The Australian Terrier is a dog breed native to Australia that has won the hearts of many pet owners thanks to its great personality and energy. These dogs are known for their hunting and herding abilities, making them excellent working dogs. However, they are not only good for work tasks, they are also excellent companions for active families and animal lovers.
With its rough coat and coiled tail, the Australian Terrier is a medium-sized dog with a distinctive appearance. Additionally, this breed is intelligent and easy to train, making it an excellent choice for those looking for a loyal and active companion. If you are interested in learning more about this incredible breed, continue reading this article to learn everything you need to know about the Australian Terrier.
- Size : about 25cm
- Weight : about 7 kilos maximum
- Hair type : long and straight
- Character : it is a very active dog
- Health : very strong, but may have some hereditary diseases
- Life expectancy : between 12 and 14 years
Origins of the Australian Terrier
As with all dogs on the continent, the origins of the Australian terrier are in Europe , as it emerged after several crosses between terriers that had been brought by European settlers.
We know the breeds that are at their origin and we can name the Manchester terrier, the Dandie Dinmont terrier, the Skye terrier and even the primitive Yorkshire terrier, which bore little resemblance to the current one.
These crosses were made looking for a farm dog that could be used for everything and work in Australian conditions, which had little to do with those of the old continent. In fact, they had to eliminate both rodents and snakes.
Within Australia the breed was immediately recognized, since there was already a breeders' club in 1887, the Kennel Club of Great Britain accepting it in 1936 and the Kennel Club of the United States, somewhat later, in 1958.
Today there is little left of that brave animal that fought with whatever it took , since it has become a highly appreciated companion dog.
Characteristics of the Australian Terrier
The Australian terrier standard says that it is a “robust dog” and this is how we can define it, small in size as it does not exceed 25 cm in height at the withers in males and with a weight of around 6.5 kilos, with the females being a little lighter.
Its eyes stand out a lot, as they give the impression that we are dealing with a very cunning animal as it really is, and the small, pointed ears give it a very friendly, mischievous appearance.
The tail must be docked according to the standard, but after the ban on this mutilation in most countries, it is normal to see them with their tail undocked, raised and on their back.
They have a double coat of hair, something common in terriers. The external one is long and quite rough, to protect it, while the internal one is very short and soft, which keeps it safe from the cold and humidity.
The coat can be sand or red, steel blue and tan, blue and tan or gray blue and tan, with no other shades allowed.
To the untrained eye, it can pass for a Yorkshire terrier or a crossbreed of this , since it is very similar, although the Australian terrier has a more robust appearance, less stately and ready to work.
Character of the Australian Terrier
Its character is terrier, which means that it is a dog that is not afraid of anything. He has great determination, but that does not mean that he is unruly, and in fact he is one of the calmest dogs in his group that we can find.
When it comes to keeping us company, there are few terriers that are similar to it, since it is one of the best breeds of this group if we want to have it at home , although we must know that it has a tendency to fight with other dogs of its sex.
This can be remedied by neutering him, although his instincts will always be there, just like those that make him hunt and kill other small animals, such as cats or rabbits.
The Australian terrier was created in order to destroy rodents, snakes, etc., a behavior that it does not hesitate to reproduce whenever it has the opportunity, so it is better to opt for another breed if you are going to live with other pets.
He gets along very well with children if they are older . The little ones tend to mistreat him, more so given his size, which means that he will bite them when they go overboard with him and hurt him.
Australian Terrier Education
It does not respond well to traditional training methods, such as tugging or small attention touches on the back, so other ways must be chosen to teach it to live with other people and animals.
Using the clicker, and giving him rewards when he does something well, it is not difficult at all to teach him what we want.
We must try to socialize him with other people, dogs and pets from the day he finishes with the vaccines , as it will be the best way to avoid future problems, although we should never let our guard down.
He tends to bark excessively, something that can be a problem in cities, so you have to work on it, if necessary with the help of a professional. If we live in a city, this will cause problems with neighbors, which may lead to complaints.
Another conflict occurs if we are in a house with a garden, since the Australian terrier can have fun digging holes there , especially if it smells small animals such as mice or voles.
If we do not want to have a garden that looks like a minefield, we will have to try to teach him that this cannot be done, giving him a reward when he behaves well until he stops doing so, or at least with the idea that he digs less (it is very difficult to avoid).
Australian Terrier Health
It is a very healthy dog, one of the strongest breeds in the world, but like every dog that is not a mixed breed, it has some diseases that are hereditary and that can appear throughout its life.
One of the worst is Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which is not rare in small dogs and consists of necrosis of the head of the femur , which requires a complex operation, which sometimes happens for replacing the hip completely.
Diabetes is not strange to them either, becoming dependent on insulin, so they will have to be injected as many times as the veterinarian tells us, a problem that is for life.
You can suffer from a dislocated patella, we see that the bones are its weak point, although invasive treatment is not usually required here and it is controlled quite well with medication.
Australian Terrier Care
He doesn't lose much hair, and in fact in order for him to lose it all he has to take it to the hairdresser a couple of times a year , where they will perform a technique called stripping, which consists of manually removing the dead hair.
For our part, it is enough to brush it a couple of times a week, bathing it as little as possible and only when it is very dirty.
He settles for little exercise, and walking a little every day with his owner is more than enough, since what he likes most is being with his family inside the house, close to them.
You have to give them all the company you can, because when they are alone they tend to bark a lot , so perhaps an apartment is not the best place for them to live, although they adapt to it if they are not left alone almost at any time.
Adopt an Australian Terrier
In Spain it is not one of the most famous terriers, and in fact it is difficult to see one on the street, although that does not mean that there is no possibility of adopting one.
We can contact one of the associations that put terriers up for adoption so that they can notify us if one enters, although it is not an easy task.
We will also comb the internet, so we will find out immediately if there are any dogs up for adoption in any province so we can call and ask about them, looking carefully at the photos because they can be confused with other terriers like the Yorkshire , and not everyone is capable of differentiate them well.
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