News

On this page we present current information about our kennel and interesting facts about the Kerry Blue Terrier. 

November 2025 article:

Europe's largest dog registry, “Tasso.”

In 1982, a group of dedicated individuals founded the “Tasso” registry database. The aim is to identify lost or stolen animals using their tattoo number or, nowadays, their transponder number, and to locate the owners via the database. To date, 11.5 million animals have been registered on Tasso by their owners and can therefore be reported as lost, stolen, or found via the 24-hour emergency hotline throughout Europe! Tasso is financed solely by donations. Breeders have the option of registering all their puppies there after they have received a chip from the vet before handing them over. Buyers can then easily apply for a change of ownership online. Why is this unique database so important? When your Kerry receives a chip, the transponder number is entered in the international vaccination certificate as proof of identity, but a lost or stolen dog cannot be traced back to its owner, as only the vet who implanted the transponder knows who the owner is. This is where the Tasso database comes in. If a lost dog is found, a veterinarian or animal shelter can use a reader to retrieve the transponder number from Tasso and, if the dog is registered there, quickly locate the owner. As we consider this work to be important, we support “Tasso” with occasional small donations. Every year, Tasso reunites hundreds of dogs with their owners. If you would like to protect your dog, you can do so immediately online at www.tasso.net. 

Article April 2025:

Importance of the ancestor loss coefficient AV and the inbreeding coefficient IV in dog breeding?

The ancestor loss (AV) in dog breeding is a measure of the degree of inbreeding. Ancestor loss is defined as two or more occurrences of one and the same ancestor within an ancestral line. For example, a dog has only 61 ancestors instead of 62 within the first five generations and if one ancestor is duplicated. If six ancestors occur twice, the dog has only 56 instead of 62 ancestors.

Calculation

The AV is calculated as the quotient of the number of actual ancestors and the number of possible ancestors.

A low AV value indicates low inbreeding, a high AV value indicates high inbreeding.

As a rule, the AV is calculated over five generations.

Relationship between AV and the inbreeding coefficient

The AV can be considered together with the inbreeding coefficient (IC).

A high AV means a low IK, whereas a low IK does not necessarily mean a high AV.

The inbreeding coefficient (IK) indicates how closely the parents of a dog are related to each other. It is usually calculated over five generations. To summarize: the inbreeding coefficient is a value that provides information about the relationship of the parents and thus about the probability that both alleles at a gene locus descend from the same ancestor when mating. It therefore always indicates the degree of inbreeding of an individual.

How is the IK calculated?

The IK is calculated for ancestors who appear at least once each on the paternal and maternal side of the pedigree.

The closer the parents are related to each other, the higher the IC.

The less inbreeding there is in a dog's pedigree, the lower the IC.

What does the IK mean?

The IC expresses the probability that two genes from one gene locus are of the same origin.

The IC indicates the percentage by which the heterozygosity of a dog has decreased and the homozygosity of a dog has increased compared to the breed average.

Consequences of inbreeding

Strong and/or prolonged inbreeding is not good for pedigree dogs.

Hereditary diseases can occur more frequently in dogs.

Inbreeding can quickly become a breed problem with fatal consequences.

Article February 2025:

Best Kerry Blue Terrier of all time

Torum's Scarf Michael ( Arranshire Pioneer x Dasumianco Quietner ) was the first dog ever to win the world's biggest and most famous shows in England and the USA. Scarf Michael was born on 29.05.1996 in the worldwide known kennel “Torum's” of Ron & Carol Ramsey. The male Torum's Tunde Bayou has the same parents and is the great-great-grandfather of our “Coconut Kiss Vom Ochtendunger Land”.

BIS at the Cruft's in 2000...Best in Show at the AKC National Campionship 2002...Best in Show at the Westminster Show 2003.

Article November 2024:

Kerry Blue Terrier online database:

Three years ago I intensified my hobby of keeping and breeding Kerry Blue Terriers and started my own database. Since then I have been able to enter 4000 Kerry's with their data and for the most part also pictures. I would like to briefly explain here why I came up with this idea, how I realized it and how it will continue.

