Australian Silky Terrier

Silver and tan or black/blue and tan.

Long, sleek, straight and glossy.

Dark.

The Australian Silky Terrier is a small Terrier (though technically categorised as a toy breed) with adorable short legs. Overall, this is a robust and athletic dog (especially considering its small size) and appears slightly longer than tall. The head is of medium-length and wedge-shaped, while the face boasts small, almond-shaped dark eyes, small, erect, triangular-shaped ears, and long hair falling elegantly down the sides. But the defining feature of the Australian Silky has to be the coat, which is most definitely ‘silky’, perfectly straight and almost human-like in texture.

Looking for a cuddly little lapdog? The Silky Terrier is a great choice. This breed is sweet, loyal and devoted to its owner, though it may not be super affectionate to those outside of its immediate circle.

For such a small dog, the Australian Silky sure has a lot of energy to burn and loves to expend it with daily playtime.

If you’re after a super chilled-out and docile breed, the Silky probably isn’t the right choice. This bold dog is lively and energetic day-in-day-out, but will settle down eventually if well-exercised and content.

The Silky Terrier is well-known for its impressive intelligence and ability to learn quickly. This can mean that she knows your weaknesses, too.

The Silky is a hunter at heart and will chase cats, rabbits, squirrels, rodents and wildlife without fear. It’s best to keep it on a strong lead in public areas unless you’re absolutely certain that your pooch won’t be tempted if a small animal appears.

This breed isn’t necessarily fearful of strangers, but is definitely suspicious of them. Expect it to be aloof and reserved around new faces.

The Australian Terrier is very attached to and dependent on its master.

If well-adjusted, this breed may be able to be left alone for a few hours - but no more. This dog likes to be with its family and is likely to turn into a troublemaker if left alone for too long. 

One of the best things about the Silky Terrier is how easy it is to train. Smart, intelligent and alert, this breed learns quickly with short, interesting training sessions filled with positive reinforcement and rewards.

Beware of the bark! This pup oftens loves the sound of its own voice and will bark whenever it deems it necessary (which, much of the time, it probably isn’t).

Despite the Silky’s hunting instinct, this dog doesn’t really want to stray from its master.

If the Silky isn’t left for too long, and its needs are met, it will be sensible and won’t cause a fuss.

This breed can be greedy with both food and toys. Measure out food daily, go easy on the treats, and don’t be tempted to give into those puppy dog eyes!

The Australian Silky Terrier is naturally protective, alert and territorial, meaning it’ll bark loudly at any intruders - a great little watchdog!

Although this breed can be a little bold and mischievous, it is fairly easy to train and may make a lovely choice for a first-time dog owner who’s willing to put time and effort into training.

The Silky Terrier adapts well to apartment living due to its small size. However, be aware of barking disturbance in blocks of flats - a strong ‘quiet’ command will be essential!

The Australian Silky has a moderate and manageable exercise requirement, though it does require much more exercise than most other toy breeds. Ideally, this energetic breed will receive multiple short walks every day, in order to keep it mentally and physically stimulated. Fetch and other games will go down a treat, too!

This breed makes for a great little travel companion, thanks to its small size and adaptability.

The Silky will get along with cats if it has learnt to love them from a young age.

The Silky can be scrappy towards other dogs, though thorough socialization can help prevent this.

The Silky Terrier can be a great family companion for families with children who understand how to treat dogs.

If an elderly person has experience with dogs (especially Terrier breeds) and is looking for a protective and loyal lapdog, the Australian Silky Terrier is a great choice!

This breed is low-shedding.

This breed has a healthy life span but, like most pure breeds, is prone to certain health problems. The average life expectancy is 13 years.

The Silky is fairly muscular and sturdy for its small size, but should still be kept as an indoor dog.

The Silky can tolerate warm climates but may overheat in extreme heat - always provide cold water and shade.

The Silky should be kept indoors and find alternative exercise solutions during storms or cold spells.

The Australian Silky Terrier doesn’t need all that much food, so it can be easy to overfeed this dog. Be strong willed when it comes to food and don’t give into any canine-style guilt-tripping.

• Diabetes

• Epilepsy

• Allergies

• Tracheal collapse

• Cushing’s disease

The Australian Silky Terrier originates from (you guessed it!) Australia, when breeders mixed the English Yorkshire Terrier with native Australian Terriers in order to produce a more vivid coat. Eventually the ‘Sydney Silky Terrier’ was created, though there were two different standards of the breed. In 1955, the breed was renamed as the Australian Silky Terrier and standardised to prevent further crossbreeding. In its native Australia, the breed remains a popular and well-loved lapdog.