Dog Names

The breeds listed above are the most popular of the Irish dog breeds. If you are owning a dog from the Irish breeds or are planning to get one, you should be excited to name your dog with an Irish name. Show off your Irish pride by naming your new possession with a name from the list of Irish dog names.