The Terrier Club, of which I am an official breeder, maintains a database of its terrier breeds. However, this database is no longer up to date. Many important details about the dogs are missing and it is not possible to add pictures. Also, only the relevant members have access. Foreign dogs are only listed there if they have been used as stud dogs. There are or were other databases on the Internet, for example from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Holland and a few more, but they also only list dogs with the stud book numbers of the countries or foreign dogs used in breeding or presented at shows. One of the largest Kerry databases as a cooperation of English and Russian breeders was taken over by an online platform and you have to pay dearly for access. The large US database of Kerry's was withdrawn from the public two years ago and only members of the AMC can access it. Other countries have no such databases at all.

Against this background, genealogical research that goes beyond a normal genealogical table is a detective game that can take several hours. So I said to myself, what if I combined the data that could be found everywhere with corresponding pictures of the Kerry's in my own database? It was not uncommon to be told that I was crazy to do such a job, which has now taken thousands of hours of work. I asked around for a suitable database and quickly found what I was looking for. Initially I started with an offline version to see whether it would work at all and whether my undoubted motivation would be sufficient to do this very laborious work. Then, some time later, I bought the online version including the homepage. So how do you start? Of course, first you record your own Kerry's and follow the ancestors as far as you can research them and then the ancestor trees branch out and automatically more and more Kerry's, more and more kennels and owners are added. My genealogical research goes back to 1910. First of all, it is important to enter the breeding dogs, because a pedigree is based on them. The offspring of these breeding dogs are mostly given to private households and are no longer mentioned anywhere, unless they are exhibited. These show dogs also form another important level in the database. Finally, the litters of the known kennels and of course all the German kennels are entered and so on....

Ok, now the database is up and running, but what use is it? First of all it should be mentioned that this database is a compressed edition of many individual databases and also shows plenty of pictures of the Kerry's. You won't find anything like this anywhere else ! You won't find anything like this anywhere else! In addition, suitable stud dogs can be determined or you can look at a suitable puppy from an upcoming mating, so what do all the ancestors of my future puppy look like. Furthermore, eventual matings can also be carried out with display of the inbreeding and ancestor loss coefficient. This database has many more possibilities to offer. For me, one of the most significant advantages and, so to speak, the personal impetus for this work is the backup of all this data of the beautiful breed, which has existed for eternity and will outlive me. As a proud Kerry owner, imagine how all the data with pictures and ancestors of your beloved Kerry going back decades can be recorded and viewed forever.

Article September 2024:

Hereditary diseases in dogs:
 
 
The topic of hereditary diseases caused by genetic mutations is playing an increasingly important role in dog breeding. Not because pedigree dogs are getting sicker and sicker,
but because diseases that were previously unrecognized or not known at all can now be detected at an early stage thanks to advancing testing techniques.
can be detected at an early stage. Genetic mutations affect all living things and even in dog breeding there are breeds that are susceptible to one mutation or another, just like mixed-breed dogs.
as well as mixed-breed dogs. In the Kerry Blue Terrier breed, four of these mutations are known, which are tested and detected by blood samples in recognized laboratories.
laboratories. All four mutations are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. What this means is explained below, as are the
variants CMSD, DM, vWD type 1 and factor XI. As a breeder, you can take steps to ensure that these diseased genes are not passed on to the next generation.
by selecting the right breeding dogs. Testing your breeding dogs is voluntary and involves costs. However, it can serve to
minimize or even eradicate these gene mutations. CMSD has almost achieved this.

