History.
The history of the Australian terrier probably began during the colonization in the 19th century, when emigrants from England and Scotland came to Australia. Not only people arrived with the boats, but also the animals they kept, among them small dogs. These dogs were crossed with the native rough black and tan terrier. thei task besides being a pet, was to be a right hand in the mines. They had to be capable of everything from guarding the farm to hunting vermin. Since Australia is such a huge country, many differen´t types of the breed developed, wich still is noticable among the Aussies of today. In 1872 in Australia the first Aussie was exhhibited on a dog show, the breed had at that time not yet been given its name. The first standard of the breed was put togheter in 1887 and its has since then been supplemented and more detalied. The history of the Swedish Australian terriers begin in Denmark in 1953. A Danish woman, Comtess Lise Moltke, brought an Aussie to Denmark who she had been given as gift from the Duke and Duchesse of Gloucester, where she had been working as a nanny. This male dog could be seen at dog show in 1954 and the English judge found him so attractive tha he only the year after arranged for a bitch to go from England to Denmark and Lisa Moltke´s kennel "Treffi" was founded. The first time the swedes had an opportunity to see an Aussie at a Swedish dog show was in 1959 and the dog were of course Danish. It was not until 1963 that we could see Aussies owned by swedes at a dog show. Then Sten and Ebba Persson began to show their danishbred dogs. These dogs were foundation of Sten and Ebba´s kennel "Stebs". The breed´s first champion in Sweden was their Danish import Stella Polar Jupiter. In 1964 kennel "Stebs" had their first litter of five puppies. In the very same year the first Australian import, Narrung Roger Dean, came to Sweden but he was not registered by the Swedish Kennel Club until in 1966. The interest for the breed slowly increased. Litters were born sporadically, but in the years 1968-1969 five litters were born. By now about 1.000 puppies were born in Sweden.(total)
In 1993, 80 puppies (16 litters) were born in Sweden. Two imports from Australia and England also arrived to this country. For being such a small breed numerously quite a large number of dags have been imported(about 66), mainly from the country of origin but also from England and the Nordic countries. This has resulted in the access of a quite broad material for breeding.
What does a typical Australian terrier look like?
The Aussie is a small dog about 25 cms highh(10 ins) and weighs about 6,5 kilos(14lbs), both heigh and weight is usually a bit more than that though. The coat is rough with straight hairs and on the top of the head the signum of the breed is placed-the silky"top-knot". The neck is framed by a defenite ruff and the adult dog´s ears are pointed straight up. The Aussie can have two different colours ,Blue and tan and Red/Sandy. The Blue and tan dogs have a blueish-black body and tail, while their legs, head and the area below the tail auburn. The top.knot has a brighter nuance. The red/sandy colour has an extension from bright sand to bright red and the dog has only one colour. The breed has been put in the shade by many cute breeds and that has saved it from becoming a dog for the not so serious breeders. Its is generally a healthy dog with many oldies of 10-16 years.
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Temper and mentality
The Aussie is definately a terrier, not a toy dog.Like other terriers, it should be an alert, brave and sturdy creature. There are numerous of stories about the Aussie´s initiative and it is wellknowened for it´s vigilance and litheness. The Aussie´s ruff around the neck is to protect the dog from snake bite and the breed is also a good rat hunter. The Aussie is also a good jumper and it easily forces high embankments and deep ditches. Today it is solely kept as a good companion. The breed is intelligent and is quick to learn both good things and not so good things. It loves exercise, so agility and obedience training is perfect for this dog, but as an Aussie owner you must be able to take care of a terrier´s peculiarities and character in the obedience training. The Aussie is a frisky and tough little dog who is not always aware of its littleness. Both bitches and dogs can mark their territories and sometimes you can even see a bitch lifting her leg. The Aussie loves children and is a good friend for them. The dogs are hardy and patient, they put up with most things and likes to play with a ball or a ball of paper on a string, like a kitten. You can hardly get a more loyal member of the family. It is also a good guarddog despite its modest size, and it quickly observes any danger or threat. It still has some hunting instinct and it does not say no to a race for a cat or a rabbit. It seldom runs out of your sight though. The breed is not a lazy little couch dog, though it may like to sleep on the couch for hours after major activities. If it leads an inactive life, it will come up with all kinds of thing to do, some of which we may not always appreciate. But if you teach it who´s the boss when its still a puppy, is firm and steady in its uppbringing and gives it plenty of exercis, the Aussie is a truly wonderful creature with quite some character. Two Australian terriers are never the same although they may be siblings. It is very attached to its family and should not be kept in a dog kennel. It is not the ideal dog for a person who works all day. An Australisn terrier is a big dog in a little dog´s body, and it is perfect for those who wants a big dog in a handy size. It has the capability of a big dog, maybe except for pulling a pulka. It loves to run along when you bike or ski and can stand both cold and warm weather. Their love for children and their loyal charater is the main reason why we Aussie-freaks can´t imagine a better family member. A distinctive feature of the Aussie´s mood is its ears. The dog shows its benevolence by sweeping their ears back and this must not be misinterpreted as some other emotions.
Ulla-Britt Norgren
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