Sky terrier: description, character, feeding and care

Sky terriers are a fairly rare breed of dog, first introduced to the British Isles. Nowadays, few people can boast of getting to know them. This dog has a truly toy appearance, but under it are real defenders, formidable guards for its owner.

The first mentions of Skye Terrier dogs appeared on the Isle of Skye, which is part of the Hebrides group - this is how the animal got its name. According to historical data, Spanish travelers brought there small dogs with rather long hair, and already the aborigines began to actively cross the dog with local terriers. This is how sky terriers appeared.

He said that in ancient times, these unusual animals were bred for hunting - they worked great for badgers, ferrets, foxes and many other burrowing animals.

Over the years, the Skye came to England, where they quickly became one of the most popular breeds. Queen Victoria contributed a lot to their distribution, and after being delighted with the unusual appearance of the dogs and their performance, she established several kennels for breeding these dogs in 1842.

The shocks of the first decades of the last century did not go unnoticed for the skyterrier population. - after the First World War, the number of animals decreased sharply, but in the 30s the number of animals began to increase again - this became possible only thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts who threw all their strength into continuing the breeding development of these dogs. Gradually, the breed came to America and Japan, where it was highly appreciated. In 1959, the animal ended up in Moscow, but did not receive much distribution - in our time in Russia there are very few dogs of this breed, however, as in European countries. According to 2010 statistics, sky terriers were in 160th place in the number of registrations of newborn puppies, while there are only 167 breeds in the official list.

Currently, dog handlers are making a lot of efforts to popularize the breed, to attract the attention of breeders and exhibition organizers to it.

There is an amazing and sad story about this animal - when the owner of the dog died, the dog refused food and drink for two weeks, came to the grave of its owner and died without leaving her. He was also buried there, so that after life the dog could unite with its beloved master.

At first glance, sky terrier dogs make the most pleasant impression. This is a very elegant and graceful dog that looks like a small stocky dog ​​with short legs and a slightly elongated body. In accordance with the official standard, its body is decorated with a rather long flowing hair, which often falls on the eyes of animals - but this does not prevent the dog from perfectly navigating the terrain.

The general portrait of this cute pet is complemented by a black nose and a seemingly "smiling" face. The past of the hunter today is far behind the Skye, but today it is more of a companion dog and a favorite of the public - a cute and well-groomed dog that wins the hearts of those around him with devotion and exceptional beauty.

Sky terriers are classified as small terriers. In accordance with the breed standard, the animal is distinguished by:

• large and slightly elongated head;
• the muzzle of the classic "terrier" type in shape;
• small ears with a rather high set, covered with thick hair, erect;
• scissor bite;
• the nose is dark gray, almost black;
• the eyes are not small, but also small, the shape is oval, the color of the iris depends on the coat color and can vary from light to dark shades of brown;
• neck of medium length;
• elongated torso;
• the length of the hull reaches 1 meter;
• oval sternum;
• forelegs and hindquarters straight, shortened, muscular and well developed;
• coat smooth, elongated, dense soft undercoat;
• the suit can be solid or tan;
• coat color can be gray, blue (blue), black, white or red;
• males reach 27 cm in height, body weight is close to 11 kg;
• bitches are shorter - their height does not exceed 22 cm, and their weight is 8 kg.

This amusing dog possesses typical character traits for terriers - dogs are strong, independent, very brave and at the same time cautious. These pets are desperately devoted to their owner with all their souls, but it is not so easy for people to win the affection and love of such a dog, he does not freely give it to him. The Sky Terrier is very selective in matters of personal sympathy and the choice of whom he will serve, but as soon as he makes his choice - his devotion will be all-encompassing. As a rule, they accept one family member as the owner and follow him on his heels, like a shadow, but at the same time they treat the rest of the household with exceptional respect.

In relation to strangers, this dog is restrained, even shy, therefore, the socialization of the animal from the very first days of life is of fundamental importance. This dog will never tolerate being picked up and squeezed by someone other than the closest people. It is very important from the first days of life to teach the dog obedience and discipline, since the independent disposition of the animal in the absence of training will make the dog simply uncontrollable. Skye is sensitive to reprimands, but she never shows humility.

Dogs of this breed will become an attentive guard for their home, and an excellent protector for the owner.

These funny pets are very cheerful and friendly, but despite this, they behave quietly and obediently in the house, they are able to sit near their owner for several hours.

Dogs coexist quite peacefully with other pets, especially with other dogs.

In general, sky terriers can be characterized as loyal, loving and adoring companions who are serious, funny, funny and quiet. In any case, human attention and reciprocity are important to him.

The northern origin of sky terriers has endowed the dog of this breed with strong immunity and excellent health. In favorable conditions, they live for quite a long time - up to 20 years. However, these dogs, like many others, are prone to several inherited and acquired diseases:

• pathologies of the musculoskeletal system - most often they become the result of a sedentary lifestyle;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - occur when the dog is not properly fed;
• skin inflammations - often occur in pets with insufficiently competent care of the animal's coat or with an unbalanced diet of the dog.