Autosomal recessive inheritance

There are two copies of each trait in the genome. The animal receives one copy from its father and one from its mother. If a trait is inherited autosomal recessively, this means that an animal only becomes ill if it has received an affected gene from both its father and mother. This means that both the sire and dam must carry the mutated gene, but not necessarily be affected themselves.
There are three genotypes:

1. genotype N/N (homozygous healthy):
This animal does not carry the mutation and has an extremely low
extremely low risk of contracting the disease. It cannot pass the mutation on to its offspring.
to its offspring.
2. genotype N/mut (heterozygous carrier):
This animal carries one copy of the mutated gene. It has
extremely low risk of contracting the disease, but passes the mutation on to its offspring with a
probability of 50% to its offspring. Such an animal should only be mated with a
mutation-free animal.
3. mut/mut genotype (homozygous affected):
This animal carries two copies of the mutated gene and
has an extremely high risk of developing the hereditary disease. It passes the mutation on 100% to its
to its offspring and should only be bred to mutation-free animals.

Carriers have a 50% probability of passing on the mutation to their offspring. When mating two carriers, there is a risk that the offspring will be affected by the disease (25%).
The existence of carriers in a healthy population increases the variability of the entire gene pool, which is why they should not be categorically excluded from breeding. However, mating should only ever take place with mutation-free animals so that no homozygous affected animals can arise.

Canine multiple system degeneration (CMSD)

Canine multiple system degeneration (CMSD) was first described in the Kerry Blue Terrier. Affected animals develop normally up to the age of 3-6 months. After that, the animals develop cerebellar ataxia, which first manifests itself in movement disorders of the head and later of the legs. The animals find it increasingly difficult to walk, fall more and more frequently and also lose the ability to stand stably over time. At the age of 1-2 years, the dogs usually have to be euthanized.

Affected breeds: Chinese Crested Dog, Kerry Blue Terrier

Inheritance: autosomal recessive

Degenerative myelopathy (DM) exon 2

Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a severe neurodegenerative disease with a late onset from about the age of 8 years. The disease is characterized by degeneration of the axons and myelin in the thoracic and lumbar parts of the spinal cord, causing progressive ataxia and paresis. The first clinical signs are observed in the hindquarters as a sign of upper motor neuron dysfunction. Uncoordinated movement of the hindquarters, impaired self-awareness and impaired reflexes develop. As the disease progresses, it spreads to the front limbs and manifests as flaccid paresis and paralysis. Degenerative myelopathy was first described as a spinal cord disease, particularly in German Shepherds. However, in addition to the German Shepherd, many other breeds are affected by degenerative myelopathy. A mutation in exon 2 of the SOD1 gene has been identified as a risk factor for the development of DM in many breeds. In Bernese Mountain Dogs, there is also a mutation in exon 1 of this gene, which is also associated with DM. Both mutations can be tested for the Bernese Mountain Dog. They can be tested together or separately.

Affected breeds: Various breeds

Inheritance: autosomal recessive

von Willebrand disease type 1 (vWD type 1)

Von Willebrand disease (vWD) is the most common inherited blood clotting disorder of varying severity, resulting from a defective or even absent von Willebrand factor (vWF) in the blood. The vWF is an important factor in blood coagulation. A missing or defective vWF means that affected animals can bleed for a very long time after an injury and may bleed to death. The bleeding affects mucosal surfaces and increases with physical and psychological stress and other illnesses. Typical signs are Repeated gastrointestinal bleeding, with or without diarrhea, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, prolonged bleeding during heat, lameness due to bleeding in the joints, bruising on the body surface, excessive bleeding from nails that have been cut too short, after tail docking or after surgery. There are three different forms of this disease (types 1, 2 and 3). Type 1 vWD is the mildest of the three forms. With a prevalence rate of approx. 70%, dogs of the Doberman breed suffer particularly frequently from vWD type 1.

Affected breeds: Bernese Mountain Dog, Coton de Tuléar, German Pinscher, Doberman, Drentsche Patrijshond, Irish Red Setter, Irish Red and White Setter, Kerry Blue Terrier, Kromfohrländer, Labradoodle, Manchester Terrier, Papillon, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Poodle, Stabijhoun, Welsh Corgi (Cardigan/Pembroke)

Inheritance: autosomal recessive

Factor XI deficiency (F11)

A mutation in the F11 gene leads to factor XI deficiency in Kerry Blue Terriers. In some cases, severe prolonged bleeding can occur in affected animals 12 - 24 hours after surgical procedures. Affected dogs show only a slight tendency to bleed spontaneously, some animals show no symptoms.

