Blue, Black, gray, fawn, silver, or cream with black muzzle, ears, and tail tip, preferably.
Long
Toy/Small
Moderate Shed
10 inches (25.5 cm.) - It should be noted that this dog should be twice as long as it is high.
25 pounds (11.5 kg.)
9 inches (23.0 cm.)
22.5 pounds (10.35kg.)
With its high activity level, you would think this was a dog that needed to have a lot of space to run around, but the short legs of the Skye Terrier actually make it a perfect breed for apartment or home living. They will easily get enough exercise just by running from room to room and in taking regular walks with you.
A yard isn't necessarily for this particular breed, and if you live in the city, the Skye Terrier will still do quite well with proper care.
Description
This small, good natured breed is often thought of as an elegant looking breed. The Skye Terrier has a sturdy bone structure and hard muscles that surround its body. Twice as long as it is high, the Skye Terrier sits low to the ground, but carries its long fur coat well. The fur around its face helps to both protect the mouth and eyes from outside obstacles, but also creates a feathered look that's both distinctive and graceful.
Generally standing with its head help up high, the Skye Terrier trots along with a steady gait, tail dangling to the ground. The brown eyes are earnest and the darker they are, the better. The coat is well feathered ideally, and has two coats - one undercoat and one outer coat.
This low sitting terrier has a strong muzzle feature as well as a black nose and a jaw that sets the teeth in a scissors bite. The feet should be pointing straight forward, almost as though it were a hare.
Affectionate and well-mannered, the Skye Terrier is a delightful addition to any family, but will require a lot of attention to be happy and satisfied. Playful and genuinely loving, the Skye Terrier is a breed that is suitable in most environment settings and locations.
The coat of the Skye Terrier is doubled and includes a shorter and softer undercoat as well as harder and straighter top coat. The top coat should lie flat against the body, free of waves and curls. Ideally, the coat will be no or less than about five and a half inches. You will also notice a sort of beard appearance of the fur around the mouth and face. The ears will have the fur feathered naturally and it will blend into the rest of the dog's coat.
History
The Skye Terrier's history is one that is widely disputed. Some believe that the Skye Terrier came from the story of a shipwreck. It is thought that in the 1600s, a ship from Spain crashed against the rocks of the island of Skye. When this happened, the survivors included Maltese dogs that then interbred with the local terriers. This new breed even became popular with Queen Victoria in the 1800s.
Others seem to believe that the Skye Terrier is actually a cross between the Celtic terriers and the Swedish Vallhund of the Viking invaders, or perhaps these breeds then mated with the Maltese.
Temperament
Loving and affectionate, the Skye Terrier doesn't anger easily. Almost polite in nature and an easy going breed, this type of terrier is often seen at dog shows and breeding competitions because of its ability to interact with strangers without any troubles.
However, this good nature must be nurtured from the early puppy years. The Skye Terrier needs to have extensive socialization with people when they are young in order to be calm around people. When the puppy is not raised in the presence of others, they can become nervous around strangers as well as overly protective of their family.
Loyal in nature, the Skye Terrier is the perfect fit for a loving family that is able to give the terrier a lot of attention. In order to be happy, the Skye Terrier needs to have a lot of interaction with people. This will mean you need to play with this breed on a regular basis, and while it may be left alone, longer periods of isolation are not suggested.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Skye Terrier who is nervous around strangers may have troubles when those same strangers go to touch them. These terriers can bite and bark at people they don't feel comfortable around, so this is something to realize when you are introducing your dog to friends and family.
The Skye Terrier is also a natural chaser, which can lead to troubles in outdoor settings if they are not on a leash. They will run after smaller animals and other moving things, if they catch their eye. Other dogs can also become the target of their chase, if they feel they are being provoked. A bit aggressive with other dogs, the Skye Terrier is also prone to barking when it is upset or wants to express their discomfort.
The Skye Terrier may not be the best fit for a home with children and smaller pets, as it can become a situation in which this dog becomes aggressive to these inhabitants. Unless you are familiar with the background of the terrier and know that it has been socialized, this may not be the best choice for this kind of home.
But for the single or the older couple, the Skye Terrier is often a great choice as it requires little activity. It will also alert the owners of strangers, making it a great guard dog, if only for the barking alerts.
