Australian Terrier
One of the smallest working terriers, kept on Australian farms for rats and snakes. The harsh coat is weatherproof and needs no trimming.
Overview
The Australian Terrier was developed in Australia from British working terriers to deal with rats, snakes and other vermin on farms and in mines, and it was the first Australian breed recognised in its own country.
It is small, ten to eleven inches and around fifteen to twenty pounds, with a harsh weatherproof coat and a distinctive ruff. It is a working terrier in a compact package rather than a toy dog.
Temperament
Confident, alert and busy. Australian Terriers are affectionate with their families, good with children and generally more even tempered than many terriers.
The prey drive is real and it applies to anything small and moving. They are also diggers and barkers, both of which come with the job description. They are more biddable than most terriers and they enjoy training.
Care and grooming
The harsh coat needs a weekly brush and occasional hand stripping, and it should not be clipped, because clipping softens the texture permanently. They shed very little.
Bathing too often strips the weatherproofing, so it is done rarely. Patellar luxation, diabetes and Legg Calve Perthes disease occur in the breed.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes to an hour a day plus play. They adapt to flats given the exercise.
They are alert watchdogs and they bark at things, and a secure garden matters because they dig. They are one of the longer lived small breeds at eleven to fifteen years.
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