The breeds · terrier
AKC Terrier · UKC Terrier · FCI standard 8
Australian Terrier.
AKC standard: a small, sturdy, medium-boned working terrier, 'as befits their heritage as versatile workers'; temperament 'spirited, alert, courageous, and self-confident, with the natural aggressiveness of a ratter and hedge hunter; as a companion, friendly and affectionate'; shyness or aggressiveness toward people is a fault. UKC: essentially a working terrier, an effective rodent killer and watchdog, equally suited as a companion. FCI 8 utilization: one of the smallest of the working terriers, bred to be both a helper and companion in rough times and terrain; Group 3 Section 2, without working trial; history notes the early dogs were renowned as watchdogs. RKC: used by settlers to keep down rodents and other vermin. Wikipedia (editorial): descended from rough-coated terriers taken from Britain to Australia in the early 19th century, kept to eradicate mice and rats..
Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.
The body
What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.
Height at the shoulder
Span of AKC, UKC and FCI. UKC and FCI print a single desirable figure for dogs and say only 'slightly less' for bitches, so the breed-wide row carries both sexes. Center blank: the AKC prints a range, UKC and FCI different single figures.
Weight
Span of UKC (14), FCI (14.3) and the AKC page header (15 to 20). The AKC page header is not the standard.
Coat
Shedding
AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.
Heat tolerance
Derived from the standard's coat (medium double coat = 3). No measured data.
The dog at home
What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.
Exercise need
RKC band 'up to 1 hour' mapped to 60 minutes.
Exercise need
AKC bands are not mapped to the library scale.
Energy
AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.
Grooming load
RKC band 'more than once a week' mapped to 3 on the 1 to 5 library scale.
The work
What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.
Role
Primary game
Also used on
Field trial standard
Earthdog levels and scoring were not read.
How common the problems are
Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.
Hip dysplasia
Current all-data OFA statistic, accessed Oct 8 2026; OFA submissions skew toward breeding stock. 208 dogs is a small sample.
Most common disorders
Secondhand from Wikipedia; club survey not read directly. Club members' reports, not a VetCompass study.
More
akc bands
Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.
How to read this page
Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.
Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 8 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.
- Also called
- Aussie Terrier
Every breed, read the same way.
The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.
All published breedsYour australian terrier, on the record.
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