.jpg){kind=logo}
Skye Terrier
About the Breed
Origins & History
Named after the Isle of Skye off the north west coast of Scotland the Skye Terrier is one of the oldest native breeds that boasts having Scottish origins. It is thought the breed can trace its ancestry back to the 14th Century. Throughout the centuries people needed terriers to control vermin and to chase down game. It is thought that many local Scottish terriers are descendants of dogs that survived a shipwreck during the time of the Spanish Armada in 1588 which are thought to have been Maltese. These dogs mated with local terriers and the result were dogs with long silky coats. It is known that Lady MacDonald of Armadale Castle owned “terrier” type dogs.
However although the story of shipwrecked dogs being crossed with local terriers is a nice one and that many Spanish ships were forced to sail north around the coast of Scotland to get away from the English ships many people believe it is just a legend and that the castle located at Armadale was not built until much later in time. With this said terrier type dogs existed on the Isle of Skye before 1588 which means they were around much earlier in time to when the Picts from Ireland invaded the Western Highlands before the Vikings arrived.It is thought that many breeds were involved when it came to influencing Skye Terriers we see today and this includes dogs bought over by the Vikings which included the Drever and the Swedish Vallhund but the actual origins of the breed remain a bit of a mystery.
Skye Terriers were bred to hunt vermin and to go "to ground" in the pursuit of their quarry a job these little dogs proved to excel at. The dogs seen today have not changed that much from the dogs of days long past when the breed was known as the Clydesdale Terrier the Fancy Skye Terrier the Silky Skye Terrier the Glasgow Terrier and the Paisley Terrier. Queen Victoria was a big fan of the breed having bred them for many years in her kennel. This saw these charming dogs becoming a popular choice throughout her reign.The breed was finally recognised by The Kennel Club in 1993 but their numbers have remained low which has seen the Skye Terrier being placed on The Kennel Club's list of vulnerable native breeds.
Skye Terriers were bred to hunt vermin and to go "to ground" in the pursuit of their quarry a job these little dogs proved to excel at. The dogs seen today have not changed that much from the dogs of days long past when the breed was known as the Clydesdale Terrier the Fancy Skye Terrier the Silky Skye Terrier the Glasgow Terrier and the Paisley Terrier. Queen Victoria was a big fan of the breed having bred them for many years in her kennel. This saw these charming dogs becoming a popular choice throughout her reign.The breed was finally recognised by The Kennel Club in 1993 but their numbers have remained low which has seen the Skye Terrier being placed on The Kennel Club's list of vulnerable native breeds.
Throughout history their have been some famous people owning Skyes and indeed a much loved Skye in his own right, this of course was Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby lived in Edinburgh from 1855 – 1872. He belonged to John Gray who was a night watchman serving with the police. John would patrol the streets at night with Bobby alongside him, ensuring that all was well. In 1858 John Gray died of tuberculosis and was buried in Greyfriars Kirk. Bobby could not bear to be parted from his master and in spite of the best efforts of those trying to care for him, he would escape and run to the Kirkyard where he would lie on John’s grave. He was removed from the Kirk many times as dogs were not allowed, but each time he would find a way to return and did so for 14 years, a remarkable showing of love and loyalty. In 1867 there was a bylaw passed in Edinburgh stating that all dogs should be licensed, Bobby did not have an owner and could have been put down as a stray, fortunately he was well known and loved in the city and the then Lord Provost Sir William Chambers presented Bobby with a collar that said “Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed”.
Appearance
They possess a long and powerful head with a strong muzzle, intelligent and lively eyes and ears that are heavily feathered. Their tail, also feathered, is long and straight, and their paws are large with thick pads and strong nails.This elegant but sturdy aristocrat was bred as an exterminator on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye. Long, low, and level, this unique earth dog is among the most distinctive looking breeds. Skyes stand 9-10 inches high and feature a long, flat lying coat and peekaboo hairdo.
Temperament
Skye Terriers are renowned for being tenacious tough with a passion for digging and barking. Although very affectionate towards everyone in a household when kept as a family pet they form very strong bonds with one person and are very much a "one man one dog" characters.
They are charismatic little dogs and they love nothing more than to be involved in everything that goes on around however, it is really important for these dogs are well socialised from a young age so they grow up to be confident outgoing mature dogs. Their socialisation has to include introducing them to lots of new situations noises people other animals and dogs once they have been fully vaccinated. It's also crucial for their training to start early too and it has to be consistent throughout a dog's life. A Skye is never happier than when they know their place in the pack and who they can look to for direction and guidance.
Skye Terriers are a great choice for first time dog owners providing they have the time to dedicated to such an intelligent energetic terrier that is known to be so people-oriented loving nothing more than to please and to entertain their families. They are particularly good with young children and older people too although playtime can get a bit boisterous at times.
Being terriers Skye Terriers have a high prey drive and will happily chase anything that tries to run away from them or that they spot in the distance. As such care should always be taken as to where and when a dog can run off the lead more especially if there is wildlife or livestock close by.
