Breed standardKerry Blue Terrier
| General Appearance |
Upstanding, well knit and proportioned, well developed and muscular body. |
| Characteristics |
Compact, powerful Terrier, showing gracefulness and an attitude of alert determination, with definite Terrier style and character throughout. |
| Temperament |
Disciplined gameness. |
| Head and Skull |
Well balanced, long, proportionally lean, with slight stop and flat over the skull. Foreface and jaw very strong, deep and punishing; nose black; nostrils of due proportion. |
| Eyes |
Dark as possible. Small to medium with keen Terrier expression. |
| Ears |
Small to medium and V-shaped; carried forward but not too high. |
| Mouth |
Gums and roof of mouth dark with perfect, regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. |
| Neck |
Strong and reachy, running into sloping shoulders. |
| Forequarters |
Shoulders flat as possible with elbows carried close to body while standing or moving. Legs straight, bone powerful. Front straight, neither too wide nor too narrow. |
| Body |
Short-coupled with good depth of brisket and and well sprung ribs. Deep chest. Topline level. |
| Hindquarters |
Large and well developed, stifle bent and hocks close to ground giving perfect freedom of hind action. |
| Feet |
Round and small. Nails black. |
| Tail |
Previously customarily docked. Docked: Set on high and carried erect. Undocked: Set on high of moderate length to give an overall balanced appearance. Thick at the base and evenly tapering to tip, straight as possible and carried jauntily. An excessively gay or curled tail undesirable. |
| Gait/Movement |
Free and powerful. Fore- and hindlegs moving straight and parallel, stifles turning neither in nor out. |
| Coat |
Soft and silky, plentiful and wavy. |
| Colour |
Any shade of blue with or without black points. Tan permissible in puppies, also a dark colour up to the age of 18 months. A small white patch on chest should not be penalised. |
| Size |
Ideal height: dogs: 46-48 cms (18-19 ins) at shoulder; bitches slightly less. The most desirable weight for a fully developed dog is 15-17 kgs (33-37 lbs), and bitches should weigh proportionately less, but 16 kgs kgs (35 lbs) is the most desirable weight to aim for. |
| Faults |
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. |
| Notes | Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. |
