Irish Terrier
The Irish Terrier is a terrier breed from Ireland, standing males 17–18 in · females 16–18 in at the withers, weighing males 25–27 lb · females 24–26 lb. Recorded lifespan is 13–15 yrs.

- Breed group
- Terrier
- Origin
- Ireland
- Height
- males 17–18 in · females 16–18 in
- Weight
- males 25–27 lb · females 24–26 lb
- Lifespan
- 13–15 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Irish Terrier is taller than 27% of the measured breeds, heavier than 21%, one of 31 in the Terrier group, one of 9 from Ireland.
Living with the Irish Terrier
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Irish Terrier’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 5 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 1 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 3 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 5 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 4 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 4 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Irish Terrier on AKCIrish Terrier on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Irish Terrier
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Irish Terrier.
Airedale Terrier
Welsh Terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Border Terrier
Sporting Lucas Terrier
Height 0–38 in
- Irish Terrier17–18 in
- Airedale Terrier22–24 in
- Welsh Terrier15 in
- Lakeland Terrier14.5 in
- Glen of Imaal Terrier14 in
- Border Terrier13–16 in
- Sporting Lucas Terrier10–12 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Irish Terrier25–27 lb
- Airedale Terrier40–50 lb
- Welsh Terrier20–21 lb
- Lakeland Terrier17 lb
- Glen of Imaal Terrier34–36 lb
- Border Terrier13–15.5 lb
- Sporting Lucas Terrier14–20 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Irish Terrier13–15 yrs
- Airedale Terrier10–12 yrs
- Welsh Terrier12–15 yrs
- Lakeland Terrier12–15 yrs
- Glen of Imaal Terrier10–15 yrs
- Border Terrier12–15 yrs
- Sporting Lucas Terrier14–15 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.