History Australian Silky Terrier - Breed Standart - Yorkshire Terriers and Silky Terriers

THE AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER "HISTORY"

"The Only Australian Toy Dog"

ARTICLE RESEARCHED BY HELMUT DRESSLER AND BRETT WALTHER FOR THE -

AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER WEB CLUB OF QUEENSLAND.

MANY DIFFERENT THEORIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN OVER THE YEARS REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF THE AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER. THE TRUE ORIGIN IS CLOUDED BECAUSE LITTLE, IF ANY TRUE RECORDS EXIST FROM THE LATE 19TH CENTURY WHEN THE SILKY FIRST APPEARED. IN THE EARLY COLONIAL DAYS, TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND TOOK MANY MONTHS. SPACE ON THE SHIPS WAS RESTRICTED , AS WAS THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT COULD BE CARRIED . SO EXCEPT FOR A FEW WORKING DOGS. MOST-CARRIED BREEDS ON THE SHIPS WERE SHORT-LEGGED TERRIERS, SUCH AS THE SANDY ROUGH COATED SCOTCH TERRIER, PAISLEY TERRIER, SKYE TERRIER, CLYDESDALE TERRIER AND WATERSIDE TERRIER. ROSENEATH -TERRIER, THESE WERE INTERBRED OVER THE YEARS TO PRODUCE A BROKEN -COATED TERRIER. FROM THIS STAGE THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES REGARDING THE PRODUCTION OF THE SILKY TERRIER. ONE THEORY IS THAT IN THE EARLY 1800" S BROKEN- COATED DOGS WITH A BLUE BODY COLOUR AND TAN MARKINGS WERE DEVELOPED IN TASMANIA. THEY WERE EXCELLENT WATCH DOGS, ALERT AND WITH AN INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO BARK AT ANY APPROACHING STRANGERS. WERE EXPORTED TO ENGLAND. BETWEEN 1820-1830 SOME BROKEN-COATED TERRIERS THESE WERE MATED WITH THE DANDY DIN MONT TERRIER. SOME OF THESE OFFSPRING WERE IMPORTED BACK TO AUSTRALIA BY MR. MAC ARTHUR LITTLE. THE RESULT CAN BE SEEN IN THE SOFT SILVER TOP KNOT OF THE AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER. SEVERAL HAD DEVELOPED A SOFTER COAT AND WERE REFERRED TO AS THE SOFT SILKY BLUE COATED TERRIER. IN FOLLOWING YEARS, TWO SEPARATE STRAINS OF TERRIERS WERE DEVELOPED, ONE THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER AND THE OTHER SOFT- COATED TERRIER ALTHOUGH SIMILAR IN COLOUR. IN THE EARLY 1900"S FANCIERS OF THESE SOFT-COATED TERRIERS PREFERRED A LONGER AND EVEN SOFTER AND SMOOTHER COAT TO ENHANCE THE DOGS' ATTRACTIVENESS AND DRAW IT AWAY FROM THE RUGGED TERRIER APPEARANCE. THIS IS WHERE THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER WAS INTRODUCED TO THE SOFT-COATED AUSTRALIAN - TYPE TERRIER TO PRODUCE THE AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER. THE SECOND THEORY STILL FOLLOWS THE THOUGHT THAT THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER ORIGINATED FROM THE CROSS BREEDING OF THE BROKEN-COATED TERRIER AND THE DANDY DIN MONT TERRIER. THIS RESULTED IN THE EARLY AUSTRALIAN TERRIERS HAVING A SOFT SILKY SILVER TOP KNOT. YEARS LATER THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER BREEDERS CROSS BRED LARGER YORKSHIRE TERRIERS WITH THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER TO IMPROVE THE BLUE AND TAN COLOURING WHICH WAS LACKING. THE RESULTS OF THESE MATING'S INTRODUCED A NEW BREED, THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER. THE CROSS BREEDING BETWEEN THE THREE BREEDS CONTINUED FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL PROHIBITED. IN 1904 A SILKY TERRIER AND YORKSHIRE TERRIER CLUB WAS FORMED IN MELBOURNE, WHERE A BREED STANDARD WAS WRITTEN FOR BOTH BREEDS. SYDNEY FOLLOWED WITH THEIR OWN SILKY- AND STANDARD TWO YEARS LATER. IN 1932 THE KENNEL CONTROL COUNCIL OF VICTORIA PROHIBITED CROSS BREEDING BETWEEN THE SILKY, AUSTRALIAN TERRIER AND YORKSHIRE TERRIER TO PROTECT BREED IDENTITY, AS SMALL SILKY TERRIERS WERE BECOMING DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE FROM LARGE YORKSHIRE TERRIERS. ON 30TH MARCH 1959 THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL KENNEL COUNCIL APPROVED AND ADOPTED A STANDARD FOR THE BREED AND CHANGED THE NAME TO THE AUSTRALIAN -SILKY -TERRIER. DURING THE DRAFTING OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD, THE SICKIE'S WERE WEIGHED, MEASURED IN HEIGHT AND SIZE, COLOUR WAS DEFINED AS BLUE AND TAN OR GREY BLUE AND TAN AND BODY CONFORMATION WAS DEFINED. THE STANDARD WAS LATER AMENDED IN THE 1970'S TO INCLUDE A FAWN TOP KNOT AS ACCEPTABLE. SEVERAL OTHER THEORIES EXIST, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT PART OF BOTH STORIES ARE NON-FICTION AND COMBINE TO REPRESENT THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER - WHO KNOWS ??!! A

