Australian terrier

 

breed of small, hardy terrier perfected in Australia c.1885. It stands about 10 in. (25.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 12 to 14 lb (5.5–6.4 kg). Its weather-resistant double coat consists of a soft, short underlayer and a straight, harsh outercoat about 2.5 in. (6.4 cm) long. It is silver-black or blue-black in color with rich tan markings on the head and legs. The Australian terrier is descended from the now extinct broken-hair, or rough-coated, terrier, a dog of widespread popularity in the early 18th cent. and believed to be the progenitor of many terrier breeds. For show purposes the rough-coated terrier was crossed with several British sporting terriers, probably the cairn, Dandie Dinmont, Irish, and Skye, producing the Australian terrier of today. Originally used to guard mines and herd sheep, it is now primarily raised as a pet. See dog.

Australian Terrier
An adult Australian Terrier
Country of origin
Australia
Common nicknames
Aussie
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 3 Section 2 #008	Stds
AKC:	Terrier	Stds
ANKC:	Group 2 - Terrier	Stds
CKC:	Group 4 - Terriers	Stds
KC (UK):	Terriers	Stds
NZKC:	Terriers	Stds
UKC:	Terriers	Stds

The Australian Terrier is a small breed of dog in the terrier family.

Appearance

The Australian Terrier stands around 25 centimeters high at the withers and weighs around 7 kilograms. It is a low-set dog; the length of its body is longer than its height at the withers. The Aussie has a high-set tail that is not now docked in Australia.

The head of the Australian Terrier is elongated, with a slight stop and pricked ears. The ANKC breed standard describes the dog's look as "hard bitten" and "rugged". The eyes are small, dark, and oval and must have a keen terrier expression. The leather of the nose runs up to the bridge of the muzzle, which is described as "strong".

The dog's coat is rough or harsh to the touch, with a soft undercoat and a distinctive ruff around the neck. Australian Terriers shed little hair. The breed standard specifies that it should be untrimmed, but some prefer to neaten the dog for the show ring. Acceptable colours are blue and tan, red or sandy.

The Australian Terrier has medium sized triangular ears which are very flexible. The ruff around the neck complements its appearance. It is a great companion dog.

Temperament

The Aussie should have the personality of a working terrier; its even disposition and outgoing personality makes it an ideal companion dog.

History

The Australian Terrier was the first native-bred Australian dog to be shown, and the first to be recognized overseas. Its origins are uncertain, but its immediate ancestor was without doubt developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1800s from the precursors of today's British and Scottish terriers. Some of these breeds are now extinct, but the Aussie likely has a mixed ancestry comprising the same dog types that produced today's Yorkshire, Dandie Dinmont, Manchester, Irish, and Cairn terriers.

A new rough-coated terrier was evident in Australia by the late middle-nineteenth century; the selectively-bred terrier was used for rodent and snake control, as a watchdog, and occasionally as a herding dog.

The first Broken-coated Terriers were exhibited in Melbourne in 1868 and the Australian Rough-Coated Terrier Club was founded in Melbourne in 1887. The breed was exhibited as the Australian Terrier, Rough-Coated in 1899. Official breed status was granted in the UK in 1933 and in the US in 1960.

The Australian Terrier was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1969.

Health

There are three completed health surveys for Australian Terriers.^[1] Two surveys, one in 1997 and one in 2002, have been conducted by the Australian Terrier Club of America.^[2] The Club is currently collecting data for their next survey.^[3] The UK Kennel Club has a 2004 survey, but it has a much small sample size than the Australian Terrier Club of America surveys.^[4] Some of the respondents in the American surveys were from Australia, but none of the Australian Terrier clubs in Australia appear to have conducted, or be in the midst of conducting, a survey.

Mortality

In both 1997 and 2002 Australian Terrier Club of America surveys, median longevity of Australian Terriers was 11 years (total sample size of 230 deceased dogs).^[2] In the UK Kennel Club 2004 survey, median longevity was 12.1 years, but the sample size was only 11 deceased dogs.^[4] 11 years is a typical median longevity for purebred dogs in general, but on the low end of longevities for breeds similar in size to Australian Terriers.^[5]

Major causes of death in the 2002 survey were cancer (67%), old age (17%), undetermined (16%), and diabetes (13%).^[2]

Morbidity

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).^[2] Other conditions reported among more than 4% of the surveyed dogs were adult onset cataracts and ear infections.^[2] The much smaller 2004 UKC survey, with 28 living dogs, suggested similar health concerns.^[4]

References

1. ^ http://users.pullman.com/lostriver/breeddata.htm Dog Longevity Web Site, Breed Data page. Compiled by K. M. Cassidy. Retrieved July 8, 2007
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} http://australianterrier.org/survey_02.htm Australian Terrier Club of America. 2002 ATCA Health Survey Results. [Note: There is not a direct link to the ATCA 1997 Health Survey, but the results are discussed extensively in the 2002 Survey Report] Retrieved February 2007
3. ^ http://australianterrier.org Australian Terrier Club of America home page. Retrieved July 13, 2007
4. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570 Kennel Club/British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee. 2004. Purebred Dog Health Survey. Retrieved July 5, 2007
5. ^ http://users.pullman.com/lostriver/weight_and_lifespan.htm Dog Longevity Web Site, Weight and Longevity page. Compiled by K. M. Cassidy. Retrieved July 5, 2007

External links

Australian Terrier Club of America

The Australian Terrier Club of South Australia

Terriers
Hunting terriers	Airedale Terrier  · Australian Terrier  · Bedlington Terrier  · Black and Tan Terrier  · Border Terrier  · Brazilian Terrier  · Cairn Terrier  · Cesky Terrier  · Chilean Fox Terrier  · Dandie Dinmont Terrier  · Fox Terrier (Smooth)  · Fox Terrier (Wire)  · Glen of Imaal Terrier  · Irish Terrier  · Jagdterrier  · Kerry Blue Terrier  · Lakeland Terrier  · Manchester Terrier  · Norfolk Terrier  · Norwich Terrier  · Rat Terrier  · Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz  · Scottish Terrier  · Sealyham Terrier  · Skye Terrier  · Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier  · Teddy Roosevelt Terrier  · Welsh Terrier  · West Highland White Terrier
Dog fighting terriers	American Pit Bull Terrier  · American Staffordshire Terrier  · Bull Terrier  · Irish Bull Terrier  · Irish Staffordshire Terrier  · Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Companion terriers & toy terriers	American Hairless Terrier  · Australian Silky Terrier  · Boston terrier  · Bull Terrier (Miniature)  · English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)  · Japanese Terrier  · Miniature Fox Terrier  · Toy Fox Terrier  · Toy Manchester Terrier  · Yorkshire Terrier
Working terriers	Black and Tan Terrier  · Jack Russell Terrier  · Parson Russell Terrier  · Patterdale Terrier  · Plummer Terrier  · Puddin Jack  · Russell Terrier

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