Last Updated on May 16, 2022 by Pets Feed
These small and funny dogs turn into loyal friends. They take an active part in all games. In a private home, the Australian Silky Terrier will catch all the mice and rats.
The Australian Silky Terrier is a huge tangle of contradictions and surprises. Having a toy appearance, the representatives of this breed are not at all decorative dogs. Is it possible to believe that these cute creatures are formidable hunters, watchdogs, shepherds, guards? Yes, behind such a cute face is an incredibly strong-minded dog with unusual abilities.
If you’re looking for the warmth and camaraderie of a carefree little dog, the Australian Silky Terrier is the right breed for you.
Australian Silky Terrier photos
Australian Silky Terrier breed description
According to the approved standards, Australian Silky terrier dogs must meet the following indicators:
The head is absolutely proportional to the size of the body, with a flat forehead that is longer than the bridge of the nose; there is a pronounced transition from the forehead to the nose.
The ears are of a medium set, triangular, erect, with pointed tips. The ear cartilage is quite elastic. The ears are covered with a soft coat, there is no wool inside. There are individuals with curled ears, which is beyond the standard.
The nose is a black terrier lobe.
Teeth – straight, medium-sized, white, scissor-type bite, lips have a clear outline.
The eyes are small, rounded, with a dark iris. The snare’s gaze is alive, at times somewhat wary.
The body of the dog is elongated, strong. The back is straight, moderately wide; the sternum is of medium size, the ribs are rounded. The neck is moderately curved.
Paws are straight, strong, with rounded, gathered pads and black nails. The elbow and shoulder joints are harmoniously located. Any changes in their slope are considered disadvantages.
The tail, if docked, has a straight vertical position; in the case of natural size, only the lower vertebrae are in the same position, the rest are slightly bent towards the back. In both cases, the tail is covered with short hair, if a decorating hair is observed, then this is a defect of the individual.
The coat is elongated, soft and silky, its length can reach 15 cm. It covers the body of the dog from the croup of the animal to the back of the head; has a blue tint, the color becomes richer closer to the tail of the dog. Possible fawn markings in the paws and under the tail. Falling hair on the face is considered an undesirable phenomenon according to breed standards.
Outwardly, Australian Silky terrier dogs are very similar to Yorkshire Terriers, but the most obvious difference is the bluish and soft coat. The weight of a dog of this breed can vary between 3.5-4.5 kg.
Australian Silky terrier character traits and behaviour
The Australian Silky terrier will become for the owner and his family both an affectionate favorite and a nasty nightmare. It depends on the quality of training and heredity of the dog. Dogs have great intelligence and cunning. Timely socialization, training can help them grow up to be good, obedient pets.
These small dogs are active, attentive, sensitive. The dog is attached to the owner. But in return from the owner, he needs to receive good care. The care of the silky terrier is a daily work, any owner should understand this. The dog should be kept in good physical shape, subject to mental stress.
If a family lives in a house with a vegetable garden, then dug up beds are a must-have for such a dog. He will bark loudly, hunt rodents and bring them as gifts to the owner.
If the upbringing and care are provided on time and correctly, then in the family the dog tries to weigh itself well, respects the owner, obediently obeys commands. Older children make him sympathetic; he easily finds a common language with them.
The Australian Silky terrier will hardly be able to get along with cats and other animals – the hunting instinct will not allow it to live peacefully with such neighbors. But if an experienced owner has the right effect on him, then he can be accustomed to the neighborhood.
It is not advisable to walk him without a leash. He will run after cats due to the hunting instinct, which is difficult to overcome.
The dog must be trained by a person with experience, he must be patient and restrained. When the owner does not have the necessary experience, he can turn to a professional dog handler. He will train the dog. The owner will also receive information on how to properly educate his pet.
The vigor of the The Australian Silky terrier can greatly complicate the training process. The dog is often distracted, does not keep his attention on the same commands.
Raising your voice or physically punishing the dog is undesirable. The dog may become afraid of the owner or become aggressive.
Health
Not everything is going smoothly with health. On the one hand, the Australian Silky Terrier is considered a relatively healthy breed that is not prone to hereditary diseases. Life expectancy with good care is 13-15 years. However, there are a number of problems common to many small breeds, namely:
- Dislocated knee cap – it can move and cause pain when moving; the treatment is quite complex and time consuming;
- Collapse of the trachea – the dog begins to cough, wheeze, sniff, may as a result suffocate to death, is solved by drug therapy or surgery;
- Diabetes mellitus – you should be alerted by frequent urination, weight loss or gain, an increase in appetite – if the diagnosis is confirmed, you will have to keep the dog on a special diet and inject insulin for the rest of your life
- Perters disease or osteochondropathy of the femoral head (aseptic necrosis of the femoral head) – occurs as a result of a violation of the blood supply to the femoral head – sounds quite unpleasant and frightening, but in fact the problem is solved by surgery;
- Dysplasia – but this is already really a byaka, which can seriously ruin the life of the dog and the owner;
- Colds;
- Dental diseases – teeth must be carefully monitored and cleaned regularly;
- Epilepsy;
- Problems with intervertebral discs.
Basic care
The Australian silky terrier has an excellent advantage – shedding in such dogs is minimal, and the coat has no dog smell. But in order for the coat to look appropriate, you need to take good care of it, feed the dog with balanced food.
