Australian Terrier

		Australian Terrier
		FCI standard Nº 8

Origin		Australia
Group		Group 3 Terriers
Section		Section 2 Small-sized Terriers
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Thursday 20 June 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Monday 08 October 2012
Last update		Wednesday 05 December 2012
En français, cette race se dit		Terrier australien
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Australischer Terrier
En español, esta raza se dice		Terrier australiano
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Australian Terrier

Usage

One of the smallest of the working Terriers, was bred to be both a helper and companion in rough times and terrain.

Brief historical summary

Although produced from British ancestors, the Australian Terrier is one of the few breeds in the terrier group to have been developed outside the United Kingdom. It can also rightly claim to be the first breed developed in Australia. It appears reasonably certain that both the Australian Silky Terrier and Australian Terrier had a common ancestry from stock in Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria, namely the Broken Coated Terriers. It is assumed this type of dog originated from a mixture of British breeds, namely: the Skye Terrier, Scottish Terrier (Aberdeen) and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. At intervals the Yorkshire Terrier was introduced. It is reported that in the early 1800's free settlers around Campbelltown and Ross in Tasmania were breeding broken coated dogs of a blue sheen body colour and tan markings. They were renowned for their prowess as watchdogs and weighed about ten pounds.

General appearance

A sturdy low-set dog, rather long in proportion to height with strong Terrier character, alertness, activity and soundness. Its untrimmed, harsh coat with definite ruff around the neck extending to the breastbone and its long strong head assist in developing its hard bitten, rugged appearance.

Behaviour / temperament

Essentially a working terrier, but its loyalty and even disposition make it equally suitable as a companion dog.

Head
Cranial region
Skull		Long, flat, of moderate width, full between the eyes. Covered with a soft topknot.
Stop		Slight but definite.

Facial region
Nose		Black, of moderate size, the leather extending to the bridge of muzzle.
Muzzle		Strong and powerful, equal in length to that of the skull; the muzzle must be strong and not fall away under the eyes. The length and strength of the muzzle are essential to give the strong, punishing jaw.
Lips		Black, tight and clean.
Jaws and teeth		aws strong and punishing, teeth large and evenly spaced, the upper incisors fitting closely over the lower (scissor bite).
Eyes		The eyes shall be small, oval, with keen expression, and of dark brown colour, set well apart and not prominent.
Ears		The ears are small, erect, pointed, well carried, set on moderately wide, free from long hair and sensitive in their use (puppies under six months excepted).

Neck

The neck is of good length, slightly arched, strong and flowing into the well angulated (well-laid) shoulders.

Body
Body		Long in proportion to height, strongly constructed. In considering the body, attention must be paid to the opening description, "a sturdy low set dog, rather long in proportion to height".
Back		Level topline.
Loin		Strong.
Chest		Of moderate depth and width, with well sprung ribs. Forechest well developed, brisket relatively deep.

Tail

Traditionally docked. Whether docked or natural, the tail should be set on high, and well carried, but not over the back.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Well boned, straight and parallel when viewed from the front. The legs are slightly feathered towards the wrist.
Pastern		Strong, without slope.
Forefeet		Small, round, compact, well padded, toes closely knit and moderately arched. Turned neither in nor out, with strong black or dark toenails.

Hindquarters
Generality		Moderate length of quarters, broad. Viewed from behind they should be parallel from hock to feet, neither too wide nor too close.
Upper thigh		Strong and muscular.
Stifle		Well turned.
Hock		Well bent and let down.
Hind feet		Small, round, compact, well padded, toes closely knit and moderately arched. Turned neither in nor out, with strong black or dark toenails.

Gait and movement

The action to be free, true, springy and forceful. When viewed from the front, the forelegs should move truly without looseness of shoulder, elbows or pasterns. The hindquarters to have drive and power, with free movement of stifles and hocks. Viewed from the rear the legs from the hocks to the ground to be parallel, neither too close nor too wide.

Coat
Hair		The body coat consists of a harsh straight dense top coat approximately 6 cms long with short soft textured undercoat. The muzzle, lower legs and feet to be free from long hair.
Colour		a) Blue, steel blue or dark grey blue, with rich tan (not sandy) on face, ears, under body, lower legs and feet and around vent puppies excepted). The richer the colour and more clearly defined the better. Smuttiness is objectionable. Topknot blue, silver or a lighter shade than head colour. b) Clear sandy or red, any smuttiness or dark shadings objectionable. A topknot of a lighter shade is acceptable. In any colour, white markings on chest or feet must be penalised.

Size and weight
Height at withers		The desirable height is approximately 25 cms, with bitches slightly less.
Weight		The desirable weight is approximately 6,5 kgs for dogs, with bitches slightly less.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

The Australian Terrier or "Aussie", as it's known colloquially, is the only true Terrier born out of the UK. It comes from successive crossings, in conditions and proportions today very difficult to determine, between several breeds of Terriers introduced on the Australian continent by the British settlers: Cairn Terrier, Skye Terrier and Dandie Dinmont, of Scotland, then Irish Red and Irish Black and Tan, from Ireland, and finally Yorkshire Terrier, from England. Remarkably due perhaps more to the isolation of Australia and the poverty of its canine herd than to a deliberate policy of the breeders, it would seem that this enumeration is limiting and that, since its fixation, the race has not received no blood foreign to that of its original parents.

It was at the Sydney exhibition in 1885 that the Australian Terrier made its first official appearance, under the name it still bears today, but it is likely that it had already participated under other names. and in particular under that of Broken coated Terrier to dog shows organized in Australia since 1864.

The first club of the Australian Terrier was founded at the end of the XIXth century on the continent of origin of the race, and it is from the rest of this time which date the first exports of subjects towards the United States (1895) and to Great Britain (1906). But it was not until 1921 and the promotion of the race undertaken in England, by Lady Stradbroke, wife of the former governor of the State of Victoria, so that is created the British Club of the Australian Terrier and for a breed standard the way of the day.

It was finally in 1933 that the Aussie was recognized by the Stud Book of the Kennel Club in London and in 1960 that it was admitted by the American Kennel Club, even though a club of the race had been working in New York since 1956 The reasons for the long probationary period imposed on the Australian Terrier in both the Old and New Worlds are no doubt due in large part to the remoteness of his birthplace, but it must also be acknowledged that certain heterogeneity of the subjects. which for a long time made it difficult to define a specific type.

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Australian Terrier