The Kerry Blue Terriers are known for their confident and outgoing personalities. However, they are very stubborn, which makes them fairly difficult to train and probably not the best breed for first-time owners. They need to be in a family who have experience dealing with similar breeds and need to know their place in the pack in order to stop them from becoming the alpha male. They also need lots of socialisation and training from a very young age, in order to make sure they become well-rounded and happy dogs. But for the right family, they make lovely pets!

It's thought that the Kerry Blue Terrier first appeared in the late 1800s as fighting dogs but their origin is essentially unknown. Some people believe that Bedlington Terriers and the Irish Wolfhound may have been involved in their creation, and maybe even Irish and Soft Wheaten Terriers too. There is also a theory that these dogs were taken over to Ireland during the Spanish Armada when their ships, which were badly damaged, washed up on Irish coasts. The legend says that these dogs were the only on-board survivors and killed all other native dogs that came across their path. However, it is more likely that they are a descendant of the Gadher, used for sheep herding in ancient times. By the 1900's they had become very popular, participating at prestigious dog shows, including Crufts!