The breed's country of origin is Australia, where the Australian Terrier was bred at the end of the 19th century by crossing the Yorkshire Terrier with the local Terrier.

If you lead an active lifestyle and have enough time to devote to your pet, the Silky Terrier is the breed that will return your love and attention a hundredfold.

Character and Use

Easily adaptable to any movement, the Silky is equally at home in a carrier bag or in the car. Despite its small size, it considers itself a serious guardian and raises a ruckus at the sight of any approaching stranger. This is why silky terriers are still kept not only as companion dogs, but also as vigilant watchdogs. In addition, thanks to the talents inherited from other terriers, they are excellent rat catchers. The agile and active Australian Terriers also once helped shepherds and hunters. So this active and extremely agile dog should never be considered as a “sofa cushion”! The ideal owner of a Silky Terrier is someone who can accept the endless curiosity of this small dog and is ready for constant socialization with him.

By the way

When training these small dogs should show some patience: they should not feel like masters of the position, otherwise they will constantly try to control the situation, will become willful, cocky, start barking a lot and get irritated in the presence of strangers.

Description and care

The Australian Silky Terrier is an extremely clean dog, well suited to indoor living. However, its easily tangled coat requires daily brushing and regular bathing. Cutting the hair around the eyes is also a must for the Silky, and a professional groomer should be visited every two months. The long, straight, silky, silky coat, divided into a parting and falling on both sides of the body, is odorless and almost does not shed, which is a definite advantage of the breed.

The unified breed standard of the Australian Silky Terrier was created and approved in 1926. The dogs got their name for the appearance of the coat, which resembles silk.

The maximum length of the hair along the spine is 13-15 cm, and it should be cut in such a way that it does not interfere with the movement of the dog. The Silky Terrier's legs have short, close-fitting hair. Since the Silky does not have a thick undercoat, it is simply necessary to dress it in the cold season.

Silky Terrier is an agile, energetic and strongly built small dog with a stable psyche. Cheerful and responsive, he is very attached to his master, loves children and gets along well with other pets, including cats.

Silky does not like loneliness and tolerates traveling well, it is one of those dogs that do not give their owners much trouble on the road.

Health

Australian Terriers are sometimes prone to knee dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease and patella dislocations. Therefore, to reduce the risk of genetic diseases, it is advisable to purchase a puppy from breeders with a solid reputation.