Cats and Dogs: Australian Silky Terrier
Australian Silkies are compact and moderately low set to the ground. They have a keen and alert appearance, further conveyed by their upright ears and watchful expression. The single coat is long, soft and as the name implies, silky. Puppies are born black and tan, changing to a silver and tan.
Developed in the nineteenth century, the Australian Silky Terrier is one toy breed regarded as truly Australian. Early examples of the breed were simply known as rough or broken-coated terriers and were crosses of various larger British terrier breeds, of which some are no longer recognised. Further crossings to Dandie Dinmont and Skye Terriers and later to the Yorkshire Terrier contributed to the silky coat and small size we know today. Initially the breed was known as the 'Sydney Silky' due to the prominence of the breed in Sydney. But Victorian and Tasmanian breeders also laid claim as the originators of the breed, so the official name, Australian Silky Terrier, was eventually adopted in 1956.
Dogs Have Masters... Cats Have Staff