- Black, dark or light grey, fawn, cream, all with black points.
- Any self colour allowing shading of same colour and lighter undercoat, so long as nose and ears are black.
- Permissible: A small white spot on chest
About the Skye Terrier
Origin: Great Britain
- Typical life span
- 12-14 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 16-20 kg
- Female
- 11-18 kg
- Height
- Male
- 24-27 cm
- Female
- 23-25.5 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Terriers
- Origin
- Great Britain
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Skye Terrier?
Long, low-built terrier with flowing double coat that parts down the middle and distinctive feathered ears. Despite its elegant, stylish appearance, this is a hardy and courageous working dog with a dignified demeanor, originally bred for hunting vermin on the Isle of Skye.
Skye Terrier history and origins
Developed on the Isle of Skye in Scotland for hunting fox, otter, and vermin in rocky terrain. Gained popularity in the 19th century when Queen Victoria became a fancier. Made famous by Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh. Recognized by AKC in 1887.
Skye Terrier appearance and size
Males typically weigh 16-20 kg and stand 24-27 cm at the shoulder; females 11-18 kg and 23-25.5 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Terrier
- Behaviour and temperament
“Elegant and dignified. A ‘one- man’ dog, distrustful of strangers, never vicious”
Quoted from FCI standard n°75. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Terrier” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 2 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Skye Terrier
What you get with the Skye Terrier
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Terrier”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Elegant and dignified. A ‘one- man’ dog, distrustful of strangers, never vicious”
- Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “Undercoat short, close, soft and woolly.”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Skye Terrier
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
Double.
Undercoat short, close, soft and woolly.
Outer coat of reasonable length, hard, straight, flat and free from curl, never impeding action.
Hair on head shorter, softer, veiling forehead and locks, eyes, but not obscuring vision.
Mingling with side surrounding ears like a fringe and allowing their shape to appear
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°75 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Ideal height at the withers: 25 - 26 cm, length from tip of nose to tip of tail 105 cm. Females slightly smaller in same proportions”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°75. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Skye Terrier in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Skye Terrier
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Skye Terrier on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Skye Terrier owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Skye Terrier breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.