Dog Breed Guide
Australian Terrier
Profile
- Size
- Small
- Country of origin
- Australia
- Origin
- 19th century
- Bred for
- Killing rats and snakes, Watchdog
- Height
- about 25cm (10in)
- Weight
- about 6.5kg (14lb)
- Life span
- 12 - 15 years
A small terrier with a rough, harsh coat, a ruff around the neck and a soft topknot on the head. Colors are blue and tan, sandy and red.
Bright, brave and self-assured, the Aussie Terrier is affectionate with its family and loves doing things with its owner. Like any terrier it has a strong instinct to chase small animals, and it barks to announce strangers and noises.
Small but tough, it needs a fair amount of exercise. The coat sheds little and is relatively easy to care for. It is an easy terrier to live with, content with daily walks and play.
Good to know
It is one of the first breeds developed in Australia. In the 19th century it was created by crossing the various terriers that British settlers brought with them, and it worked as a watchdog that killed rats and snakes on farms in the rugged bush. When killing a snake, it is said to have learned a unique technique of leaping up, twisting and pouncing from above.
It was first exhibited in Melbourne in 1868 and, as the first native breed recognized in its homeland, it is sometimes called "Australia's dog."
The Kennel Club in Britain recognized it in 1933, and the American Kennel Club in 1960. At the time it made news as the first new breed added to the Terrier Group in more than 20 years.