The Australian Silky Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier dog type. The breed was developed in Australia, although the ancestral types and breeds were from Great Britain.
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.
The Australian Silky Terrier is a small and compact short legged terrier, 23 to 26 cms (9 to 10 ins) at the withers, alert and active. The long silky blue and tan coat is an identifying feature, hanging straight and parted along the back, and described as "flat, fine and glossy".
All proportions and aspects of the body and head as well as desirable shades of blue and tan and placement of markings are extensively described in the breed standard.
A Silky Terrier with handler at a show, illustrating the dog's size and coat. The ancestors of the Australian Silky Terrier were from the same background as the Australian Terrier, although there are few records to 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 began at the end of the 1800s when Yorkshire Terriers were crossed with the Australian Terriers. 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 recognized by the Australian National Kennel Council in 1958 in the Toy Group.
During and after World War II American servicemen that had been stationed in Australia brought back to the United States 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 recognized the breed as the Silky Terrier in 1959, as did the United Kennel Club (US) in 1965; it is also recognized as the Silky Terrier by the Canadian Kennel Club. The breed is recognized by all the major kennel clubs in the English speaking world.
If you can't find a local breeder in your area don't worry, many breeders are using the major airlines like American, Delta, Continental and Northwest airlines for shipping their puppies.
At this time the airlines will ship puppies to the following States: Alabama AL - Alaska AK - Arizona AZ - Arkansas AR - California CA - Colorado CO - Connecticut CT - Delaware DE - Florida FL - Georgia GA - Hawaii HI - Idaho ID - Illinois IL - Indiana IN - Iowa IA - Kansas KS - Kentucky KY - Louisiana LA - Maine ME - Maryland MD - Massachusetts MA - Michigan MI - Minnesota MN - Mississippi MS - Missouri MO - Montana MT - Nebraska NE - Nevada NV - New Hampshire NH - New Jersey NJ - New Mexico NM - New York NY - North Carolina NC - North Dakota ND - Ohio OH - Oklahoma OK - Oregon OR - Pennsylvania PA - Rhode Island RI - South Carolina SC - South Dakota SD - Tennessee TN - Texas TX - Utah UT - Vermont VT - Virginia VA - Washington WA - Washington, D.C. - West Virginia WV - Wisconsin WI - Wyoming WY - Hawaii HI.
Silky Terrier Dog doing Tricks
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