" The Australian Silky terrier, also known as the Australian silky terrier, is an ancient breed of Australian dog that, at first glance, looks a lot like the popular Yorkshire terrier. Its remarkable beauty and energetic and somewhat fearless temperament propelled the popularity of this breed beyond its country of origin and it can now be found in many European countries (mainly England) and as well as in America."
If you want to adopt a dog of this breed, or if you simply like to learn more and more about the wonderful doggies, continue reading this PlanetAnimal file and find out all about the characteristics of the Australian Silky terrier and the care they need to enjoy a good quality of life.
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Origin
- Oceania
- Australia
FCI Nomenclature
- Group III
Physical Characteristics
- Muscular
- Short legs
- Long ears
Size
- Little
Height
- 15-35
Adult Weight
- 3-10
Life expectancy
- 12-14
Recommended physical activity
- High
Character
- Society
- Very loyal
- Smart
- Active
- Affectionate
- Docile
Ideal for
- Children
- Apartment
- House
- Walking
- The hunt
Recommended climate
- Temperate
Hair type
- Long
- Smooth
- End
Education and canine training
- Intermediate
Origin of the Australian Silky Terrier
" As its name suggests, the silky terrier originated in Australia and its story began when Macarthur Little, from London, decided between 1920 and 1930 to buy a few puppies from a litter from the crossing of a female smooth-haired terrier and a male dandie dinmont terrier.His goal was to re-breed selectively to perfect a smoother, softer coat."
Soon after, Macarthur Little emigrated to Sydney, Australia, where he made a series of crosses between these individuals and other terrier-type dogs, including the Yorkshire terrier and the Australian terrier. His experiments were soon to be successful, as the Australian Silky Terrier quickly attracted interest outside the Australian colonies, and in 1900 the breed obtained its first official standard.
Today, the Australian Silky Terrier is even recognized by the largest canine federation in the world, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), which has classified it in section 4 (working terrier) of group 3 , in which we find a wide variety of breeds of terriers.
Characteristics of the Australian Silky Terrier
" At the morphological and anatomical level, genetics play an essential role and the Australian Silky terrier shares most of its physical traits with its main ancestors, in particular with the Yorkshire terrier.It is a small and compact dog breed, with males reaching a height at the withers of 23-26cm and weighing around 4kg (bitches tend to be a little smaller). The FCI defines its overall appearance as refined but with enough substance to suggest the ability to hunt and kill domestic rodents. In other words, it is a good-looking, well-built dog with well-developed musculature for its size, strong jaws, and an expression that denotes keen intelligence. "
The head of the Australian Silky Terrier is medium in length and rather flattened. The stop (nasofrontal depression) should be defined, but moderate, while the nose should be black in color and the eyes small and oval (never round or prominent) also dark in color. Upright V-shaped ears, high set and totally devoid of long hair, are typical of this breed.
And if you are wondering how to differentiate the Australian Silky terrier from the Yorkshire terrier, although it is not an easy task, you can pay attention to the build and body shape of each dog, indeed, the Australian Silky Terrier tends to have a less elongated body in relation to its height and is slightly sturdier than the Yorkshire.
Australian Silky Terrier colors
The smooth, fine and shiny coat is one of the main characteristics of this breed of dog. It is silky but should not be so long as to hinder the dog's freedom of movement. The head of the Silky is covered with a good tuft of fine, silky hair, which should not cover the eyes. In addition, the ears as well as the front and hind legs should not be covered with long hair.
When it comes to the colors of the Australian Silky terrier, the FCI standard defines all shades of blue and tan as acceptable, but stresses that the more intense and clearly defined the colors, the better. The color tan should predominate at the base of the ears, on the muzzle and on the sides of the cheeks, while the blue should be distributed from the base of the skull to the end of the tail, on the hind limbs near the joint from the hock and over the forelimbs to near the carpal joint.It is desirable that the tuft that covers the head of the Australian Silky Terrier is also blue or fawn in color.
How is the Australian Silky terrier puppy?
Always about the coat colors of the Australian Silky terrier, it is important to specify that the black color is accepted in puppies, but that the blue color must be established from the age of 18 months. Therefore, the Australian Silky terrier puppy will be very similar to the Yorkshire puppy, but as he grows the differences will become more and more marked.