Affected breeds: Kerry Blue Terrier

Inheritance: autosomal recessive

Article July 2024

Article by Sabine Mertens with the kind support of Rainer Jacobs

The most important thing for us is the joy and fun of showing. This applies both to me as an exhibitor and to my dog.    
And that has always been my motto:
"If I, or my dog, don't enjoy showing (anymore), we won't do it."
What happens at a dog show?
My dog's appearance and how I present it is assessed by a judge.
He must conform to the breed standard, he will be judged on how he moves, his dental status will be checked and, in the case of males, both testicles will be palpated.
He should be in show condition, i.e. well-groomed, with a typical breed hairstyle, neither too fat nor too thin.
My dog should be friendly, attentive and confident and allow himself to be scanned and have his teeth checked by the judge without resistance. He should move freely on a lead next to the exhibitor without pulling too hard on the lead. It should be noted that the exhibitor should also dress appropriately for the show. Sporty and elegant is never wrong. Flat, comfortable shoes are recommended. This doesn't sound difficult, but you can and should practise a few things beforehand.
I practiced walking with my puppy on different surfaces (tiles, grass, sand, concrete, carpet.....). I took Odin to places where there were lots of people and background noise (train station, DIY store, shopping center....), sometimes I carried the puppy, later he walked through the crowds himself. I get my puppy/young dog used to other dogs, including other breeds and sizes. This can happen at a dog park, dog play area or in a dog group. I can incorporate free standing into the daily routine at an early stage as small exercises. I can support this by touching the belly with my hand in front of the hind legs and practicing it with a long, calm "stand". At the beginning, lightly stroking the belly or the inside of the thighs is allowed. Start with a few seconds and reward with a treat or toy.  Don't despair, standing calmly doesn't happen overnight. It's better to practise it again and again in short sequences, because every dog finds "not moving" difficult. I practise it almost every day on walks and simply include it as a short training session. Touching, stroking and showing teeth can also be practiced carefully with young dogs. I let strangers touch and stroke him and praise him for it. When showing teeth, I first practise it myself with my dog before I let strangers do it. To do this, carefully push the lips upwards, one after the other on both sides, and you can also recognize the molars if you carefully pull the lips backwards on the side. The command "show teeth" can be used for this. Later, this exercise can be carefully practiced by another person in my presence. Looking backwards into the muzzle requires careful opening of the mouth; here too, it is important to handle the dog calmly and praise him. Standing on a trimming table can also be practiced with the puppy. With rewards, he will learn very quickly that nothing bad will happen on the table and that he can stand there safely. Please do not allow him to jump on or off the table. We also practiced walking on a lead early on. I use a lead with a throat guard. The lead should not sit like a normal collar, but in front of the larynx and directly behind the ears. This teaches the dog to walk with its head proudly raised. Please do not tug or shag! I also practise this on some walks in a quiet place so that he can get used to the unfamiliar feeling of the lead. You can also see if there is a local group in your area that offers ring training, sometimes even with a professional handler (someone who shows other people's dogs at a show). There, not only the dog but also the owner learns what to expect at a show, how to walk in the ring and also on which side the dog is to be led and shown. The dog is walked counter-clockwise and must always be walked on the left side so that it is not covered.  The judge will tell you how to run, whether a round in the ring, a triangle, or just a straight line and back. Never stand between the dog and the judge, the dog should always be completely visible to the judge. The speed should be adjusted so that your dog takes large, ground-covering steps and does not pace. This can also be practiced. Then comes the day of the first show. The excitement is great and that is normal. I try to show my puppy in the baby (3-5 months) or youngest class (6-8 months) for the first time, just to see how he performs. This is a great exercise and the puppy can experience how great and exciting a show is. In the baby and puppy classes, not so much attention is paid to "obedience", the "stand" does not have to be perfect yet and it is also clear that the running and concentration of a puppy is not yet the same as that of an adult dog. Here the grade vv (promising) is to be achieved. We give them a new toy after every show and so the joy is always huge. There may already be the first sense of achievement, such as an appearance and even victory in the baby class in the ring of honor. So it's off to the ring. The judge will see how exhibitor and dog enter the ring together. This is his first and very important impression of the team, exhibitor and dog. The judge expects fairness and respect from us, which he also shows us. What does the judge like to see? Friendly dogs with a good temperament, affectionate handling of the dog, a stable human-dog relationship. What is a NO GO. Aggressive behavior of the dog, growling towards conspecifics and people, putting the dog down by lifting it by the tail, intimidated, fearful dogs with a pinched tail. Leading the dog with a treat in front of its nose is also frowned upon. This does not mean that the dog should not be motivated and praised. First the dog is walked to the judge's table, so the judge gets his first impression of the dog in motion. Then he asks for the exact age..... The judging begins. If there are several dogs in the ring, the order is determined by the start numbers and the dogs must also run against each other after the individual judging of the dogs. Here too, fairness is expected among the individual exhibitors. Everyone loves their dog and naturally wants to win, but it is and remains the judge's decision. The judge will shake hands with the winner first. Of course, the judge can be approached in a friendly manner at the end of the judging to explain his decision again in a personal discussion. The winner of the breed receives the so-called BOB (Best of Breed), the winner of the respective opposite sex receives the BOS (Best opposite sex). Only dogs that have achieved a V1 (excellent 1) with all qualifications are nominated for BOB and BOS.
The BOB dog at the Special Terrier Show can then compete in the ring of honor for the most beautiful dog of the show, the BIS (Best in Show). Even the best young dog and the best veteran can run in the ring of honor in the respective age group and perhaps even reach the podium. I wish all those who decide to show their dogs a lot of fun and enjoyment. And to everyone else, I would like to encourage you to visit a dog show, which can also be a lot of fun.

