Silky Terrier

AKC Group: Toy

Club: Silky Terrier Club of America, Inc.

Secretary : Marion Levering
Address: 134 Graterford Rd, Schwenksville, PA , 19473-1608
Website: silkyterrierclubofamerica.org
Email: mlevering@msn.com
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Silky Terrier is a true "toy terrier". He is moderately low set, slightly longer than tall, of refined bone structure, but of sufficient substance to suggest the ability to hunt and kill domestic rodents. His coat is silky in texture, parted from the stop to the tail and presents a well groomed but not sculptured appearance. His inquisitive nature and joy of life make him an ideal companion.

Size:

Size - Shoulder height from nine to ten inches. Deviation in either direction is undesirable. Proportion - The body is about one fifth longer than the dog's height at the withers. Substance - Lightly built with strong but rather fine bone.

Coat:

Straight, single, glossy, silky in texture. On matured specimens the coat falls below and follows the body outline. It should not approach floor length. On the top of the head, the hair is so profuse as to form a topknot, but long hair on the face and ears is objectionable. The hair is parted on the head and down over the back to the root of the tail. The tail is well coated but devoid of plume. Legs should have short hair from the pastern and hock joints to the feet. The feet should not be obscured by the leg furnishings.

Temperament:

The keenly alert air of the terrier is characteristic, with shyness or excessive nervousness to be faulted. The manner is quick, friendly, responsive.

History:

Developed around the turn of the century in Australia from crossings of native Australian Terriers and imported Yorkshire Terriers, the Silky Terrier encompasses many of the best qualities of both. The breed was formed when a number of Yorkshire Terriers from England were brought into the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales at the end of the 1800s. A few of these Yorkshire Terriers were bred to some Australian Terrier bitches in an attempt to improve coat color in the blue and tan Australian Terrier. The resulting litters produced individuals, some of which were exhibited as Australian Terriers, some as Yorkies and some as Silkys. The Silkys were then bred together until a recognized type was fixed.

In 1906 a standard was developed for the Silky in Sydney, New South Wales. In 1909 a separate standard for the new breed was drawn up in Victoria. There were some discrepancies between these two standards. A revised standard was published in 1926. In an effort to protect theYorkie, the Australian Terrier and the Silky from further crossings, the Kennel Control Council of Victoria introduced canine legislation in 1932.

The breed was originally called the Sydney Silky Terrier. In 1955 the official name for the breed in Australia became the Australian Silky Terrier.

In the United States, the first meeting of the Sydney Silky Terrier Club of America was held on March 25, 1955 and in July of that year the club's members voted to change the club name to the Silky Terrier Club of America.

The Silky Terrier is a true "toy terrier." His inquisitive nature and joy of life make him an ideal companion.

Fun Facts:

• The Silky developed around the turn of the 20th century in Australia.
  
  
• The Silky emerged from crossings of native Australian Terriers and imported Yorkshire Terriers.
  
  
• Conflicting standards for the Silky were drawn up separately in Sydney and Victoria between 1906 and 1909, but they were eventually condensed into one standard in 1926.
  
  
• Originally known as the Sydney Silky Terrier, changed in Australia to the Australian Silky Terrier in 1955.
  
  
• One of the first acts of the Australian National Kennel Club was to recommend a national standard for the breed to the AKC (considering registration of the Silky) so as to avoid any further discrepancies between the past standards.
  
  
• The first official meeting of the Sydney Silky Terrier Club of America was held in 1955, and later that year, the name was officially changed to Silky Terrier Club of America.