Sky terrier is a rather rare breed today. Previously, it was the most popular and oldest in the UK, was bred as a hunting assistant. The dog is distinguished by a disproportionate body, whose length is twice the height. For the family - the perfect pet!
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Origin history
The Spayters were brought to Britain by the Spaniards in the first century. This is one of the oldest English breeds. People once rescued the progenitors of modern dogs from the Isle of Skye, then the dogs gradually “settled” throughout the kingdom.
Skyterrier - hunting dogs specially bred for chasing foxes, otters, badgers and other animals living in burrows. In the XVI century, exclusively aristocrats possessed such dogs. The most popular breeder was Queen Victoria of England. The famous guest met a representative of the breed in Scotland. After that, sky terriers began to lead an active social life. They were repeated winners at various exhibitions.
Interesting! In Scotland, there is a monument to the most faithful representative of the breed - skaterrier Bobby.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the name of this type of dog was officially divided into cairns, sky terriers. In the middle of the same century, the name Skye Terrier was recognized and recorded as an international classification. The official standard was described in 1987.
Until now, skye terrier is rare in European countries and in Russia. In 2010, these dogs were in 160th place out of 167 representatives of different breeds. In the 21st century, sky terriers were recognized as an endangered species.To date, such a threat has passed, but similar animals are still not common.
Description of skyterrier
Skyterrier is a long, squat dog with very beautiful hair, reliable jaws, muscular limbs. These are very elegant, worthy dogs that are not aggressive, but careful with outsiders. They are devoted only to their master. Today, the skyterrier is a companion dog.
In official sources the following description of the breed is given:
- large, strong head of elongated shape. The occipital part is already on the forehead; the brow is not visible due to the drooping bangs;
- impressive muzzle with a wide nose bridge. Pursed dark lips;
- dilated nostrils with black pigmentation;
- narrow, shallowly spaced oval brown eyes. Sky terriers have a rather clever look;
- medium-sized ears covered with flowing hair are located high on the head. They can be in a hanging and upright position;
- moderate neck, smoothly passing into the shoulders;
- mundane body, oval chest, strong back, flat sides, short lower back, stomach tucked up to the spine;
- middle tail, slightly curled up. If the dog is calm, then this part of the body is slightly lowered down, while moving, it is raised up;
- short muscular limbs;
- heterogeneous coat, the structure is mainly similar to goat hair. On the head, the "fur coat" is softer, falling onto the forehead, covering the eyes. The greatest length falls on the auricles and in the lower part of the tail;
- there are skaters of black, red, gray, bluish color. Moreover, it can change throughout life. The maximum attractiveness of color is achieved by 2 years.
The growth of males is 24-27 cm., Bitches reach 23 cm. The weight of the male individual is up to 11 kg, female - up to 8 kg. Dogs are distinguished by light and smooth movements, during which their paws do not rise upward, but are sent forward.
Life span
The health of skaters is solid. They are famous for their resistance to diseases, and usually live for about 11-15 years. But if the pet is properly cared for, then it can please the owners even up to 20 years. In adult representatives of this breed, limbs suffer. As a result of short paws and an elongated body, the load on the musculoskeletal system is incorrectly distributed.
The purpose and nature of the dog
Initially, the animal was bred to hunt the inhabitants of the holes. The size of the dog made it easy to penetrate the ground. Then the dogs began to belong to the decorative, exhibition breeds. Today, these are pets and the best companions.
Sky terriers have a rather complicated character, but require both love and respect. Dogs are smart, they need to talk more. You cannot force them to do things differently, you can only convince them. They do not get along with strangers, sometimes they show aggression. However, they are very attached to the owner, they miss him.
Note, dogs of this breed are particularly important socialization, as they are not easy to get along with other animals and people.
Skyterrier is a great nanny who will never offend children, will attract the attention of adults, if something is wrong with the child. They are excellent guards who do not give kids offense. Moreover, they not only manifest themselves as barking, but also in a sense serve as a “trap”. Perfectly take root in apartments. Pets are happy to go hiking with the owner, overcome obstacles, love to walk.
Breed standard and puppy selection
Sky terriers look like a toy dog. They have small stature - no more than 30 cm at the withers. Body length can reach up to 1m. A distinctive feature of the breed is a rich coat that needs daily care. Hazel eyes, inconspicuous, straight ears, covered with thick hair. Standard doggies can be black, yellowish, gray, white. A slight dimming is noticed on the ears, a speck on the chest.Other shades are defective. The weight of the animal is about 11 kg.
Puppies should be purchased from trusted breeders, as doggies look like cairn-terriers. They are easy to confuse. Ears of a skyterrier, which are almost always upright and covered with elongated hair, will help determine the breed. The color of a small individual has not yet been formed; there is a lighter shade, which by 2 years will only become final. But, despite this, the nose and ears should be black.
The head of the small individual is wedge-shaped, the tail is hanging, the chest is wide, the legs are muscular, which makes the puppies look “strong”. The coat is glossy. Usually, pets are acquired after reaching 1.5-2 months. When choosing a puppy of a skyterrier, you should pay attention to the genetic passport, learn about the health of parents, check for vaccinations.
Maintenance, hair care and feeding
Skyterriers are a rather difficult breed to maintain. Their hair should be constantly combed. Otherwise, it falls down. Do not cut in order to facilitate care. But it is possible to cut the dog in the form of a slight shortening of the length so that the hair in the form of a skirt does not spread along the ground. In addition, constant care is required for the hair located on the fingertips - it must be sheared.
It is important to comb your pet several times a week. If the dog molts, then this procedure is carried out daily. For this, a brush with metal teeth is ideal. Dogs are bathed once a week. You need to comb the hair after each water treatment.
Skyters can live both in apartments and in private houses. But life in the yard is not for them. They need more comfortable conditions. Dogs need daily walks. They easily tolerate cold, but intolerant of heat.
This breed is unpretentious to food. But, in order to preserve the health and beauty of the pet, it requires a special diet with the addition of seafood, fish. The composition of the feed should not include dyes, chemical compounds. Food should be as natural as possible, without soy.
Raising a skyterrier
When communicating with a sky terrier, you should be persistent, firm, friendly. The presented breed is distinguished by intelligence, quick wit, stubbornness, independence. It is most suitable for experienced dog breeders.
It is necessary to educate a pet every day, to start training from the "young years", that is, months. Sky terriers need early socialization. During training, they must not be released from the leash, as they will immediately run after the bird or cat.
The pet will obey the owner only if he considers himself to be his partner. It is necessary to be on an equal footing with the dog, not to show either stiffness or excessive softness. Training should take place without emotion with a huge margin of patience.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
This breed, like all others, has its advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is affection and endless devotion to the owner. In a large family there will be only one person to whom the dog will be infinitely faithful. The rest she will only respect. The dog treats strangers in the house with great distrust. In general, the animal is quite balanced, characterized by calm and endurance.
There are practically no shortcomings in the dog. True, the dog can not stand loud noise or the same fuss. This factor should be taken into account for families with children who want to take a skaterrier to their house. It is necessary to take care of having a pet even if there are other animals in the house, since the hunter's innate instincts make the dog perceive "relatives" as prey.
Skyterrier is a very beautiful breed that requires daily care, a hard and loving hand of the owner.
