Just a perfect blend of characteristics for a family dog.
The famous UK writer, F. M. Jowett, wrote in his 1947 book The Irish Terrier, Our Dogs:
“They are described by an old Irish writer as being the poor man’s sentinel, the farmer’s friend, and the gentleman’s favorite… These dogs were originally bred not so much for their looks as for their working qualities and gameness, the Irish Terrier being by instinct a thorough vermin killer.”
The true popularity of the breed came later as these cute and not-so-little balls of fur became quite fashionable as a family pet because they were so great with children.
The average height is around 18 inches (46 cm), and they typically weight from 25 to 27 pounds (11 – 12.5 kg). The Irish Terrier comes in golden red, red wheaten, or wheaten, and double-coated. The outer coat should be straight and wiry in texture, never soft, silky, curly, or woolly, while the main coat should lie flat against the skin.
Aside from being excellent watchdogs and great with kids, these pooches are quite intelligent, trainable, adaptable, plus they are hypo-allergenic.
What more could you ask of a family dog?