| Australian Terriers: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Australian Terrier personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Australian Terrier, including these excerpts:
"The AKC Standard calls him "spirited, alert, courageous, and self-confident, with the natural aggressiveness of a ratter and hedge hunter."
One of the most sensible and least demanding of the terriers, the Australian is nonetheless as hardy and spunky as the rest.
He is so adaptable that he's easy to live with in any home that understands the dynamic terrier temperament and provides enough companionship, outdoor walks, and vigorous play sessions.
Though small, the Australian Terrier is an alert watchdog with keen senses, reserved but polite with strangers.
Though he can be scrappy with other dogs of the same sex, most Australian Terriers are willing to coexist peacefully with other pets. But they can be bossy and they are chasers, bred to pursue anything that runs.
Quick to learn and usually eager to please (though he definitely has his independent moments and must be taught who is in charge), he responds well to obedience training that utilizes food and praise more than jerking around.
As befits their heritage, some Australian Terriers are born diggers. Some can be barky, though in general this breed is quieter than most terriers."
History
As you might have guessed, this little hunter of rats and snakes was developed in Australia.
Size
10-11 inches and 12-18 lbs |
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Australian Terriers
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is small, yet tough and sturdy -- not a delicate lapdog
- Has a natural appearance
- Needs only moderate exercise
- Makes a keen watchdog
- Doesn't shed too much
- Co-exists with other pets more willingly than some other terriers
An Australian Terrier may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- The dynamic terrier temperament (see full description below)
- Providing enough exercise and activities to keep them busy
- Aggression toward other animals -- chasing instincts
- Stubbornness
- Digging holes
- Barking
- Regular brushing and clipping of the wiry coat
- Waiting lists (hard to find)
An Australian Terrier may not be right for you.
| If I were considering an Australian Terrier... |
My major concerns would be:
- The dynamic terrier temperament. Most terrier breeds are remarkably similar. The same words are used over and over -- quick to bark, quick to chase, lively, bossy, feisty, scrappy, clever, independent, stubborn, persistent, impulsive, intense.
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Australian Terriers are active go-getters. They MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to use their busy minds to do interesting things.
| Terriers were never intended to be simply household pets. I strongly recommend that you get your Australian Terrier involved in obedience classes at the intermediate or advanced level, in agility (an obstacle course for dogs), or in an earth dog club (terriers dig and tunnel after small critters who are secured in a sturdy cage so they can't be harmed). |
- Animal aggression. Australian Terriers are less scrappy toward strange dogs than many other terrier breeds, but they are still a determined force to reckon with if they decide to initiate or accept a challenge to fight. Most terriers have strong instincts to chase and seize small fleeing creatures. This can make for conflict if you own a cat. It may be much worse than that if you own a pet rabbit or hamster!
| Terriers cannot be trusted off-leash. They will take off -- oblivious to your frantic shouts -- after anything that runs. |
- Fence security. Many terriers are clever escape artists who will go over or under fences in search of adventure. You may need higher fences than you might imagine for their small size. You may also need to sink wire into the ground along the fence line to thwart digging. Gates should have the highest quality locks.
- Barking. Terriers are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them. If you work all day and have close neighbors, terriers are not the best choice for you. For the same reason, terriers should NEVER be left outside in your yard, unsupervised. To make matters worse, some terriers have high-pitched barks that can set your teeth on edge.
- Mind of their own. Australian Terriers are not Golden Retrievers. Though they are more amenable to training than many other terriers, they must still be taught at an early age that they are not the rulers of the world. The toughness that makes them suited to killing vermin can frustrate you when you try to teach them anything. Terriers can be stubborn and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Defensive reactions. If you need to physically chastise a terrier, and you go beyond what THEY believe is a fair correction, terriers (as a group) are more likely than other breeds to growl or snap. It may be because they were bred to become more fierce when their prey fought back, i.e. terriers are apt to "return pain" if they "receive pain." As an obedience instructor, I'm always extra careful when putting my hands on any terrier for a correction.
| I do NOT recommend terriers for small children. Many terriers will not tolerate any nonsense from little life forms whom they consider to be below themselves in importance. Many terriers are quick to react to teasing, and even to the normal clumsiness that comes with small children (accidental squeezing of their ears or pulling of whiskers or stepping on their paw). Many terriers are possessive of their food and toys and will defend these from all comers, including children. |
- Grooming. To keep their wiry coat free of mats, Australian Terriers require regular brushing, and also clipping and trimming every few months.
- Finding one. In the United States, less than 500 new Australian Terrier puppies are registered each year. Compare that to over 60,000 new Golden Retriever puppies!
| Not all Australian Terriers are alike! |
- There are energetic Aussies, and placid Aussies.
- Hard-headed Aussies, and sweet-natured Aussies.
- Serious Aussies, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Aussies, and Aussies who love everyone.
| If you acquire an Australian Terrier puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Australian Terrier... |
There are plenty of adult Australian Terriers who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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