Terraozzi Australian Terriers

About Australian terriers

AUSTRALIAN TERRIER ORIGINS

The Australian terrier originated in Australia in the 19th century. The earlier settlers wanted a breed that was hardy & robust enough to cope with the tough Australian conditions & that was also capable to help eradicate Vermin & snakes, aswell as a herding dog.They also wanted a small dog as a companion for the children & wives on the homesteads.

The actual origins are uncertain, but is suggested they where developed by crossing several British rough coated type terrier breeds such as the Dandie Dinmont (for protective & decorative topknots) The skye terrier (for ear carriage,litheness,lenght of body, neck ruff & front coat apron) The yorkshire terrier (to retain a coveniently small size & to emphasize pleasant colour ) The Scottish terrier (which was different looking from todays Scottie was used for the harsh weather proof coat) The Cairn terrier (once again was probably used for erect ears & coat quality ) & Irish terriers (perhaps the Manchester terrier, where used for enriching the colour ) .

Development of the breed began in Tasmania in 1820 & it was first known as the "Australian Rough coated Terrier". They where first shown under this name in Melbourne in1868. The breed was first recognised with the founding of the first breed club in 1887 & they finally became known & recognised as "The Australian terrier" in 1892.

They where recognised in the UK in 1933, & The American kennel club in 1960.

AUSTRALIAN TERRIER CHARACTER

The Australian terrier (or the Aussie as they are affectionaly known ) are what you would describe as a big dog in little dogs body. They are energetic little dogs with charming personalities. They are fearless, intelligent, adventurous, tenacious, cheeky, extreamly friendly fun loving little clowns with Personality Plus!!

They are extreamly loyal & love to please, & it's because of this that most Aussies are alot easier to train than some of the other terrier breeds. They make a great family dog & fit into most enviroments,whether its a rural acreage property or an apartment in the city Aussies will easily adapt to the life style.

I find once you own a Aussie, they quickly win over your heart with their enduring qualities,& I must warn you that once they have captured your heart you just might not be able to stop at one!!

AUSTRALIAN TERRIER TEMPERAMENT

Australian terriers are calm & outgoing, extreamly friendly & affectionate & make excellent companions. They are great with children,provided that the child is taught to be respectful & gentle with them.(Adult supervision is always advisable with children & all breeds of dogs .)

Being a working terrier they do have high prey drives & should always be socialised from a young age with smaller pets. We do advise though that you still always supervise your Aussie with smaller animals.

Aussies are not overly yappy, but will bark to announce strangers & visitors & they do make excellent watch dogs.

They can be escape artists, so a securely fenced yard is essential, aswell as some form of entertainment like toys & a chewy bone to stop boredom & prevent digging.

Australian terriers are great with children of all ages

DESCRIPTION OF AN AUSTRALIAN TERRIER

A low set, sturdy, rough-coated lttle dog. Extreamly well adapted for Australia's changing climates & protected by a double coat- a soft coated undercoat with a weather resistant harsher coat, which grows to a length of 6.5 cm (2.5 inchs). In maturity both sexes have a ruff framing the head at the neck which extends to an apron covering the neck. It has a topknot of lighter colour & finer texture to the main body coat. They come in the colours of Blue & tan, Solid red, & Sandy red.

The look of the Aussie terrier is described as "Hard bitten" & "Rugged". They have a long head with erect v-shaped ears & lively oval dark eyes. The black nose has a v-shaped space above it. The teeth should meet in a scissor bite. The body is slightly longer than it is tall, with a level top line. The chest is strong , moderately wide & deep.They have small cat - like feet with a high set tail ( which have been traditionaly docked in the past, but are now no longer docked in Australia.)

"Bailey" A Blue & Tan Australian terrier.

"Tubby" A Sandy/Red Australian terrier.

EXCERCISING YOUR AUSTRALIAN TERRIER

Australian terriers are busy little dogs with lots of energy,& need atleast 30 minutes of some form of excercise a day. Our dogs do well running around our acreage & swimming in the dam,however for owners that are not on acreage, your Aussie should be happy with a 30 minute walk on a lead, or a off leash run in a confined area like a dog park (Never let your Aussie of leash in an unconfined area in public, as due to their high prey drive if something does catch their eye they may run off & may be very hard to recall)

Aussies are also very happy if you give them 30 minutes of play time at home , like a game of fetch & most of them love an outing in the car visiting family & friends. They also do well with dogs sports like Agility & Earth dog trials.

TRAINING & OBEDIENCE

Australian terriers are very busy & determined little dogs, & would certainly take over a house hold if "let go". They do need a firm hand & consistency is required. We recommend all new owners to take their pups to puppy scool & to purchase a good book on training, behaviour & obedience.

Once an Aussie has established you as their "Pack leader", they are a joy to have in the home. They are very clever & quickly pick up new commands & tricks.

GROOMING YOUR AUSTRALIAN TERRIER

The Australian terrier has a low shedding coat & is fairly easy to groom. For pet dogs they require a good brush a couple of times a week to remove dead hairs, & when needed the hair around the eyes,ears, bottom & paws should be neatened & trimmed. Nails also should also be regularly clipped. They only require a bath about once a month or when they a very dirty. Over bathing them can strip the coat of its oils.

For show dogs, their is a little more grooming involved & the coat requires hand stripping.

GENERAL HEALTH & LIFE SPAN

Aussie terriers are a very tough, hardy, healthy Robust breed, that are blessed with very little health problems & hereditary diseases. They are prone to diabetes if they become obese & a well balanced diet of a good premium food for small dogs combined with decent excercise is recommended. (do not over do the treats )

Aussie terriers are prone to getting luxating Patella, & mpst responsible breeders will have their breeding dogs examined by a vet before breeding from them,

Breeders are now also DNA testing their breeding dogs for genetic diseases like Degenerative Myleopathy (DM) & Von Willebrands disease.

The Aussie terriers life span is approximately 12 to 15 years, but some Aussies we have known have lived way into their late teens.