Of the thirty-three terrier breeds, the Australian Terrier is one of the spunkier and more courageous of the group. This may be because»though it is much debated»this particular breed shared a more adventurous beginning.
Again, while some argue about when that the Australian Terrier was born and when it was officially named for hunting the Australian earth («terrier» coming from the Latin, terra), it apparently was first acknowledged in the 1860»s when it was brought on board Aussie settlers» ships to control the rat and snake populations and used on land by Tasmanian folk to patrol the grounds and alert the people in case of convicts attempting escape or vagabond aborigines attempting intrusion of the settlement(s).
It follows that today this breed has a heartfelt watchdog temperament, one which the Australian Terrier continues to reveal through spunk and spirit and at the same time through a nervous sensitivity. These traits are endearing to human owners, who also appreciate its friendly and devoted ways toward those who treat it well.
And it takes little to treat this darling 10» toy, weighing in at no more than 14-16 pounds: the Australian Terrier needs only average amounts of exercise, is inexpensive to feed and care for, and»with a very short rough blue/tan, sandy, or red outer coat»needs very little grooming, besides your removing the long tufts of hair that fall into its sweet almond eyes on occasion.
Though this hearty Australian Terrier»a cross breed of what most experts agree is likely of the Great Britain bunch (the Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, Yorkshire)»is most loveable and loving toward people of all ages, it is still a roughneck throwback that polices the rats and bad guys and takes no harassment whatsoever, is still an adventurous hunter, and is still protector of the people. So while attending to its need for stimulation, movement, and sniffing about, take care to keep this intelligent, inquisitive investigator from traveling too far from home.
