Breed library

Australian Terrier

Australian Terrier photograph.
Australian Terrier adult male.jpg - Chuck in MA. Public domain. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Terrier_adult_male.jpg. License: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Terrier_adult_male.jpg#Licensing. License: Public domain.

Breed overview

The Australian Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier type. The breed was developed in Australia, although the ancestral types of dogs from which the breed descends were from Great Britain.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: AustraliaBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The Australian Terrier is descended from the rough coated type terriers brought from Great Britain to Australia in the early 19th century.
  • The ancestral types of all of these breeds were kept to eradicate mice and rats.
  • The Australian Terrier shares ancestors with the Cairn Terrier, Shorthaired Skye Terrier, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier; Yorkshire Terriers and Irish Terriers were also crossed into the dog during the breed's development.
  • Development of the breed began in Australia about 1820, and the dogs were at first called the Rough Coated Terrier.
  • The breed was officially recognised in 1850, and later renamed as the Australian Terrier in 1892.

Size and appearance

The Australian Terrier is a small dog with short legs, weighing around 6.5 kg and standing about 25 cm at the withers, with a medium length shaggy harsh double coat that is not normally trimmed. Fur is shorter on the muzzle, lower legs, and feet, and there is a ruff around the neck. The tail was traditionally docked, in order to protect the dog from spinal injury while working and hunting in the field.

  • Body mass reference: 6.5 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 6.5 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: 6.5 kgBreed reference body mass.
  • Height reference: 25 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 25 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 25 cmBreed reference height.
  • Height category: short
  • Weight category: small

Personality and behavior

The breed standard describes the ideal Australian Terrier temperament as spirited, alert, "with the natural aggressiveness of a ratter and hedge hunter".

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

The Australian Terrier is descended from the rough coated type terriers brought from Great Britain to Australia in the early 19th century. The ancestral types of all of these breeds were kept to eradicate mice and rats. The Australian Terrier shares ancestors with the Cairn Terrier, Shorthaired Skye Terrier, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier; Yorkshire Terriers and Irish Terriers were also crossed into the dog during the breed's development. Development of the breed began in Australia about 1820, and the dogs were at first called the Rough Coated Terrier. The breed was officially recognised in 1850, and later renamed as the Australian Terrier in 1892. The Australian Terrier was shown at a dog show for the first time in 1906 in Melbourne, and was also shown in Great Britain about the same time.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Australian Terrier - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Australian Terrier, revision 1370265693. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Terrier&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Australian Terrier adult male.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Public domain. Australian Terrier adult male.jpg - Chuck in MA. Public domain. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Terrier_adult_male.jpg. License: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Terrier_adult_male.jpg#Licensing.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.