Health Problems
While the Skye Terrier is a healthy breed when taken care of, there are some problems with being a smaller dog breed, simply from the way the body is shaped:
Degenerative disc disease-In this rare disease, the protective covering on the spinal discs begins to wear down and can cause the dog to feel a lot of pain and have troubles with movement. You might notice that the dog doesn't want to move around a lot and has troubles walking as they normally do. This is not necessarily caused by an injury or genetics, but rather it happens spontaneously and can often resolve on its own as well. Surgery and pain medications are sometimes indicated, depending on the severity.
Skye Limp or Puppy Limp-Because of the short legs of the Skye Terrier, it can often have troubles when it's young. If the dog is exercised too often before the age of eight months, the distal radial growth plate can close too quickly, causing the dog to have a limp and even bowed legs. Avoid too much activity in the beginning stages of life-i.e. jumping, longer walks, climbing, etc.
Mammary Cancer-This is the leading cause of deaths in Skye Terriers. The cancerous growths grow in the mammary glands and often spread quickly to other parts of the body.
Autoimmune Disease-Occurs when the immune system begins to attack the dog's body, causing a myriad of symptoms.
Hypothyroidism-When the thyroid glands produce too many hormones, causing the body to lose weight and to move at a quicker than normal rate; it can be controlled by medications and monitoring.
Emangiosarcomas-A tumor of the blood vessels that can also cause death.
Grooming
The Skye Terrier would seem to be a dog breed that requires a lot of grooming with its longer coat, but the coat is actually designed to be resistant to tangling. However, this does not mean that regular brushing will not benefit their appearance. This long and straight coat can become matted if it's not brushed on a regular basis.
What's also interesting to note is that the puppy coat and the adult coat are completely different from each other. The adult coat can take a few years to grow in, so you can expect to see your puppy change as they age, requiring more care as they get older.
Regular brushing is a necessity for this breed, at least once a week. This will not only help them maintain their appearance, but it will also reduce the amount of fur you find around the house. An average shedder, you can expect to see some traces of the Skye Terrier around your home if you're not careful about removing excess fur.
However, even with the naturally feathered look of the coat, you will want to leave the length as is. Trimming is not necessary until you want to trim the areas in the pads of the feet or around the toes. These areas can sometimes collect dirt and stones when their fur becomes too long.
If you do let your Skye Terrier outside, you will want to check them over for fleas or ticks once they come back inside. The longer fur can often disguise 'travelers' that may have gotten onto the dog's surface.
You will want to bathe your Skye Terrier on occasion, as they can simply pick up dirt and dust from around the house or from the yard when they're running around. If you notice that your dog has any smells after they are bathed, you might want to take them to the vet for evaluation. Often, this can be a sign of a bacterial infection or something else.
The vet will look at their ears, their nose, and their skin to be sure that nothing else is happening.
Exercise
Because of the smaller size of the Skye Terrier, little exercise is required. Simply moving from room to room is a lot of exercise for this particular breed. They can also become tired after being walked for long periods of time, so that's not necessarily a good activity for them.
For people that don't want to have to walk a dog, the Skye Terrier can be a great fit. All is needed for this dog to remain healthy is a space in which they can walk around at their leisure.
Older owners and those with disabilities that simply want a companion, but don't have the capabilities to manage an overly active dog breed will find the Skye Terrier to be a good fit. They simply entertain themselves by moving around, and don't need you to help them at all to remain active.
Training
The Skye Terrier has a high capacity for learning, so they can be trained quite easily with persistence and patience. Because of their loyal nature, they will need to be socialized with other people away from their siblings in order to learn how to handle strangers. This should be done when they are puppies to help them learn how to interact without barking or biting.
The main techniques to use with a Skye Terrier are respect, consistency, and fairness. When they are learning, you want to make sure you are rewarding them consistently or punishing them fairly for the error. They will learn to be obedient, but you will need to continue their training throughout their life in order to see consistent results.
While their problem solving skills are not ranked as highly as their ability to learn, the Skye Terrier is still a breed that will respond to training if you start early and stick with it.
To help prevent their excessive barking tendencies when disturbed or when around strangers, you will want to make sure they feel comfortable. This can begin with introducing the dog slowly to new people and to new situations to see how they react. You can even reward this breed to help reinforce the good behaviors.
However, if you are not consistent with your training, you might find some of the negative behaviors coming out in your Skye Terrier: excessive barking, willfulness, suspiciousness, aggressiveness, etc.
You might want to remember that the Skye Terrier is not a dog breed that will do well in extended training situations. They can become easily bored, so you will want to always change up the training session or intersperse it with other activities that don't require a lot of focus.
Other skills that you can develop with a Skye Terrier include tracking and feats of agility, so this might be a good way to focus their training.
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Ratings and Attributes
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