The choice of the feeding system rests entirely on the shoulders of the owner. It is better if the dry food is of high quality. The food of premium or super premium class is suitable for dogs of long-haired decorative breeds.
To ensure proper grooming of your Australian silky terrier’s coat, you need to choose the right diet and comb the coat every day. Dog bathing should not occur more than once every 6 months or every 2-3 months as needed, contrary to popular advice for bathing your dog every other day or every 3 days. Shampoos should be of high quality, use a rinse aid. Every few months, you need to provide a visit to the salon, which will do a professional grooming, haircut and claw clipping.
In rainy or windy weather, the dog’s coat can quickly become dirty due to the dog’s squat. Before going outside, you need to put on overalls on the dog.
Care for your dog’s eyes, teeth and ears should be equally thorough. Eyes need to be examined every day – hair can stick to them. Every week you need to wipe your ears with oil or a cleaner.
Teeth should be examined for chipping and plaque formation. If the diet is selected correctly, then the teeth have a healthy white color, but in old age, the appearance of tartar is the norm. If it is detected early or is formed too actively, then you need to contact your veterinarian. Cartilage or cleansing sticks can be used to provide proper oral care.
Exercise
A 20-minute walks twice a day will make an adult the Australian Silky Terrier very happy, with a few moments of recreation at home or in the garden.
This dog breed does not need a lot of physical exercise, but they will grow better if they spend quality time with the family.
Mental activity is important for this little dog, to avoid his boredom.
the Australian Silky Terrier does not really like being left alone for long periods of time and would behave better when someone is always at home with him.
Nutrition
Australian silky terriers do not require any specialties, but the food should be healthy and balanced. The dog cannot be fed with leftovers from the master’s table, they may contain spices, smoked meats, fatty or fried foods, which will have a bad effect on the digestion process.
Puppies eat 4 to 6 times a day in fractional portions. As you grow, the number of feedings decreases, and the single dose increases. An adult dog is fed twice a day after walking. The serving should be 20% of the pet’s weight.
The diet of the Australian silky terrier can be made from natural foods or premium dry food that does not contain starches and other additives harmful to the dog. Unlike natural food, they do not need to add vitamins and minerals, since the product is completely balanced and suitable for a healthy diet.
Dry food has its advantages:
- it is balanced and meets the needs of the animals;
- no need to cook food for the dog;
- easy to store;
- do not cause allergies;
- help to keep weight within normal limits.
Recommended products for the Australian silky terrier nutrition:
- lean minced meat or poultry fillets, raw;
- boiled offal (liver, stomach, heart, lungs);
- dairy products several times a week (cottage cheese, natural yogurt, yogurt, kefir, low-fat cheese);
- boiled pulp of sea fish – twice a week;
- porridge is cooked from rice, millet, oatmeal, buckwheat in water or broth, they should be no more than 10% of the total diet;
- it is necessary to add fruits and vegetables to dishes to improve the functioning of the digestive system, as well as herbs – salad, parsley.
Dry food
Balanced food for feeding the Silky Terrier – excellent in all respects. The advantage of feeding industrial feed:
- Balance.
- Requires no additional vitamins or supplements.
- Easy to store.
- Fully meet the needs of the dog.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Contains a sufficient amount – in all trace elements, proteins, carbohydrates.
- Helps maintain weight.
- Not as dangerous as natural products (parasites, freshness).
- Preference for producers of premium food designed for pedigree, medium-sized terriers.
Australian silky terrier Dog Breed Highlights
Positive points
- It is a faithful companion and a loving pet.
- The Australian silky terrier thrives better in a family environment and enjoys being surrounded by people.
- Even though it is small, it is a good watchdog.
- The Australian silky terrier is a good choice for new dog owners.
- It sheds little hair throughout the year
- It is a smart little dog and learns new things quickly.
Negative points
- The Australian silky terrier hates being left alone and suffers from separation anxiety.
- It can develop the “little dog syndrome” if it is too spoiled.
- This breed is known to love the sound of its own voice a little too much.
- It is best for families with older children.
- Like all “terriers”, it has a strong sense of prey.
- It is quite expensive in maintenance.
- The Australian silky terrier has no idea of its size and attacks larger dogs.
Breed history
The Australian Silky Terrier is abbreviated as ” Silky Terrier” – it is a small breed dog obtained by crossing two terriers – Australian and Yorkshire.
The history of the breed began in the 19th century, when the first Yorkshire Terriers were brought into Australia. Such small breeds were highly valued in the country, therefore, to improve the local representatives of Australian terriers, they were crossed with the imported ones. Another important goal was pursued – to get a blue coat.
The breeders’ hopes were justified – the new breed came out to glory, favorably distinguished by the most beautiful coat with a silvery-bluish tint. This wool became the name of the breed – because in translation “silk” means silk.
The world cynological communities quickly appreciated the new breed, and already at the beginning of the 20th century, its representatives could be found at the most prestigious exhibitions. And a little earlier, the standards of these small dogs were approved.
However, over a quarter of a century of its existence, the official standards have been changed more than once, and it became uniform and unchanged only in 1926. Until the middle of the last century, in addition to the main name, pedigree dogs began to be called Sydney-snares.
The intensive spread of the breed around the world began at the end of the 2nd World War, when the demobilized military took these small dogs to their homeland. Thus, the terrier came to the States. There, representatives quickly gained popularity, and dog breeding clubs for snake terriers began to open throughout the country.
