On Adopting an Older Kerry Blue

by Philip Young, in the Empire Kerry Blue Terrier Club Newsletter,
reprinted with permission by Hermine Munro, Empire KBTC Newsletter Editor

We lost our Wheaten Terrier, "Teddy," in the fall of 1989. She had been with us for fourteen years and, at first, nothing could replace her. But gradually we began to long for a dog. They are such devoted friends and good company. The welcome on returning home is a delight that a dog owner enjoys and we missed the happy greeting every morning.

There was a problem though--how could we bring a puppy into a house that is vacant most of the day--and with no children to play with either. We were a two-career couple with all the kids "out of the nest," fully occupied with working, commuting, and caring for our home. Dogs need attention, especially when they are young, full of energy, and need the training to become good pets.

Anne had the answer: try and find an older dog. The pound was a possible source, but we decided to go to the Longshore/Southport show to see the current crop of Wheatens instead. We could look up some breeders we knew years past. Someone there ought to know if a breeder had a bitch too old to be bred anymore. And maybe this breeder could be persuaded to give her up if the right sort of home could be found. We thought we had something to offer as responsible, caring people who could offer a good home and who were not new to dog care--turning her over to us wouldn't be forsaking an old friend. After all, we've had two pure-bred pets, an English Setter and a Wheaten, and both of them lived to ripe old ages.

We decided to look at Airedales too and on the way back to the car, we saw a handsome Kerry Blue Terrier on a grooming table. He was so friendly and elegant. We really hit it off and we jokingly asked the man grooming him to let us take the dog along with us. He wouldn't hear of it! We looked at more Kerries that afternoon and met Rose Marie Mais.

A few nights later we noticed Hermine Munro's address in the show catalog and began our search for a Kerry by calling her. Hermine started Empire's rescue system workng for us. We called Carol Postley who suggested we call Gerry Yeager. Gerry gave us George Rodda's name and he turned out to be the man we were looking for. The year before, unknown to us, of course, George had put a notice in the Philadelphia club's newsletter stating that he wanted to place two 6 1/2 year olds.

George was careful. After all, we weren't club members. Then he debated for a few weeks over which of the dogs to give up. We were patient and before long we were delighted to have Ginger. Our home was whole again. What a joy it was to bring home such a bright and lovely dog. She was cute and entertaining, typical of the breed. Then began the process of acclimating Ginger to our household and learning how different Kerry Blues are from setters and Wheatens!

Ginger grew up with other dogs around her, never at a loss for company. She was dominated by two others in George's home. We speculated that she ought to thrive in a house all her own and without having to share the attention and affections of her new masters. That ought to compensate for being moved out of her first home at nearly eight years old. Just the same, it took Ginger several months to adjust to her new surroundings. Our home is tranquil, but she was constantly on edge. She would never really lie down on her side, staying upright on all fours, always alert.

And there was the cat! Ginger made it her business to seek it out whenever she came into the house and chase it to high ground. Kitty wasn't in the habit of climbing on our tables and countertops, but she does now! Ginger never caught the cat, but it looked like she meant business. It took stern measures to make her leave the cat alone. Today, two years later, she still harasses the cat more for fun and a little excitement than anything. Kitty even takes a shot at her occasionally and gets away with it.

An older dog is likely to have deepseated habits. Ginger does. She is hard to control on lead when other dogs come near, which we didn't expect. This was not evident in the younger dogs we have seen at shows. Such overt aggressiveness provokes the same behavior by other dogs. One night a large German Shepherd attacked suddenly while Anne was walking Ginger. The shepherd had been itching to get at her, and that evening her owner was walking her off lead. On a leash, poor Ginger couldn't get away or defend herself and was badly mauled. It seems there is no calming her when other dogs are about. Consequently, we are careful not to walk her on streets where there may be dogs roaming free. And we carry a tube of "MACE" to ward off surprise attacks.

Keeping our dog confined to the house or tied up was new to us. We thought it would be necessary at first so she wouldn't get lost in a new neighborhood, but we soon realized that it would have to continue. Allowing her to run free would invite disaster. One day she did slip loose and went right after an older dog she knew lived next door. Fortunately, I was pursuing and managed to intervene before serious damage was done. We redoubled our security precautions. Kerry rescuers ought to be advised of this.

Perhaps Ginger feels driven to protect her new-found home. She defends it vigorously, even against children and neighbors who casually walk in the yard to speak to us. Properly introduced to a newcomer, she behaves well. A new owner who rescues or adopts a Kerry ought to be cautioned about taking an adult out in public until the dog's behavior is known. When you start with a puppy, you are more aware of its nature and are better able to correct overly aggressive behavior if it develops. Moreover, a smaller, younger dog is easier to discipline. A full-grown Kerry cavorting on lead is a handful!

An adult dog is also bound to require more veterinary care than a youngster. That was to be expected, but the maladies were new to us. First, she began to limp, which turned out to be an unexpected recurrence of Lyme disease. It was cleared up by a course of tetracycline.

The most traumatic was pyometra (abscess of the uterus). We thought she was just in heat, but it came, went, and returned again in two weeks time. She suddenly stopped eating and became very lethargic. The vet thought it was an infection of some sort because of the fever, but antibiotics didn't appear to help. Thumbing through a veterinary manual, I recognized the symptoms. The vet confirmed the diagnosis by X-ray and operated to remove the uterus the very same day. It was a close call.

In spite of these experiences, we are glad we have Ginger. She has livened things up here and three walks a day is good exercise for me. Her attributes greatly outweigh the negatives, and we feel indebted to George Rodda for letting us have her. Kerries were a new exciting experience. We hope this account will be useful in educating rescuers and other people in successfully adopting older Kerry Blues.

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