Skaters, due to their small size and moderate need for activity, can be kept both in a private house and in a small city apartment. But at the same time, not every person can become its owner.

The animal is suitable for athletes and people leading an active lifestyle, it will happily accompany its owner during walks and morning jogging. But noisy families, in which household members do not have time to raise a dog and a full walk, should give preference to other breeds. Sky is not suitable for a child as a toy, since the animal is unlikely to enjoy the constant desire of the kids to play, touch and crumple the pet, and this dog is also not suitable as an interior decoration.

Please note that it is imperative to feed the Skyterrier from a stand, which must be lifted as the animal grows - this will help develop the correct posture of the animal.

Young dogs are fed often, but in small portions, while it is necessary to ensure that the pet's belly does not swell from the food, and the baby himself, even after eating, retains a tendency to play. Until the puppy reaches 2 months of age, he is fed 5-6 times a day, then the number of feedings is gradually reduced, so that by six months the pet is transferred to 2 meals a day.Usually in the morning they give lighter food - for example, kefir with crackers, cottage cheese or cereals, and for dinner they offer a dog mash, consisting of meat, vegetables, cereals, eggs and herbs.

The meat should be low-fat - beef, veal, rabbit or horse meat, a couple of times a week, high-quality offal is allowed (liver, heart, jellied chicken legs). Meat products can be given raw, but if you cannot be 100% sure of their freshness, then it is better to pre-boil or stew them. Fatty lamb and pork should not be included in the menu - this will have the most adverse effect on the dog's stomach and pancreas.

We draw your attention to the fact that minced meat is usually poorly absorbed by puppies, therefore it is advisable to give meat products finely chopped.

Meat should make up about 70% of your dog's diet, with the remaining 30% from other foods.

• A fish. Preference should be given to low-fat varieties - hake or cod. River fish should not be given, it contains small bones and is often affected by helminths.
• Eggs. It is allowed to include in the diet 1-2 yolks of a chicken egg per week or one quail egg per day.
• Dairy products. Milk itself can only be given to puppies up to two months old, then it ceases to be absorbed by the animal's body. After this age, preference should be given to low-fat cottage cheese, kefir or yogurt.
• Porridge. Sky terriers are usually given rolled oats, as well as boiled buckwheat or rice, corn grits and wheat are poorly digested in the dog's stomach, and pearl barley is not digested at all.
• Vegetables are very important for the full growth and development of the dog, it is best to offer Skye grated carrots, as well as cabbage and always fresh herbs (parsley, dill or celery).
• If the dog treats fruit well, then you need to include them in the dog's menu at will.
• It will not be superfluous to add a little vegetable oil to the mash - it improves the condition of the animal's coat.
• Do not damage the seaweed, which is saturated with B vitamins - the product helps to strengthen the immune system, enhances the growth and shine of the coat.

If you are going to feed your pet with dry food, then you should give preference to premium, super-premium or holistic products - they are made from the highest quality meat, contain a balanced composition and are enriched with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Economy feed contains a high content of preservatives, flavor enhancers and flavoring agents.

It is also better to exclude too thin soups, dogs do not perceive fatty, flour products, sweets of all kinds, pickles and pickles poorly.

The daily ration of a dog up to 6 months should be approximately 1/25 of the body weight of the animal, after 6 months - 1/20.

Taking care of sky terrier dogs is quite simple, since these animals are characterized by unpretentiousness in food and care. The main thing that is required of the owner is to pay careful attention to his coat, the condition of his eyes, ears and claws.

The outer layer of each hair on the dog's coat reaches 15 cm. The hair on the head is also long, since it is intended to protect the organs of vision. In order for the pet's coat to always look well-groomed, it should be thoroughly brushed 2-3 times a week, and during the shedding period, this should be done every day.

From time to time, you need to trim the animal, slightly shortening the hair to facilitate further caring for them.

Sky terriers are bathed once a week, for this you need to use special shampoos and conditioners of the highest quality - the use of human detergents is unacceptable.

The dog's ears should be examined at least once a week for inflammation, trauma and ear discharge, and the inner one should be treated with veterinary lotion or a weak solution of boric acid. Eyes are periodically rubbed with chamomile infusion. The claws of the animal, as a rule, grind off by themselves, but if the dog walks mainly on soft ground, they will have to be cut off as they grow back.

The independence and exceptional activity of the Skyterrier breed leads some breeders to think that these dogs are not trainable and completely unteachable - but this is not true.

As soon as the dog becomes aware of this fact, the ability to learn will immediately appear. When raising an animal, it is very important to be persistent, but at the same time act gently and respectfully, your demands should in no case be combined with loud cries or, even more so, violence against the animal.

In this case, the dog gets out of control very quickly.

As a rule, training comes down to studying the main commands, as well as practicing dog sports - sky terriers can develop tremendous speed and jump over obstacles up to one and a half meters high - it is no coincidence that these dogs have long become recognized champions in agility.

For more details on the characteristics of the breed, see below.