My name is Carissa Gawley, I have been owning, showing and in the Kerry Blue Terrier breed since January 2023. The first and only Kerry I have is my lovely boy Maverick. Maverick came to me through the Kerry Blue Terrier breed club as a washed conformation prospect. I decided to take him on and show him anyway to learn the conformation ring while we sorted out how to get into dog sports (which is what I wanted him for in the first place) as well as using him for fine tuning my skills as a dog groomer.

In the time I used to grow out his coat and get familiar with the purebred dog community, he quickly grew into a handsome representation of his breed and became the conformation and breeding prospect he was always meant to be. Maverick has taught me so much about this breed and has pulled my heart deeper and deeper into it. The connection you build with a Kerry is unmatched and I know I will never go without one. The way they thrive off of positivity and are up for anything really encompasses how versatile the breed is. That versatility why I chose this breed to begin with.

Being a dog groomer since 2017, I wanted a spirited dog that I could also groom in many different styles. I also wanted a dog that was great with children because I have three in my house, all that my Kerry is fantastic with. I grew up with Jack Russells, so having that terrier drive was wanted, my life would be boring without it! 

As Maverick and I grow together, I have and always will be honest and transparent about him as an individual dog, about me as an individual person and about the breed as a whole. I believe in transparency as that transparency is the key to healthy relationships and healthy lines. 

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