Sky Terrier: description, character, feeding and care

Sky Terriers are a rather rare breed of dogs, first introduced in the British Isles. Nowadays, few people can boast of familiarity with them. This dog has a really toy appearance, but under it lurk real protectors, menacing guards for its owner.

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

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

Years later, Skye came to England, where they quickly became one of the most popular breeds. A great contribution to their distribution was made by Queen Victoria, who, being admired by the unusual type of dogs and their performance, created in 1842 several kennels for breeding these dogs.

The shocks of the first decades of the last century did not pass unnoticed by the sky terrier population. - after World War I, the number of animals sharply decreased, but in the 30s the livestock began to increase again - this became possible only thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts who threw all their strength to continue the breeding of these dogs. Gradually, the breed came to America and Japan, where it was rated very highly. In 1959, the animal turned out to be in Moscow, but it didn’t get much distribution - in our time there are very few dogs of this breed in Russia, however, as in European countries. According to the statistics of 2010, the sky-terriers were on the 160th place in terms of the number of registration of newborn puppies, moreover, that only 167 breeds are in the official list.

Currently, dog experts put a lot of effort to popularize the breed, to attract the attention of breeders and exhibition organizers.

There is an amazing and sad story about this animal - when the dog died the owner, the dog refused to eat and drink for two weeks, came to the grave of its owner and died without departing from it. There he was buried, so that after life the dog could connect with his beloved master.

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

The overall portrait of this cute pet is complemented by a black nose and a “smiling” muzzle. The past of the hunter in our days is far behind Skayev, but today it’s rather a companion dog and a favorite of the public - a cute and well-groomed dog that wins the hearts of those around with devotion and exceptional beauty.

Sky terriers are classified as small terriers. According to the breed standard, an animal is distinguished by:

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

This funny dog ​​has character traits typical of terriers - dogs are strong, independent, very brave and at the same time cautious. These pets are desperately devoted to their owner with all their hearts, but it’s not so easy for people to win the favor and love of such a dog, it don’t give it away. Sky-terrier is very selective in matters of personal sympathy and the choice of who he will serve, but as soon as he makes his choice - his dedication will be comprehensive. As a rule, they take as a host one family member and follow him on the 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, so the socialization of the animal from the very first days of life is of fundamental importance. This dog will never be tolerated if it is picked up and someone squeezes, except for the closest people. From the first days of life, it is very important to teach the dog obedience and discipline, since an independent disposition of an animal in the absence of training will make the dog simply uncontrollable. Skye is sensitive to reprimands, but he will never show humility.

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

These funny pets are very cheerful and friendly, but despite this, in the house they are quiet and docile, able to sit near their master for several hours.

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

In general, the sky terriers can be described as faithful, loving and idolizing companions of their owner, who are serious, funny, and funny and quiet. In any case, the attention of a person and reciprocity is important for him.

The northern origin of the sky-terriers gave the dog of this breed strong immunity and excellent health. They live in favorable conditions for quite a long time - up to 20 years. Nevertheless, these dogs, like many others, are prone to certain hereditary and acquired diseases:

• pathologies of the musculoskeletal system - most often become a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - occur when improper organization of feeding the dog;
• skin inflammations - often occur in pets with insufficiently competent care for the animal's hair or when the dog is unbalanced.

Due to their small size and moderate need for activity, skyterers can be kept in a private house or in a small city apartment. But at the same time, not everyone can become its owner.

The animal is suitable for athletes and people leading an active lifestyle, it will be happy to accompany its owner during walks and morning runs. But noisy families in which households do not have time for raising a dog and full-fledged walking, should be given preference to other breeds. Sky and the child will not work as a toy, because the animal will hardly like the constant desire of the kids to play, touch and mash the pet, and this dog is also not suitable as an interior decoration.

Please note that it is necessary to feed the sky-terrier with a stand, which should be raised as the animal grows - this will allow you to work out the correct posture of the animal.

Young dogs are often fed, but in small portions, and at the same time care should be taken to ensure that the pet's stomach does not swell from the feed, and the baby, even after eating, retains a tendency to play. Until the puppy reaches 2 months of age, it is fed 5-6 times a day, then gradually reduce the number of feedings, so that by half a year to transfer the pet 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 dog mash consisting of meat, vegetables, cereals, eggs and greens.

Meat should be lean - beef, veal, rabbit or horse meat, a couple of times a week allowed to use high-quality by-products (liver, heart, aspic from chicken legs). Meat products can be given raw, but if you cannot be 100% sure of their freshness, then it is better to boil or stew them beforehand. Fat 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 attention to the fact that the stuffing is usually poorly absorbed by the puppies, because meat products are desirable to give chopped.

Meat should be about 70% of the dog's diet, the remaining 30% are from other foods.

• A fish. Preference should be given to low-fat varieties - heck 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 egg yolks of chicken eggs per week or one quail egg per day.
• Milk products. The milk itself can only be given to puppies for up to two months, then it ceases to be absorbed by the animal's body. After this age, preference should be given to low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt or yogurt.
• Kashi. Sky terriers usually give rolled oats, as well as boiled buckwheat or rice, corn grits and wheat are poorly absorbed in the dog's stomach, and 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 greens (parsley, dill or celery).
• If the dog treats fruits well, then you need to include them in the dog's menu at will.
• It will not be superfluous to add some vegetable oil to the mash - it improves the condition of the animal's hair.
• Do not damage and sea cabbage, which is saturated with vitamins of group B - 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 feed, 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. In the feed from the economy category, the content of preservatives, flavor enhancers and flavorings is high.

Too thin soups are also better to exclude, dogs do not perceive fatty, flour products, sweets in all forms, pickles and pickles badly.

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

It is quite simple to care for sky terrier breed dogs, as these animals are distinguished 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. On the head, the hair is also long, as it is designed to protect the organs of vision. In order for the pet's coat to always look well-groomed, it should be carefully combed 2-3 times a week, and during the molting period it should be done every day.

From time to time you need to trim the animal, slightly shortening the hair to facilitate further care of 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, injuries and ear discharge, turn the internal one with a veterinary lotion or a weak solution of boric acid. Eyes periodically rubbed with infusion of chamomile. The claws of the animal, as a rule, grind down by themselves, but if the dog walks mostly on soft ground, they will have to be cut off as they grow.

The independence and exceptional activity of the sky terrier breed makes some breeders think that these dogs are not amenable to training and are completely untrained - but this is not true.

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

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

As a rule, training is reduced to the study of the main teams, as well as dog sports activities - Sky Terriers can develop tremendous speed and jump over obstacles up to one and a half meters high - it is not by chance that these dogs have long become recognized agility champions.

More information about the features of the breed, see below.