Silky Terrier

Silky Terrier
History:

Country/Date of Origin: Australia/19th Century

This feisty little terrier was created in Sidney, Australia by crossing Australian Terriers with Yorkshire Terriers. It got its diminutive size from the Yorkie and its ruggedness and spirit from the Aussie Terrier. It was first shown in 1907 as the Sidney Silky. The first representatives of the breed were imported to the United States in the 1950s and it was accepted for registration by the American Kennel Club in 1959.

 Other Names Body Type Personality Coat Health Concerns

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Sidney Silky, Australian Silky Terrier

AKC Group: Toy

Breed Club: Silky Terrier Club of America

Rescue Club: Sally Stevens 540-961-0309, SilkyRescue@yahoo.com; Marge Gagliardi 760-375-4735 anahab@ridgenet.net

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Body Type:

  • A small terrier type dog with a long, lightly built body
  • Height: 9-10 inches (at shoulder)
  • Weight: 8-11 pounds
  • Tail is docked and carried erect or semi-erect
  • Small prick ears are held erect and not altered

Personality:

  • A bundle of energy with a true terrier spirit
  • One-family dog. Does not like strangers
  • Noisy
  • Makes a good watchdog
  • Possessive of its people and territory
  • Likes to get its own way - and usually does because it is so insistent
  • Difficult to train

Coat:

  • The fine, silky single coat that gives the dog its name is long on the body and head and short on the face, ears and lower legs
  • Silky Terriers must be a blue and tan color. The blue varies from gunmetal to slate or silver blue
  • Coat is parted on the head and down over the back to the root of the tail.
  • Not much shedding but coat mats easily

Health Concerns:

  • Generally healthy
  • Teeth problems
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Tasty Tidbits:
  • Not suggested for children
  • Wants to be boss
  • Very quick moving. Makes an excellent snake killer in its native Australia
  • This is a small terrier not a toy dog in spite of the way the American Kennel Club classifies it. Sturdy, robust and fiery in nature, there is nothing delicate about this dog. It is a lot of dog in a little package
  • The relative rarity of the Silky Terrier makes puppies hard to find