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Australian Terrier: Training, Temperament, Exercise, Health
Group: Terriers
Also known as:
Broken-coated Terrier
AKC Ranking: 55
About
Australian Terrier
History
of the Breed
Officially recognized in
1933, the breed was probably created by crossing
many Terrier breeds including the Irish, Cairn,
Norwich, Dandie Dinmont, Yorkshire, and the
Skye Terriers.
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Description of the
Dog
The Australian Terrier is
a sturdy, short legged, little dog. It has
a long head, with erect, v-shaped ears and
sparkling dark eyes. The black nose has a
v-shaped space above it. The teeth should
meet in a scissors bite. The body is slightly
longer than tall, with a level topline. The
chest is strong, moderately wide and deep.
It has small cat-like feet and the docked
tail stands up.
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Coat
The rough-textured, weatherproof
coat is about 2 inches (5 cm.) long and comes
in solid red, sandy, or dark or silvery blue with
tan markings on the head and legs. The breed sports
a stop knot between the ears, and an apron and ruff
that are lighter colored and finer-textured than
the rest of the coat. When an Aussie puppy is a
few days old the dewclaws are usually removed.
Height: 9-11 inches
(23-28 cm.)
Weight: 9-14
pounds (4-6 kg.)
Personality
Temperament of the Breed
The Australian Terrier is a tough,
cheeky, loyal, energetic, affectionate, alert. Amusing,
lovable, spirited, curious, self-assured, intelligent
and brave little fellow. It is a responsive and
very protective companion and watchdog with very
keen hearing and eyesight. This breed is not snappish,
likes to bark (but never without reason) and is
very good with other animals and children provided
they do not tease the dog, though a little unfriendly
with strangers. This is a good dog to travel with.
The Australian Terrier is a very economical breed
to feed.
Activity
Level
Exercise Need
They need to be taken out for long
walks. They enjoy the chance to romp and play in
a safe area. It wants to please its master and is
more easily obedience trained than most other terriers.
The training of the Australian Terrier needs to
be strict because this self-confident dog prefers
to follow its own ideas, although they learn very
quickly.
Suitable for apartment
living?
The Australian Terrier is good
for apartment living. It is fairly active indoors
and will do okay without a yard provided it is taken
for walks on a lead. They should not be allowed
to roam free because they have a tendency to chase.
Grooming
The stiff, long, shaggy coat of
this light shedder is easy to care for. Brushing
the coat several times a week, bathing once a month,
trimming around the eyes and ears and plucking every
three months will suffice.
Health
Problems
Among 619 living dogs in the 2002
Australian Terrier Club of America survey, the most
commonly reported health problems were endocrine
(primarily diabetes), allergic dermatitis, and musculoskeletal
(primarily luxating patella and ruptured cranial
cruciate ligament).
Other conditions reported among
more than 4% of the surveyed dogs were adult onset
cataracts and ear infections. The much smaller 2004
UKC survey, with 28 living dogs, suggested similar
health concerns.
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Life Expectancy: About 15 or
more years
Litter Size: Around 4 puppies
Breed Club: www.australianterrier.org
Rescue Link: http://austrailianterrier.org/rescue.html
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