silky terrier tips

I have been rearing all kinds of dogs for th past 15 years, and the one dog that had given me much pleasure is the Australian Silky Terrier. The Silky Terrier is the crossbred of the Australian Terrier, and the Yorkshire Terrier. This little livewire is a sharp-featured, silky coated dog that stands 23-25cm high at the withers. This spunky, and energertic fella is full of character, and should not be mistaken to be anything soft.
His coat, which is fairly long and straight, comes in a combination of either blue and tan, or greyish blue and tan, requires little grooming or brushing. He is intended as a household companion and does the job splendidly, but he is also a pretty good rat catcher. This fun loving creature will dash at anything in site, and obedience trainning from an early age is recommended.

My little Silky, that I name Sparky is extremely protective of its home and master, perhaps taking this tendency a bit too far at times, snapping at every foreign heels it come across. He makes a wonderful watchdog, but at times maybe a little too noisy and argumentative. He doesn't seems to like sharing his home with other pets and male dogs of its kind, with the exception, if his kind was actually a she.

Breed standard

Silky should have small, cat-like feet and short hair on the legs.
Size should be small, 23-24 cm, and weigh no more than 4.5 kg.
They need medium grooming and medium exercise.
Feeding is undemanding.
Temperament is very alert, and friendly once they get to know you.


Bathing tips

How to bathe your Silky?

When I bath my Sparky, I will choose a warm place and use warm water in a fairly deep tub. I will gather some terry wash cloth, some dog shampoo, and a large towel for drying. I will start washing his head and ears, with a damp terry cloth without shampoo. Next, I will wash him with shampoo from front to back and top to bottom, using circular strokes, working up a sud.

I will take care to keep my little fella's eyes and ears free from shampoo. When rinsing I will give him a thorough wash on his skin and coat, completely ridding off all shampoo residues. Finally, I will dried him thoroughly with a large towel. By now my little pal, natural instinct will be to shake himself dry, so don't take offense if you find yourself sharing his bath! If you want to prevent this, then be quick with your drying towel.

Finally, after towelling off much of the water I need to complete the process and dry my pal with a hair dryer. I need to be gentle, not to rub the coat too vigorously. Gently pat the coat dry while blowing and then only apply the brush. The reason I use a hair dryer, is not only to prevent the possibilities of him catching a cold after a bath, but also to keep the coat fluffy and tangle free. Try to bath your silky 2 to 3 times a week, and bath him weekly to help him develop his coat. A last piece of advice. If you do not want a droop ear Silky, then cut the hair on his ear to prevent the weight of the hair causing his ear to droop.