Australian Terrier
Breed Group: Terrier Group
Size Group: Small Dog Breeds
Origin: Tasmania
Height: 10”-11”
Weight: 15-20lbs
Color: Blue & Tan, Sandy, Red
Lifespan: 11-15 years
Temperament: spirited, confident, clever
Set Your Pup Up For Success
Overview
Australian Terriers or Aussies truly love to be around their people. These spirited pups will create fun for themselves if they left to their own devices. They are clever and often ruled by their instincts to dig and give chase to their prey. Never allow your Aussie off leash in open areas, their tiny legs can move them along at up to 20mph.
They make wonderful watchdogs and will always alert you to a stranger’s presence. Most Aussies are great with well-mannered children. As with all small dogs, toddlers and small children should be monitored when in the company of Aussies.
Smartest Dog Breeds
- If you need someone to take the SATs for you, we have you covered
- Intelligence is something you're born with. And these ones were.
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Celebrity Owners
N/A
Fun Facts
The Australian Terrier is the first breed from Australia to be recognized by international kennel clubs.
Health
Aussies are typically healthy dogs. Somewhat common health problems include:
- Luxating patella: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease: This disease occurs at the head of the femur (the ball and socket joint in your dog’s hips. Here, the femur degenerates which can cause the hip to collapse and can cause arthritis.
- Diabetes: This condition revolves around glucose levels (sugar) in the blood. Constant monitoring and intervention could be required.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Family Dog Breeds
- They have the right patience and temperament for your family
- Vigilant and loyal, these dogs will protect their own
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Grooming
Aussies are very low maintenance when it comes to grooming. A full brushing once a week and keeping hair around the eyes clipped short will keep your pup in top shape. As with all dogs, keep an eye on your pup’s ears to insure they are clean, and keep their nails tidy. Brush your pup’s teeth several times a week.
Cost
$700 – $1,200
Exercise
Bred originally as ratters, Aussie’s instincts will tell them to dig and give chase to small prey. It is essential to make sure your pup gets a minimum of 30-45 minutes of physical activity a day to prevent boredom from encouraging your pup to mischief. Your pup will also need mental stimulation. Consider a sandpit for your pup to dig in if you want to keep your flowerbeds intact.
Nutrition
Aussies consume an average of 1 cup of food a day. Aussies are known to overeat and are susceptible to diabetes, so it is extra important to keep an eye on your dog’s consumption and weight. A high quality, well balanced food is a great place to start.
Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds
- Low shedding dogs that will attack the allergies less
- These dogs come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments
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Training
These brainy pups can be difficult to train, so you may need to get creative. Keep training sessions short, interesting and with lots of positive enforcement. As with all dogs, early socialization with people and other animals is essential for a happy relationship. Multiple male Aussies will not respond well to living together.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Cute Dog Breeds
- I mean, come on. These dogs will have you wanting one.
- Guaranteed to make you instagram famous (or at least your pup!)
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Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
Hunting Dog Breeds
- Energy and a willingness to get the job done, these dogs love outside
- Their traits and unique skillsets have them separated from the pack
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The Good
Sheds very little
Good with older children
The "Ruff"
Not good with cats or small animals
Will chase small animals
Companion Breeds
- Their loving and caring spirit makes them great compadres
- A passion for giving back to their owner is in their DNA
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