Skye Terriers are fun-loving and comical when the mood takes them and being so receptive to an owners’ moods they instinctively know when a person needs cheering up. They love playing games which includes things like tug of war and “fetch the toy”.Skye Terriers are very adaptable and providing they are given enough mental stimulation and daily exercise they are just as happy living in town as they would be living in a house in the country.Skye Terriers form strong ties with their families, they love swimming and will take to the water whenever they can. Because Skye Terriers are always on the alert they are known to be good watchdogs. They are naturally wary of strangers by nature means they are quick to bark when strangers are around. With this said rarely would a Skye show any sort of aggressive behaviour preferring to keep their distance
They are charismatic little dogs and they love nothing more than to be involved in everything that goes on around however, it is really important for these dogs are well socialised from a young age so they grow up to be confident outgoing mature dogs. Their socialisation has to include introducing them to lots of new situations noises people other animals and dogs once they have been fully vaccinated. It's also crucial for their training to start early too and it has to be consistent throughout a dog's life. A Skye is never happier than when they know their place in the pack and who they can look to for direction and guidance.
Skye Terriers are a great choice for first time dog owners providing they have the time to dedicated to such an intelligent energetic terrier that is known to be so people-oriented loving nothing more than to please and to entertain their families. They are particularly good with young children and older people too although playtime can get a bit boisterous at times.
Being terriers Skye Terriers have a high prey drive and will happily chase anything that tries to run away from them or that they spot in the distance. As such care should always be taken as to where and when a dog can run off the lead more especially if there is wildlife or livestock close by.
Skye Terriers are fun-loving and comical when the mood takes them and being so receptive to an owners’ moods they instinctively know when a person needs cheering up. They love playing games which includes things like tug of war and “fetch the toy”.Skye Terriers are very adaptable and providing they are given enough mental stimulation and daily exercise they are just as happy living in town as they would be living in a house in the country.Skye Terriers form strong ties with their families, they love swimming and will take to the water whenever they can. Because Skye Terriers are always on the alert they are known to be good watchdogs. They are naturally wary of strangers by nature means they are quick to bark when strangers are around. With this said rarely would a Skye show any sort of aggressive behaviour preferring to keep their distance
Intelligence / Trainability
The Skye Terrier is a very smart dog and a quick learner. The downside to this is they are just as quick to pick up bad habits as they are the good. Their training has to begin early and it has to be consistent and always fair throughout a dog's life so they understand what owners expect of them. Skye Terriers are never happier than when they are given something to do which is why they are so amenable to learning new things. The key to successfully training a Skye Terrier is to make their training as interesting as possible and to avoid too much repetition. It's also a good idea to keep training sessions short which helps dogs stay more focussed on what it’s being asked of them bearing in mind that the more intelligent a dog is the faster they get bored. It's also important to show dogs a lot of patience bearing in mind that Skye Terriers do boast a bit of a stubborn streak in them much like many other terrier breeds. They do not answer well to harsh correction or any sort of heavy handed training methods but they do respond extremely well to positive reinforcement which always brings the best out of these intelligent dogs.
Grooming
The Skye Terrier boasts having a long and silky coat as such they are high maintenance on the grooming front. Their coats need to be brushed every day to prevent any knots and tangles from forming. Particular attention has to be paid to their muzzles especially after they've eaten because food often gets stuck in the longer hair around their mouths which if left dirty could provide the perfect environment for a fungal infection to take hold.They shed steadily throughout the year only more so during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequent grooming is usually necessary to stay on top of things and to remove dead and shed hair from a dog's coat. It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary.
Exercise
The Skye Terrier is an energetic intelligent dog and as such they need to be given the right amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation for them to be truly happy well-rounded dogs. They need a minimum of 1 hour a day with as much off the lead time as possible but only in a safe environment. If they are not given the right amount of mental stimulation and exercise every day a Skye Terrier would quickly get bored and could even begin to show some destructive behaviours around the home which is their way of relieving any stress they are feeling and not necessarily because they are being naughty. With this said Skye Terrier puppies should not be over exercised because their joints and bones are still growing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing serious problems later in their lives.
Health of the Skye Terrier
The Skye terrier is a generally robust and healthy breed, but dogs, like humans, do inevitably sometimes suffer from ill health. The Skye Terrier Health Committee (STHC) monitors the wellbeing of the breed by collecting and storing information on any diagnosed cases of disease that occur throughout the full life of Skye Terriers in the UK. This is the only way to try and ensure the future health of our wonderful breed. It is therefore very important that owners report any health issues to our data collection. All given information is treated in strictest confidence.Conditions currently being monitored by the Skye Terrier Health Committee are:
Puppy limpRenal DysplasiaHepatitis
Occurrences of Cancer (in association with the Skye Terrier Club of Finland and the Skye Terrier Club of America)There is information on each of these conditions, along with the Renal Dysplasia Breed Health Initiative below, and further advice can always be sought from the Health Committee.The Skye Terrier Health Committee also oversee the Skye Terrier Health Research Fund.
Breed average coi is 6.6%
Breed average coi is 6.6%