Briefly in English

The Breed Club for Kerry Blue and Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers


The Breed Club for Kerry Blue and Irish Soft Coted Wheaten Terriers in Finland was founded in 1975 by couple of lovers and enthusiasts of these lovely terriers. The Club is a member of the Finnish Kennel Club and an official breed organization for these two breeds. The official Finnish name for the club is Kerry- ja Vehnäterrierikerho Ry, shortly K&V-kerho.

The background for having a joint breed club is very practical; the amount of Kerry Blue terriers in Finland is so small that it's not possible to have an own breed club. Therefore the forces of these two Irish based, high leg terrier breeds have been joint in this Club. Today the Club has about 900 members mainly in Finland. The club aims to increase the knowledge of our breeds and also to combine the persons interested in Kerry blue and Irish soft coated wheaten terriers. The club actively follows the development of the breeds in Finland well as abroad. It also actively works for example to:

  • Inform and educate dog owners and their dogs so that the characteristics of these breeds can be of practical use, e.g.
  • Arrange courses for trimming, socializing puppies, agility, obedience etc.
  • Educate and authorize judges for breed test in accordance with Finnish Kennel Club's Code of ethics
  • Arrange mental tests and specialty shows
  • Publish an year book of the show dogs
  • Publish a members' magazine 4 times per year

The breed club is also responsible for steering the breeding in our breeds. For that purpose, the club has a breeding committee that consist of experienced Kerry blue and Wheaten Terrier breeders as well as a veterinary who is consulted. The breeding committee has suggested breed-specific breeding strategies for the Finnish Kennel Club to approve. A breed association's breeding activities must be based on the breed's strategy. Among other things, these programs aim to ensure that hereditary diseases commonly occurring in a breed are taken under control and that their spread is prevented.