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Skye Terrier

Skye Terrier

“The heavenly breed with the heart of a lion,” the long, low, and level Skye Terrier is among the AKC’s most distinctive-looking breeds. This elegant but sturdy aristocrat was bred as an exterminator on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye.

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Breed Traits

Size

Grooming

Energy

Trainability

Disposition

Pet traits are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

Group

Terrier

About

Long, low, and level, this unique earthdog is among the AKC’s most distinctive-looking breeds. Skyes stand 9 or 10 inches high and feature a long, flat-lying coat and peekaboo hairdo. They’re known for big, feathery ears that stand up like bat wings, but Skyes can also have “drop ears,” which lie flat against the large, long head. Beneath the profuse coat are short, muscular legs and a deep chest. When seen in profile, these elegant but substantial terriers are twice as long as they are high.

History

Skye is the largest, most northerly of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides islands. In the 1600s the rugged, hard-coated terrier bred by the island’s farmers to control the fox and badger population became a favorite of British nobles, an unusual development for a working farm dog. The peak of Skye popularity came in the late 19th century, when Queen Victoria championed the breed. These were the days, a historian wrote, when “a duchess would almost be ashamed to be seen in the park unaccompanied by her long-coated Skye.”

Standard

The Skye Terrier is a dog of style, elegance and dignity: agile and strong with sturdy bone and hard muscle. Long, low and level-he is twice as long as he is high-he is covered with a profuse coat that falls straight down either side of the body over oval-shaped ribs. The hair well feathered on the head veils forehead and eyes to serve as protection from brush and briar as well as amid serious encounters with other animals. He stands with head high and long tail hanging and moves with a seemingly effortless gait. He is strong in body, quarter and jaw.

Nutrition

The Skye Terrier should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Grooming

The Skye’s long, luxurious double coat appears more challenging to maintain than it actually is. It does require weekly brushing and combing with a soft or pin brush and a long-toothed comb to keep it free of tangles, but the breed requires no trimming in the form of clippering or scissoring, and the coat should be kept in a natural condition. Nails should be kept trimmed short; usually a trim every couple of weeks to a month is sufficient. Ears should be checked at least weekly and cleaned of any excess wax or debris to avoid ear infections. Baths can be given as needed—usually once a month will be enough. Do not scrub the coat during shampooing, as that can cause it to mat.

Exercise

The Skye Terrier has minimal exercise needs and will usually be content with whatever level of activity is comfortable for his owner. Even a short daily outing will benefit him both physically and mentally. Skyes enjoy play sessions and participating in canine sports with their people, and the breed can be found competing in dog shows and agility, obedience, and earthdog events.

Training

The Skye is a very intelligent but strong-willed breed, calmer than many of the terrier breeds. They are amenable to training, provided it is consistent and done in a positive manner. They are sensitive to correction and will withdraw from harsh or negative training methods. Like all terriers, they can be stubborn, but they enjoy interaction with their humans and are eager to please. The Skye is reserved by nature and should be well socialized from a very young age to ensure a happy and outgoing personality. For those who understand the breed’s temperament and raise the dog with love and proper training and socialization, there is no more delightful companion.

Health

Because of their long and low structure, Skye Terriers can experience disk injuries, and Skye puppies should never be allowed to go up and down stairs excessively or jump onto hard surfaces from any height. Owners should closely monitor their Skyes for any potential signs of cancer, such as mammary cancer and hemangiosarcoma. Other conditions that responsible breeders screen for include autoimmune disease, skin allergies, hip dysplasia, and luxating patellas.

General Appearance

Size, Proportion, Substance

Size - The ideal shoulder height for dogs is 10 inches and bitches 9½ inches. Based on these heights a 10 inch dog measured from chest bone over tail at rump should be 20 inches. A slightly higher or lower dog of either sex is acceptable. Dogs 9 inches or less and bitches 8½ inches or less at the withers are to be penalized. Proportion - The ideal ratio of body length to shoulder height is 2 to 1, which is considered the correct proportion. Substance - Solidly built, full of strength and quality without being coarse. Bone is substantial.

Head

Long and powerful, strength being deemed more important than extreme length. Eyes brown, preferably dark brown, medium in size, close-set and alight with life and intelligence. Ears symmetrical and gracefully feathered. They may be carried prick or drop. If prick, they are medium in size, placed high on the skull, erect at their outer edges, and slightly wider apart at the peak than at the skull. Drop ears, somewhat larger in size and set lower, hang flat against the skull. Moderate width at the back of the skull tapers gradually to a strong muzzle. The stop is slight. The dark muzzle is just moderately full as opposed to snipy. Powerful and absolutely true jaws. The nose is always black. A Dudley, flesh-colored or brown nose shall disqualify. Mouth with the incisor teeth closing level, or with upper teeth slightly overlapping the lower.

Neck, Topline, Body

Neck - Long and gracefully arched, carried high and proudly. The backline is level. Body pre-eminently long and low, the chest deep, with oval-shaped ribs. The sides appear flattish due to the straight falling and profuse coat. Tail long and well feathered. When hanging, its upper section is pendulous, following the line of the rump, its lower section thrown back in a moderate arc without twist or curl. When raised, its height makes it appear a prolongation of the backline. Though not to be preferred, the tail is sometimes carried high when the dog is excited or angry. When such carriage arises from emotion only, it is permissible. But the tail should not be constantly carried above the level of the back or hang limp.

Forequarters

Shoulders well laid back, with tight placement of shoulder blades at the withers and elbows should fit closely to the sides and be neither loose nor tied. Forearm should curve slightly around the chest. Legs short, muscular and straight as possible. "Straight as possible" means straight as soundness and chest will permit, it does not mean "Terrier straight." Feet - Large hare-feet preferably pointing forward, the pads thick and nails strong and preferably black.

Hindquarters

Strong, full, well developed and well angulated. Legs short, muscular and straight when viewed from behind. Feet as in front.

Coat

Double. Undercoat short, close, soft and woolly. Outer coat hard, straight and flat. 5½ inches long without extra credit granted for greater length. The body coat hangs straight down each side, parting from head to tail. The head hair, which may be shorter, veils forehead and eyes and forms a moderate beard and apron. The long feathering on the ears falls straight down from the tips and outer edges, surrounding the ears like a fringe and outlining their shape. The ends of the hair should mingle with the coat of the neck. Tail well feathered.

Color

The coat must be of one over-all color at the skin but may be of varying shades of the same color in the full coat, which may be black, blue, dark or light grey, silver platinum, fawn or cream. The dog must have no distinctive markings except for the desirable black points of ears, muzzle and tip of tail, all of which points are preferably dark even to black. The shade of head and legs should approximate that of the body. There must be no trace of pattern, design or clearcut color variations, with the exception of the breed's only permissible white which occasionally exists on the chest not exceeding 2 inches in diameter. The puppy coat may be very different in color from the adult coat. Therefore, as it is growing and clearing, wide variations of color may occur; consequently, this is permissible in dogs under 18 months of age. However, even in puppies there must be no trace of pattern, design, or clearcut variations with the exception of the black band encircling the body coat of the cream colored dog, and the only permissible white which, as in the adult dog, occasionally exists on the chest not exceeding 2 inches in diameter.

Gait

The legs proceed straight forward when traveling. When approaching, the forelegs form a continuation of the straight line of the front. The feet being the same distance apart as the elbows. The principal propelling power is furnished by the back legs which travel straight forward. Forelegs should move well forward, without too much lift. The whole movement may be termed free, active and effortless and give a more or less fluid picture.