The Australian Silky Terrier or simply Silky Terrier (depending on the

breed registry A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeder ...

) is a small

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

of dog of the

terrier Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...

dog type Dog types are broad categories of domestic dogs based on form, function, or style of work, lineage, or appearance. Some may be locally adapted dog types (or '' landraces'') that may have the visual characteristics of a modern purebred dog. In ...

. The breed was developed in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, although the ancestral types and breeds were from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

. It is closely related to the Australian Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier. The breed is called the ''Silky Terrier'' in North America, but is called the ''Australian Silky Terrier'' in its country of origin and in the rest of the world.

Appearance

The Australian Silky Terrier is a small and compact short-legged terrier, at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

, alert and active. The long silky grey and white or blue and tan

coat A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, ...

is an identifying feature, hanging straight and parted along the back, and described as "flat, fine and glossy".New Zealand Kennel Club, Australian Silky Terrier
All proportions and aspects of the body and head as well as desirable shades of grey and white and placement of markings are extensively described in the breed standard. The Silky Terrier should be slightly longer than tall (about one fifth longer than the height at withers). This is a dog that was historically used for hunting and killing rodents and snakes, so its body should have enough substance to fit this role. The coat requires quite a lot of regular grooming and shampooing to retain its silkiness. The Silky Terrier has a strong, wedge-shaped head. The eyes are small and almond-shaped. According to the standards, light-colored eyes are considered a fault. The ears are small and carried erect. The Silky Terrier has a high-set tail and small, almost catlike, feet. The coat should be long, but not so long AS to approach floor length. The hair on the face and ears is normally cut.

History

The ancestors of the Australian Silky Terrier include the Yorkshire Terrier and the Australian Terrier (which descends from the rough coated type terriers brought from Great Britain to Australia in the early 19th century); few records indicate whether early dogs were just Australian Terriers born with silky fur, or whether there was an attempt to create a separate breed. According to the American Kennel Club, the breed was created at the end of the 19th century when Yorkshire Terriers were crossed with Australian Terriers.Silky Terrier, American Kennel Club
/ref> At first the breed was known as the Sydney Silky, as it was found primarily in the city of Sydney, Australia. Although most other Australian breeds were working dogs, the Silky Terrier was bred primarily to be an urban pet and companion, although it is also known for killing snakes in Australia. Up until 1929 the Australian Terrier, the Australian Silky Terrier, and the Yorkshire Terrier were not clearly defined. Dogs of three different breeds might be born in the same litter, to be separated by appearance into the different types once they were grown. After 1932 in Australia, further crossbreeding was discouraged, and in 1955 the breed's name officially became the Australian Silky Terrier. The breed was recognised by the

Australian National Kennel Council The Australian National Kennel Council is the coordinating kennel club of Australia.Encyclopedia Britannica"Dog breeds", ''www.britannica.com'' retrieved 23 December 2018. It is a member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Role The ...

in 1958 in the

Toy Group Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include spaniels, pinschers and terriers that have b ...

. During and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

American servicemen who had been stationed in Australia brought back to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

a few Silky Terriers. Newspaper photographs of the breed in 1954 caused an upsurge of popularity and hundreds of Silkies were imported from Australia to the United States. The

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Ke ...

recognised the breed as the Silky Terrier in 1959, as did the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to individ ...

(US) in 1965 where it is shown as a Terrier; it is also recognised as the Silky Terrier by the

Canadian Kennel Club The Canadian Kennel Club (or CKC), founded in 1888 and chartered under the Animal Purebred Act, is one of the national kennel clubs of Canada. It maintains breed registry, breed registries services for those purebred dogs approved for its control b ...

. The breed is recognised by all the major kennel clubs in the English speaking world, and internationally by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

as breed number 236. It may also be recognised by various minor kennel clubs and internet breed registry businesses.

Breed Groups

The Australian Silky Terrier is a terrier, but is usually placed in the

rather than the

Terrier Group Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary g ...

due to its small size. As breed groupings are done mostly to organise groups of breeds for dog shows, it is safer for the little dogs to be with others their own size, rather than with larger dogs. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale has a special section of the Terrier Group that includes only the smallest dogs, while other kennel clubs place the breed in the Toy Group, but it is universally agreed that the breed's type is Terrier.

Temperament

The

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

describe the ideal Australian Silky Terrier temperament as keenly alert and active. They love to be given chances to run and play, but must have a tightly fenced yard. They also enjoy brisk walks and playing ball. The Silky is able to do well in an apartment, although they are also an active indoor breed. It is important they are kept busy and social to discourage boredom. In a survey administered by Dogs 101, ninety-one small breed dogs (16 inches tall and under 22 lbs) were ranked by ability to learn quickly - the Silky Terrier placed in the top twenty. However, training one can be difficult, as this breed is often stubborn and deliberately willful. They are more independent than other toy breeds, yet are affectionate and loyal to their owners. They bark readily, especially when greeting strangers.

Care

The Silky Terrier's coat is highly susceptible to tangles and matting and requires daily brushing and combing. This breed requires a deep commitment from the owners. To keep the coat lustrous, regular shampooing is necessary. Use of an aloe and oatmeal shampoo helps alleviate the itchy, dry skin of this breed. This particular breed should be groomed regularly. Care should also be taken while grooming near the neck area, and a harness leash should be used to protect the Silky Terrier from

tracheal collapse Tracheal collapse in dogs is a condition characterized by incomplete formation or weakening of the cartilaginous rings of the trachea resulting in flattening of the trachea. It can be congenital or acquired, and extrathoracic or intrathoracic ...

References

External links

International Australian Silky Terrier database
* {{Authority control FCI breeds Terriers Toy dogs Companion dogs Dog breeds originating in Australia