On the other hand, silver and white colors are not accepted in this breed.
Australian Silky terrier character
" It should be kept in mind that this breed was not created solely to be a house companion as it was developed and trained to hunt small rodents, protect the property of its guardians/families as well as to signal the presence of potential invaders on their property."
" The Australian Silky Terrier should therefore not be expected to behave like a typical lap dog, as his character is that of a true working terrier and he shows great liveliness , of great mental acuity, great energy, as well as a marked hunting instinct. But don&39;t think that these terriers can&39;t be great companions, as they are able to have very nice relationships with their human family members with whom they will be very protective. This tendency to protect makes it mandatory for them to be well socialized from an early age because it is the only way that will allow you to avoid behavioral problems related to territoriality and the protection of resources."
Excessive shyness and insecurity are considered by the FCI to be disqualifying faults and they are usually evidence of problems in the breeding and upbringing process of the Australian Silky Terrier.They also denote systematic exposure to counterproductive methods of education, such as confinement and physical punishment, and other types of animal abuse.
Caring for an Australian Silky Terrier
Regular physical activity and good mental stimulation are essential to prevent these dogs from suffering from stress, boredom and obesity. In addition to daily walks and an enriched environment, try spending a few minutes each day introducing them to brain games to keep their minds active.
On the other hand, it should be mentioned that maintaining the coat of the Australian Silky terrier requires a lot of time and dedication from its guardians. You must brush it well and you will have to do it every day during the moulting period because it is the only way to avoid the formation of knots and the accumulation of dead hair and impurities in the coat.Remember to always use brushes adapted to your coat type and hygiene/beauty products for canine use.
Training and education of the Australian Silky terrier
As we have said, a correct socialization process is essential for the Australian Silky Terrier to learn to live harmoniously with other individuals and with a diversity of stimuli and environments. Ideally, this process should begin in the first weeks of life, preferably before the age of three or four months, because it is during this critical period that the recognition of friendly species occurs. You can start by introducing your puppy to other trusted dogs and pets that you know are he althy, vaccinated and wormed, until you've completed the puppy's first round of mandatory vaccinations and can start training him. walk around so that he interacts with a wider variety of individuals.Likewise, if you've decided to adopt an adult Silky terrier or haven't had the opportunity to socialize your best friend as a puppy, here are some tips for socializing an adult dog.
But this is not the only critical factor in raising the Australian silky terrier, as it is also strongly recommended that they be taught at least the basic obedience commands which are the first stage of training. canine education. It is therefore essential that you start training your silky terrier as soon as he arrives at home. Whether it's a puppy or an adult dog, it's essential to teach him from the start the behaviors that you consider appropriate and that you want to see reflected in his behavior, always relying on the positive reinforcement to recognize successes and promote the assimilation of good behavior. To help you, PlanèteAnimal explains step by step how to educate a puppy.
As far as training is concerned, which is not the same thing as education, you must follow a progressive logic, starting with the most basic commands and working them one by one with your dog , until he is able to assimilate and reproduce them without problems.
Australian Silky Terrier He alth
In general, the Australian Silky Terrier is a strong and robust dog who, if he receives a balanced diet and proper care, is not at risk of falling ill and who can enjoy a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
In addition, like all small terriers, he has a genetic predisposition to patellar dislocations, hip problems (in particular Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease) and leukodystrophies, a rare genetic disease affecting the system central nervous. A sporadic tendency to cataracts and canine alopecia is also reported.
How to adopt an Australian Silky terrier?
Pet abandonment is a sad reality that affects virtually every country, and even purebred dogs are picked up from the streets every day. If you have a special interest in this breed, you have the opportunity to not only make your wish come true, but also help a dog in desperate need of a home and the love of a guardian. Before going to a kennel, it is recommended that you contact animal shelters in your neighborhood or surrounding area to find out which dogs are available for adoption. If you keep an open mind, you will certainly find the most faithful and grateful companion that one could wish for, whether or not he is of this race.
" Mixed dogs also deserve to benefit from the warmth of a home and the love of a family. So if you find a silky coated terrier mix in a shelter, don&39;t reject it because it&39;s not pure! Keep in mind that the most important thing when adopting a dog is that its character and needs match your lifestyle, not its aesthetics."
Australian Silky terrier pictures
