A giant in a basset body!

The Skye terrier is certainly the most particular Scottish dog by its relatively atypical look, perhaps the own dog of the canine world which is measured from the  extremity of the muzzle to the end of the tail…
A rare dog, only few births per year, but a Very interesting dog , with a sacred personality… The Skye terrier progresses little by little, discreetly. It has never been very popular but  it has progressed since the seventeenth century to nowadays, with
discretion, a very good thing anyway… It is a terrier certainly rare, but which his court of passionates … "Who took a Skye, will take another Skye" Is one of the more famous adages of the  Skye world .
The breed lovers are fascinated by its uncommon personality, and the unique nature of this dog that give it all its interest…
A group of passionates worked very hard at its promotion, its development, its improvement which allows to say, with a few exceptions, is that the Skye become a dog who knows how to behave in society. In indeed, without having lost all his Scots grumpy
character , it became a dog now sure, nice and appreciated. Nothing to compare  with the character problems that we met twenty
years ago. The exhibition Skye  became a Sociable and easy dog, very pleasant to examine...
Even if  it may be calm and well in its mind, it is also true, that sometimes, it can become a really crazy tornado, at the play time. It may Even  missed gentle  because during this period passion and excitement will be stronger than all… It arrived to me often to stop playing with my dogs to games because they have bump my nose and the painful was too strong to continue our party... at the moment, they look to be lost, they don’t understand the situation and a front of so guiltiest eyes, you are obliged to forgive him its big "crazy boy” excesses. How could you resist to these such emotive eyes seeming  to say anxiously "you love me forever?“,  sparkle of vivacity… Then you erase your tears, tighten your teeth, the pain will pass and then you took it in your arms, kissing him…
Nevertheless and as curious as it may seem, when he will play with children, it will become soft and considerate,  even delicate, it will adapt its strength, and will be weighted affectionate…
This dog is a real gentleman...

How to educate Sir Skye?

It is the perfect companion: funny, endearing and terribly dedicated to his owner. It is very easy and adapts to all lifestyles. I would say to resume that when you have a well-educated Skye is the most wonderful companion, but its education is not adapted to its strong terrier personality, It may become, like all children too spoiled, a dog difficult to manage.
The baby Skye’s education will be taught as a game, it will execute orders with pleasure if they are Logical and will be happy to be congratulated for each good
action  because “Similar Skye” is a personality that likes to be flattered  for each order,it  is for him a Mission accomplished, a challenge, a job he performs with Please…
Like any terrier, any good terrier, proud of its caste, it is relatively stubborn and likes to "play"with you so you must have the last word. I think it’s very important to be the stronger, but it’s important to educate your terrier with  “an iron hand, in a velvet glove”, and especially a lot of diplomacy must lead by the game to make What you want it to do. You’ll sometimes Find the right middle between rigor, firmness and Kindness, as Mr puppy Skye is very clever to test its owner and his limits, and always try to push more far the limits you gave him, you have put it back gently and make him understand that, whatever happens, you are the own owner. It happens very often to play with your sensitivity and adoptes his "cocker" eyes but be careful, don’t give him more than you can and more than you ‘ll be able to give him days after...
Education does not mean fight, shouts and violence. No one can get the same things with frank and firm and rigor in its attitudes. When you give him a permission, you must be sure to be able to allow it for the rest of its life. Mr Skye is very intelligent, he has an excellent
memory. It will give his trust without conditions to his owner. He will hate, the coward, the unjust and the violent persons. He hates violence,  and screaming. To resume it, it needs stability and does not support injustice that can change him in an heinous, a hard dog…
But how does it work?

This is not a dog can be purchased only with money. You need to win  his love and respect… I use to compare it to an human, because he can think as an human...
It is never far away from his owner because he likes to keep in eyes his family without being felt as omnipresent. Regarding to the other persons, It is reserved. He preferred to analyze the situation and the person before to make some efforts of civilized dog but  however, without any  wickedness in its look, it will change little by little and if, finally, he is in trust, he will accept to be with this person...
He loves after all its family universe but will choose especially one person of this family to be his best friend... He will love her without any concession and will be more able of , special attentions …
My “personal” dog is my bitch Tina. If I am not at home, it will go with the other members of the family, because she all loves them, but if I am there then nobody else will be important for it. I am “her thing”. If a dog come near me, Tina comes gently, and pushes this dog with care, to remind the impudent that it’s her place before all, after she have a look for me with a winner expression which seem to say  "it’s me your dog??? isn’t it???" How can you resist to this kind of Malicious eyes?
The principal danger is to consider the Skye Terrier as a doll. He certainly has a precious look because of its fur  and its  elegant dress but he needs before all exercises, long walks in the woods, in brief… He will  be happy if he has a garden to relax and in
otherwise, and will accept its twice-daily walks  with pleasure.
We can therefore say without wrong modesty, that a Skye well educated during his early childhood by careful attentions of its owner will give the best companion for life...

