Silky Terrier Breed | Silky Terrier Breed Introduction
Silky Terrier ( known as Australian Silky Terrier in its native country ) is a toy-sized terrier type of dog from Sydney, Australia. It is popular for its distinctive silky blue and tan coat that behaves like human hair. The coat requires regular shampooing and grooming to retain the silkiness. Silky Terriers are slightly longer than tall since they were originally developed for hunting and killing rodents and snakes.
As a true Terrier, Silky Terriers are stubborn, independent, and deliberately willful. However, they are loyal and affectionate to their owners. A Silky Terrier is an alert dog that makes a great watchdog. It is especially a barker when greeting strangers.
Silky Terrier History
The Silky Terriers originated in Sydney, Australia in the late 19th century. They were created by crossing Yorkies imported from Great Britain with native Australian Terriers. The offspring of the crossing had dogs that looked like Yorkies, others like Australian Terriers, and others had the silky coat of modern Silky Terriers. Therefore, the silky coated puppies were interbred until they had a predictably silky coat.
The first breed standard was drawn in 1906 in Sydney. Another standard was drawn in Victoria in 1909. However, the two standards had different preferences especially on the ear type and weight. However, the two standards compromised in 1926 coming up with a new standard. Their are some dog fanciers that believe Cairn, Skye, and Dandie Dinmont Terriers were also used to create Silky Terriers.
Silky Terrier Lifespan
The Silky Terriers have a lifespan of 11 to 15 years.
Silky Terrier Grooming | Grooming Information 10
A Silky Terrier that has a long coat needs daily brushing and combing to prevent tangles and matting. Always spritz the coat with a water conditioner solution or a detangling spray to prevent hair breakage. Although, twice a week brushing will suffice for Silky Terriers that have a short coat. Use a bristle brush or pin brush and a metal comb to brush and comb the coat.
The Silky Terriers need a bath every 4 to 6 weeks using a silky canine shampoo and conditioner. Brush the coat first before bathing the dog since mats tend to get messier when wet. After a bath, thoroughly rinse of the shampoo and conditioner from the coat to prevent skin irritation. Wrap the dog with a towel to dry the coat. Avoid rubbing the coat back and forth as it will make it mat.
To alleviate that dry and itchy skin of Silky Terriers, use an oatmeal and aloe vera shampoo. Trim the nails of Silky Terriers fortnightly using nail clippers. Brush the teeth of a Silky Terrier at least twice a week if not daily to remove tartar buildup. Wipe the ears on a weekly basis using cotton balls soaked in an ear cleanser solution.
Silky Terrier With Short Hair | Short Hair | Short Haircut
Silky Terriers that are primarily kept as pets may wear a short hair for easy maintenance. Some of the suitable short haircut include:
A Puppy Cut – to achieve this cut, the hair on the body is trimmed to a length of one inch.
Teddy Bear Cut – A Silky Terrier coat is trimmed to a uniform length of 2 inches all over the body. However, the facial hair is left a little longer and trimmed in a circular shape to achieve a teddy bear look.
Summer cut – as the name suggests this is a cut for the summer months. The Silky Terrier’s coat is trimmed close to the body to about half an inch.
Silky Terrier Haircuts | Grooming Styles
A suitable grooming cut for Silky Terriers that participate in conformation shows is a Show cut. This grooming style is achieved by allowing the coat to grow long enough although it should not approach the floor length. The hair on the body is parted on the middle to fall on each side. On the top of the head, the hair is profuse to form a topknot. Both the front and hind feet should have short hair. The tail is also well-coated but it is devoid of plume. Suitable haircuts for pet Silky Terriers include summer cut, teddy bear cut, and a puppy cut.
Silky Terrier Shedding
The Silky Terriers have a silky, glossy, and straight coat that behaves like human hair. The coat sheds at non to low levels.
Silky Terrier Hypoallergenic | Hypoallergenic Dog
The Silky Terriers are hypoallergenic dogs. They have a silky coat that sheds at non to minimal levels and produces little dander. Therefore, they are suitable for breed’s fanciers that suffer from dog allergies. However, there is no 100% truly hypoallergenic crossbreed or pure bred. Therefore, owners should spend lots of time with a Silky Terrier before adopting to ensure it triggers zero allergies.
Silky Terrier Training | How To Train A Silky Terrier
The Silky Terriers are versatile dogs that do well in any living situation. However, they need parents who have the time to be devoted to them. If ignored for a longtime, it may cause behavior issues such excessive barking, chewing, scratching the walls, and relapse in housebreaking. The Silky Terriers may be stubborn, willful, and independent and need a firm but gentle leadership.
Early training is key to teach the puppy the desirable behaviors before they get inclined towards bad habits. Although, parents should not be deceived by the breed’s charm so as to let them get away with undesirable behaviors. Use positive reinforcement methods to encourage positive behaviors by using toys, treats, playtime, petting, and verbal praise. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling, punching, kicking, or shoving. They make training counterproductive.
Keep the training sessions for a period of 5 minutes distributed throughout the day to avoid boredom and distraction. Socialization is key to raising a friendly, well adjusted, and well-mannered Silky Terriers. To socialize a Silky Terrier expose it to a wide variety of people, places, animals, sight, smell, experiences, and sounds such as door bells, baby crying sounds, whistles, vacuum cleaners, sirens, washing machine, and lawn mowers.
Teach basic command words like come, sit, wait, stay, lie down, heel, drop it, etc. from the age of 8 weeks. Effectively housebreak Silky Terriers by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training.
Silky Terrier Temperament | Personality | Traits
- Alert.
- Energetic.
- Bold.
- Intelligent.
- Loyal.
- Affectionate.
- Independent.
- Active.
- Willful.
- Stubborn.
- Friendly.