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Australia Silky Terrier Breed Standard

AUSTRALIAN - NATIONAL - KENNEL- COUNCIL-->

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

Last Updated: 22 May 2009 (Group 1 (Toys)

General Appearance: The dog is compact, moderately low set, of medium length with a refined structure but of sufficient substance to suggest the ability to hunt and kill domestic rodents.The parted, straight silky hair presents a well-groomed appearance.

Characteristics: It should display Terrier characteristics, embodying keen alertness, activity and soundness.

Temperament: (See under Characteristics)

Head And Skull: Of moderate length, slightly shorter from the tip of the nose to between the eyes than from the same position to the occiput. The head must be strong and of Terrier character, being moderately broad between the ears; the skull flat and without fullness between the eyes, with fine silky top-knot, not falling over the eyes, (a long fall of hair on the fore-face or cheeks is very objectionable.) Nose black.

Eyes: Shall be small oval never round or prominent, dark as possible in colour with a keen intelligent expression.

Ears: Should be small, V-shaped with fine leather, set high on the skull, pricked, and entirely free from long hair.

Mouth: Strong jaws, teeth even and not cramped, the upper incisors fitting closely over the lower (scissor-bite). Lips tight and clean.

Neck: Medium length, refined and slightly crested, fitting gracefully into the shoulders. Well covered with long silky hair.

Forequarters: Shoulders fine and well laid back, fitting with well an-gulated upper arms snugly to the ribs. Elbows turned neither in nor out.
The forelegs have refined, round bone and are straight and set well under the body with no weakness in the pasterns.

Body: Should be moderately long in proportion to the height of the dog. Level top line at all times (both standing and moving), well sprung ribs extending back to strong loins. Chest of moderate depth and breadth. A top line showing a roach or dip is a serious fault.

Hindquarters: The thighs must be well developed and the stifles should be well turned and the hocks well bent. When viewed from the behind the hocks should be well let down and parallel with each other.

Feet: Small, well padded, cat-like with closely knit toes, the toenails must be black or very dark.

Tail: Docked: Set on high and carried erect, but not over-gay. Should be free of feathering.

Undocked: The first three vertebrae to be carried erect, the balance to be carried erect or slightly curved, but not over-gay. Must not be curled. The length to give an overall balanced appearance. In accordance with the docked description the un-docked tail to be free of feathering.

Gait/Movement: The movement should be free and true without slackness at shoulders or elbows, there should be no turning in nor out of the feet or pasterns. The hindquarters should have strong propelling power with ample flexibility at stifles and hocks. Viewed from behind the movement should be neither too close nor too wide.

Coat: Must be flat, fine and glossy and of a silky texture. The length of coat must not be so long as to impede the dog's action and should allows daylight to be seen under the dog.The front and rear feet to be free from long hair.

Colour: All shades of blue and tan are acceptable ,the richer these colours and more clearly defined the better. Silver and “white” not acceptable. Blue on the tail to be very dark. Silver blue or fawn top-knot desirable. Distribution of blue and tan as follows: tan around the base of the ears, muzzle and on the sides of the cheeks; blue from the base of the skull to tip of tail, running down the forelegs to near the knees and down the thighs to the hocks; tan line showing down the stifles and from the knees and hocks to the toes and around the vent.
The blue body colour should be free from tan or bronzing.Tan markings must be free from smuttiness. Black colouring is permissible in puppies, blue colour must be established by 18 months of age.

Sizes: / Height: Dogs - 23 to 26 cm (9 to 10.5 ins) at the withers, Bitches can be slightly Les Weight: Weight in proportion to height.

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 upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Notes: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles Fully descended into the scrotum. (Last Updated: 22 May 2009)

EDUCATING- NOTE ! Approximately: Much like; resembling, to bring near Moderately: Within reasonable limits. /
Slightly: Near equals. / Desirable: Having pleasing. Moderately Long: To a moderate degree without excess.