Australian Terrier
The Australian Terrier was put together in the colonies from British working terrier stock, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont and Yorkshire blood among it, to make a small dog that would kill…
About the Australian Terrier
The Australian Terrier was put together in the colonies from British working terrier stock, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont and Yorkshire blood among it, to make a small dog that would kill snakes and rats around a homestead and keep watch over it. It was the first breed developed in Australia to win recognition abroad.
A dog stands about 25 cm and weighs around 6.5 kg, with a harsh, straight double coat some six centimetres long, a distinct ruff at the neck and a softer topknot, in blue and tan or in solid sandy or red. This is a hardy, unexaggerated little animal and should look it. A stud with a genuinely harsh coat, good bone for its size and an alert, friendly manner is what the breed needs.
Patella examination is the first request in a terrier this small, and an annual eye examination the second, since cataract and lens problems are both reported. Ask about Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which damages the hip joint of small breeds in the first year of life, and about diabetes, which the breed's clubs have taken a particular interest in. Ask what DNA testing the club currently recommends, since panels change.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Health testing
Health tests for the Australian Terrier
We haven’t published a health-test panel for this breed yet. That is a gap in our guidance, not a statement about the breed — many breeds have well-established screening schemes and DNA tests. Ask the breeder what testing applies, and see how verification works for how we check declared results.
Breed hip median
Too few dogs of this breed have been scored (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years: 1 dog) to give a meaningful breed median. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Australian Terrier stud dogs
No Australian Terrier studs are listed right now
When an Australian Terrier on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Australian Terrier litters
No Australian Terrier litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
