(The following article written by Dr. E.S. Montgomery was taken from Blueprints, April 1951. Original copy courtesy of the Mr. Walter Fleisher Collection.)

Twelve “Do Nots” in Breeding Kerry Blue Terriers

1. Do not breed bitch or daughter of a bitch who has an inadequacy or imperfection in temperment.

2. Do not breed a bitch that has anatomical faults or external defects which are transmittable and can be passed on to her progeny.

3. Do not wait until your bitch is ready to breed before starting to consider to what sire to mate her.

4. Do not use the nearest purebred Kerry Blue Terrier stud just to save yourself bother and time: this never pays in the long run.

5. Do not breed to a Kerry Blue Terrier just because he won four Terrier Groups or was Best-Dog-In-Show at Podunk.

6.Do not breed to a Kerry Blue stud just because it is the fashion; so many breeders use the most widely advertised champion or the current winning dog because it seems to be fashionable. This is nearly always a disappointment.

7. Do not breed to a great show dog for his record only; if his bloodlines and family strains are suitable for your bitch, fine; but the best stud dog in America cannot sire good pups from a bitch for which he is unsuitable.

8. Do not offer the sire’s owner a pup in lieu of a stud fee. If the pick of the pups is not worth more thanthe stud fee, your breeding efforts have been in vain.

9. Do not hesitate to consult an experienced fancier or breeder who has studied Kerry Blue Terrier family strains and Kerry Blue bloodlines to advise you on points of difficulties.

10. Do not select a bitch with the long loin, recommended by so many as being desirable because there is plenty of room in which to carry her puppies. Rather, select the finest brood bitch you can obtain, preferably one who has produced several litterws which you can see and from them evaluate the breeding prepotency of the bitch.

11. Do not detach pedigree from dog or dog from pedigree. A correlation of a pedgree with one dog may mean one thing and as applied to the dog’s litter brother may mean something else. One dog may inherit a major feature or a major fauly from one strain of ancestors and the brother from another strain,

12. Do not use a stud dog who is not consistent. A sire who has proved his ability to sire puppies of consistently high quality must always be a preferred sire. The ability of a stud dog to produce a high percentage of general excellence in his progeny is of a greater value than the few “toppers” among his get.