Dog breed · Scotland
The Skye Terrier is a Scottish breed of terrier. It is long, low, hardy and short-legged, and in the twenty-first century is among the most endangered breeds of the United Kingdom.
Coat: The Skye is double coated with a short, soft undercoat and a hard, straight topcoat. The shorter hair of the head veils the forehead and eyes, forming a moderate beard. The ears are generally well feathered and, in prick-eared examples, the hair normally falls like a fringe, accenting the form, and blending with the side locks.
Health: In 1998, 'Skye terrier hepatitis' was described from biopsies of the livers of nine related Skye Terriers. This condition is not known in any other breed and the aetiology is unknown. It causes severe liver disease with scar tissue formation that may progress to cirrhosis. Researchers with the Cambridge University Department of Veterinary Medicine found that the condition is not actually a form of hepatitis. Prognosis varies between dogs and no gene has been identified as causing the condition nor has any heritability been properly demonstrated.
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.4 years from a sample of 39 deaths for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.
History: A colour lithograph of Skye Terriers was included in "The Illustrated Book of the Dog" by Vero Shaw in 1881.
