The Silky Terrier was bred in the Sydney area of New South Wales in Australia
during the 1800s and was first called the Sydney Silky Terrier. Australian
breeders crossed the Australian Terrier with the Yorkshire Terrier to create
this breed as a companion dog. In the early 1900s, it was introduced to
Great Britain where in 1955 it became known as the Australian Silky Terrier.
It was recognized as the Silky Terrier by the American Kennel Club in 1959.
It is a toy dog with a terrier spirit.
The Silky Terrier is a keenly alert dog who is quick and friendly. He is
very independent minded so needs obedience training. He also needs sufficient
exercise. Due to the silkiness of his coat, he needs to be brushed often.
He does not do well outside in cold climates.
The Silky Terrier is a lightly built, moderately low-set, toy dog. His head
is strong, wedge-shaped and moderately long. The muzzle is two-fifths of
the length while the skull is the remaining three fifths. The teeth have
a scissors bite. The ears are small, v-shaped and stand erect. They are
set high on the head. The eyes are small and dark with a keen expression.
The nose is black. The neck is medium in length. The body is one-fifth longer
than the height at the withers. The topline is straight with a deep brisket.
The tail is set high and carried erect. It is docked and well covered in
coat. The legs are strong, straight and fine-boned. The feet are small and
cat-like. Movement is free, light-footed and lively. The coat lays flat
and is fine, glossy and silky in texture. The desired length of coat is
from five to six inches on a mature dog. It should reach the knees, leaving
the feet and pasterns exposed with shorter hair. The hair is long on top
of the head and along the legs above the knees. Coat color is a silver-gray
(called blue) with tan markings on the legs below the knees and on the ears
and face. Weight ranges from eight to ten pounds with average height at
the withers being from nine to ten inches.
jmgween@aol.com of Ohio writes:
Our Silky watches TV!
My husband and I love our Silky Terrier very much. He sleeps on our
bed and wakes up every morning so happy. The first thing he does in the
morning is to grab a toy and run up to us wagging his little nub of a tail.
He LOVES his toys p; bones and stuffed. At Christmas we put a toy
in a cardboard box and covered it with balled up Christmas wrap. He rooted
underneath the wrap to find his toy all by himself p; just like a kid!
He is very smart and knows lots of tricks. He loves people and children
and is rather hyper when company comes to visit, but will quiet down in
about fifteen minutes or so. In the evening he will sit on the back of
the couch behind my husband's head and watchs TV. We had two cats that
he got along great with. We got a female Lhasa Apso/Yorkie Terrier mix
and he loves to play with her. He is extremely sensitive, so you don't
need to be very harsh with this breed. He was crate trained and housebroken
fairly easily. The crate helped him get used to holding his bladder. The
only noticeable health problems my Silky has had are: itchy skin, some ear
trouble and a leg problem that may have to be corrected in the future.
He doesn't shed and has very thin, fine hair that is fairly easy to trim
myself. I would recommend a professional grooming once a year.
khenrich@ct.net of Florida writes on 12/11/00:
Best dog I've had.
I've had many dogs. This dog is the smartest dog I've ever had, and he's
only three years old. He is courageous, almost to a fault, alert, inquisitive,
and best of all, he loves everybody he comes into contact with. While is
on the large size, (12 pounds) he is extremely strong, and will lead anybody
who happens to hang onto his leash. His loyalty however, is the most striking
thing about him. He was easily trained, doing sit, stay, and come by hand
commands at twelve weeks, and probably the best dog I ever had at housebreaking,
although I raised him with the Schnauzer until last year.
tgarcia@banet.net of Natick, MA writes on 3/15/00:
My best friend.
My 9 month 10 lb. male Silky Terrier is the love of my and my husband's
life. He is the most animated and people-oriented puppy I have ever come
in contact with. He is quick and smart and learns things almost the minute
you show/teach him. He is very strong willed and sometimes stubborn - but
all in the most loving way imaginable. He has his own personality and shows
it every minute of the day. He is playful and energetic and protects his
family all at costs. He has come to understand our facial and body expressions
and acts out his own emotions in his face and little body. When we went
to pick out a dog for our new family, we saw many small dogs - Pugs, Mini
Pinchers, Shit Tzu, Laso Apso, Chihuahua ... and none of them was very interested
in us. When we saw our little silky, he played with us and licked my husband's
nose - as if to say "TAKE ME HOME!" We were hooked from that moment
on. I would recommend this type of dog to anyone who wants a real family
member and who is looking to add more love into their life than they could
ever imagine!
barknbite@mindspring.com of USA writes on 11/18/99:
Wonderful companion breed, not suitable to every home.
This is a highly active and inquisitive breed who's temperment is a bit
more terrier then toy.
The Silky is a wonderful companion, however they tend to be "talkative,"
stubborn, and not always easy to house train. Prospective owners should
research the breed before buying or adopting.
Silkies are not suitable to every home.