Sabine Mertens

with the kind support of Rainer Jacobs

Article February 2024:

- The standard of a Kerry Blue Terrier in the USA in the 50's

- The care of a Kerry Blue Terrier

Article Oct. 2023: Scientifically speaking, the re-colouring of the Kerry Blue Terrier

The lightening of the actual basic color of the Kerry Blue Terrier is associated with the characteristic of the so-called "greying". This causes a progressive loss of pigment in the individual hairs,
which behaves analogously to the normal "greyness of old age" in humans and animals, but starts much earlier and usually runs faster. Due to the dense dog coat and the special coat type of the breed, the grey-blue color impression is created in basic black dogs. A dominantly inherited variant at the putative G locus (Greying) is suspected which also leads to less and slower lightening in the mixed form (possible genotype G/N) than in the homozygous form (possible genotype G/G). However, the causative variant is not yet known and therefore cannot be detected using a genetic test. The N/N genotype exists, which is proven by those dogs that do not show any lightening. However, this undesirable coloration is also only associated with the N/N genotype. Basically, one would have to make sure during breeding that one of the parent animals definitely has the genotype G/G, since the puppies can then be at most G/N and thus a lightening is ensured. Unfortunately, dogs with the genotype G/G and those with G/N cannot be distinguished visually, so that 100% certainty cannot be achieved without a genetic test (which unfortunately does not exist). When selecting breeding dogs from such lines in which only diluted dogs (i.e. completely recolored) are documented, you can minimize the risk as far as possible, but never exclude it, since even with two G/N parents, puppies of the genotype N/N also have only 25% probability of falling and carriers can also walk along undetected as long as they only meet one G/G partner. The opposite allele of a dominant trait can thus remain hidden for many generations (just like a recessive allele of a disease) until two corresponding dogs meet and homozygous offspring are born for the unwanted allele.

If you are more interested in the topic of coat color inheritance, the book "The Genetics of Coat Colors in Dogs" published by Kynos Verlag is recommended:
There you will find a comprehensive treatise on genetics with a clear introduction and many example photos.