Silky Terrier Exercise
These are active and energetic dogs that will enjoy going for walks or playing fetch with their families. However, they have a high prey drive and should not go for walks off leash. Silky Terriers are also prone to tracheal collapse. For this reason, the leash should be attached to a harness.
Silky Terrier Barking
These are alert and vocal dogs that bark readily especially when greeting strangers. Therefore, they should be taught the Quiet Command.
Silky Terrier Height
Mature Silky Terriers have a height of 9 to 10 inches ( approx. 23 to 25 cm ).
Silky Terrier Weight | Weight Chart | Weight Kg | Weight Range
Silky Terriers have a weight of 8 to 10 pounds ( approx. 3.6 to 4.5 kg ).
Silky Terrier Size | Size And Weight
A Silky Terrier is a toy-sized dog with a big dog personality possessing a height of 9 to 10 inches ( approx. 23 to 25 cm ) and a weight of 9 to 10 inches ( approx. 23 to 25 cm ).
Silky Terrier Aggression
Although Silky Terriers have a friendly demeanor, they can exhibit aggressive traits towards other dogs if they are poorly socialized.
Silky Terrier Health Issues
The Silky Terriers are healthy dogs with a lifespan of 11 to 15 years. Although, they may suffer from certain health issues including epilepsy, tracheal collapse, luxating patellas, Legg-Perthes disease, diabetes and eye diseases.
Other dog breeds include:
Silky Terrier Names
Pet parents may find a name for the pet before it joins them home from the breeder or days after the pet settles home to understand the personality of the pooch. Silky Terrier parents may get name inspirations from the Australian heritage of the breed, the silky coat texture, celebrity Silky Terriers, movies, food, nature, and historical figures.
The name chosen should not be a source of embarrassment when uttered out loud in the public places. Silky Terriers and other dog breeds better understand a name that has vowels. Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with the command words to prevent confusion. Some of the names that Silky Terriers parents give to their pets include:
- Milo.
- Buster.
- Chloe.
- Mickey.
- Bandit.
- Woody.
- Piper.
- Oscar.
- Snowball.
- Frankie, etc.
Silky Terrier Seizures
The Silky Terriers are prone to seizures. Also known as fits or convulsion refers to the disturbance of the normal functioning of the brain that is normally accompanied with uncontrollable muscle activity. Causes of seizures include primary, secondary, and reactive seizures. Primary seizures are hereditary although the cause is unknown. Therefore, they are also referred to as idiopathic epilepsy.
Secondary seizures are caused by stroke, brain trauma, and brain tumor. Reactive seizures occur when the brain detects a metabolism problem due to low blood sugar, toxins, or organ failure. When the dog is experiencing seizure, put nothing in its mouth for the safety of the dog and the owner.
Silky Terrier Food
The amount of food that Silky Terriers feed on depend on their size, body build, metabolism, activity level, and age. These dogs should feed dog food formulated for small or toy-sized dogs depending on their age i.e. puppies, adults, and seniors. Owners should be well-versed with the knowledge of which human foods are safe for the dog and which are not. AKC cautions parents against feeding Silky Terriers with cooked bones or food that have high fat content.
Silky Terrier Hair
The Silky Terriers have a single, straight, glossy, and silky coats that behaves like human-hair.
Silky Terrier White | Colors
Silky Terriers have a distinctive blue and tan coat color. The blue may be slate blue, pigeon blue, or silver blue while the tan should be rich and deep. Purely bred Silky Terriers have no white color.
Silky Terrier Allergies
Although rare, Silky Terriers may suffer from various allergies including:
Skin allergies – this allergy is caused by food, contact, and environmental allergies that manifest on the skin.
Food allergies – A true food allergy is accompanied with an immune response and a wide range of symptoms from skin issues to gastrointestinal stress.
Contact allergies– Some of the contact allergens that may affect Silky Terriers include grooming products, carpet cleaning detergents, plastics, bed linens, lawn chemicals, and certain fabrics.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergies that affect Silky Terriers include ragweed, grass, pollen, trees, dust and dust mites, house molds, and fleas.
Silky Terrier Ears | Ears Down
Silky Terriers have small V-shaped ears that are set high and carried erect. However, puppies are born with drop ears which stand erect after the pup develops the proper muscle strength at the base of the ear.
Silky Terrier Price
The average cost of a Silky Terrier is $1000 to $2000. Although the price is determined by the age of the dog, pedigree, and the location of the breeder.
What Do Silky Terriers Die From
The Silky Terriers are healthy dogs with a life expectancy of 11 to 15 years. However, they may suffer from certain health issues including diabetes, patellar luxation, epilepsy, and Legg-Perthes disease.
How Long Do Silky Terriers Live
Silky Terriers have a lifespan of 11 to 15 years.
Are Silky Terriers Hypoallergenic
Yes. Silky Terriers are hypoallergenic dogs that have a non-to low shedding coat. They also produce less dander which make them a better option for parents who suffer from dog allergies.
Do Silky Terriers Shed | Do Silky Terriers Shed Hair
Yes. Silky Terriers have a straight and silky coat that sheds all-year round at non to low levels.
Do Silky Terriers Bark A Lot
Yes. Silky Terriers are alert and vocal dogs that readily bark especially when ushering visitors.
Are Silky Terriers Aggressive
If not properly socialized, Silky Terriers exhibit aggressive tendencies towards other dogs despite their friendly demeanor.
Are Silky Terriers Good Family Dogs
Silky Terriers make great family dogs to active families since they are energetic, active, alert, and loyal.
Silky Terrier Quick Facts
- They have a silky and straight blue and tan coat.
- Silky Terriers are closely related with Australian Terriers and Yorkshire Terriers.
- In the United States, this breed goes by the name Silky Terrier, although in its native Country they are known as Australian Silky Terrier.