And health?

The Skye is a dog who lives rustic dog living around twelve years but it is not uncommon to see some dogs arriving to the age of sixteen years... without particularly health problems. If he has a good topline, it has not specifically lumbar problems…
His weaknesses? the pancreas, Intestines and it is subject to of urea crises  in the end of its Life…

Where does it come from?
 
It comes directly from the island which wear its name: The Isle of Skye …
The Isle of Skye usually known as the simple name of “Skye”, is the largest island  (1700km ?) And located in the north of the of hybrids archipelago,  in Scotland. The island is connected to the rest of the country by the Skye Bridge.
It has the most rugged terrain of Scotland (Such as the Cuillin) as a legacy Impressive castles and monuments… The south coast of the West Island is composed of a series of peninsulas…

A lot of stories about this isle…

It is said that the name of Skye came from a Legend. Two lovers exchanged languorous glances, sitting on a public  bench by a beautiful clear night.
They saw in the celestial light, the silhouette of a dog perched on the hill a front of them. This dog stared so intently, that they were troubled
When… later they talked about the dog’s hill , they assure to be overwhelmed and impressed by its Mysterious side, a dog so long and so low on legs, full of class and with an elegant silhouette  and a mysterious head covered with long fringes, hiding its eyes… They called it ‘the dogs of the  Skye Island”…

Grooming

Many people think that the care of a such dog full of coat must be restricting and a hard groomer work. But, with its harsh coat is not really favorable to tangles, it is terrier, surely one of the easiest to care in despite of its Long-haired terriers. A good brush stroke weekly enough for an opulent dress without  some more  efforts!
Pay a particularly  attention to the coat between legs and ears, as they are more silky and therefore most fragile.
You’ll bath your dog when you’ll feel that it needs to be bathed to stay a pleasant companion in your home...

 
Until death

The most beautiful Skye story - if let apart the one of, our youngness story, Dougal and its roundabout- is Certainly the one  of "Greyfriars Bobby", the little Skye Terrier full of sadness after the death of its owner, an Edimburgh shepherd. At its owner’s death, he visited, each day during the fourteen years that followed,  the cemetery where the man was buried (the Mayor had, in fact, accorded a Special permission because the cemetery is usually forbidden for dogs) whatever the climat, the little dogs use to stay there, lying during long hours near the man he gave his heart and his life… Until the day when it is found lying on its owner’s  tomb, finally, life let the little dog found back his favorite….
On the death of little dog, was installed naturally a flower bed and it was buried there so that it can stay with his hero, next to the one he never have, in reality, forget….
True story, and so real which explains with a lot of truth the Fidelity, the Skye Terrier is able to give for ever to its owner... As the mayor of Edinburgh decided to erect in his memory a statue at the entrance to the cemetery, which attracts yet nowadays, many tourists ...
Bobby is indeed may be the only dog to have its commemorative statue and have the right to be buried in a cemetery reserved for humans…
Which Skye Terrier lover has not dreamed of a pilgrimage on the Isle of Skye and even in Edinburgh to discover all the breed environment, the breed history? Walt Disney, himself, made of this story a  wonderful film in 1961 "Greyffriars Bobby". Perhaps, we’ll be lucky to have the possibility to discover this great him in France, translated in French.

The actors : Alex Mckenzie (the shepard), Gordon Jackson (the father), Jenifer Nevinson (the little girl) and of course Greyfriars Bobby (the Skye)

 
My life with 13 Skyes…

I have the wonderful luck  to live with 13 dogs that I educated the best I could and as I like.... Life is pleasant and we are a real family where everyone has found his place.
This life with 13 dogs requires constraints, but if it was do another time, I won’t change anything in this life rich and wonderful.
A life full of emotions, excitement, a extraordinary life …
In fact, Skyes are a part of me and I can not imagine my live without my happy companions...