Why do Kerries have all that hair on their face?
Answered by Janet Joers. Kerries’ eyes are no more sensitive to light, pollution, or any other irritant than any other breed. If historically the Kerry’s “fall” protected the eyes from the claws of badgers, today, it can protect them from the claws of cats, raccoons, skunks, fox, gophers, woodchucks, or anything else that Kerries might tangle with. Given their propensity to stick their heads in holes of all kinds (culverts, wood piles, brush), Kerries are more likely to need that hair than other breeds. For that reason alone, I wouldn’t cut it off. For those owners who somehow cannot abide by all that facial hair, I recommend thinning it with thinning shears, or bringing the fall forward, say starting it from the top of the eye rather than from the back of the eye (essentially “narrowing” the fall). Even a Schnauzer cut with “eyebrows” is preferable to no facial furnishings at all.