AUSTRALIAN TERRIER
APPEARANCE
The Australian Terrier is a small, medium-boned dog that is significantly longer than it is tall. His coat is dense, long, straight, and harsh, and he also has a softer undercoat. The color of the coat comes in dark blue, silvery blue with tan markings on the legs and head, solid red, and sandy. The Australian Terrier has small, pointed ears and nose and the jaws have a powerful appearance. The Australian Terrier reaches a height of around 10-11 inches, and weighs in at around 12-18 pounds.
PERSONALITY
The Australian Terrier is extremely affectionate with their family, loyal, and highly intelligent. This little dog adapts to different environments and is very versatile, making him a great companion dog. He loves to play and romp, and likes plenty of fun and attention, but at the same time also has a strong sensible streak. The affectionate nature of this breed makes it a great companion pet.
TRAINING
The Australian Terrier is quick to learn but is easily bored by repetition. This breed is somewhat prone to stubbornness and that can include housetraining and simple obedience training. This breed does best when trained with consistency, firmness, fairness, praise, and motivation. They are naturals at agility tests and Earth-trials.
EXERCISE
This breed requires exercise on a regular basis to keep them physically and mentally fit. If they become bored they will become destructive. Nice long walks are just as important as is regular playtime, especially with puppies. They are often found playing with toys and balls when left to their own devices. They are not always good with other dogs, so letting them off at off-leash parks may not be a good idea.
SOCIALIZATION
Around strangers the Australian Terrier is usually polite and reserved, and he gets along well with older, considerate children as well as with children that he has been raised with. They get along with other dogs and household pets, but do have a propensity for chasing the family cat as well as small outdoor animals such as squirrel and rabbit.
LIVING CONDITIONS
They do well in an apartment or condominium dwelling provided they are given sufficient exercise and stimulation. This breed can live outdoors in moderate to warm weather, though it would prefer to be with its owners most of the time
GROOMING
You will need to brush the harsh coat of the Australian Terrier around once or twice every week, and you should ensure that you keep the hair around his bottom trimmed for hygiene reasons. Baths should be limited to once a month, and the fur should be combed while it dries to prevent tangles. It is also important to pay attention to oral hygiene with your dog. When this dog is properly groomed he tends to be a low shedder, which means that he could be ideal for those with allergies.
HEALTH ISSUES
The Australian Terrier is a healthy breed and has a reputation of longevity, also he’s free of any major hereditary diseases. However, they may suffer from patella luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, diabetes, epilepsy, hot spots and skin eczema, and thyroid disorders. The life expectancy of the Australian Terrier is around 11-15 years.
HISTORY
The Australian Terrier was bred for the very specific purpose of killing the local rats and snakes in 19th century Australia.The breed has a history going back around a century and a half, and was registered with the AKC in 1960.
