Australian terrier

one of an Australian breed of small working terriers having a rough coat, either silver black or blue black with tan markings on the head and tail, a topknot, erect ears, and a docked tail, originally bred for herding sheep and guarding mines.

[1905-10]

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▪ breed of dog

 breed of dog that originated as an Australian farm dog. First exhibited in 1885 as the Australian rough terrier, the perky breed can be traced back to an extinct British breed, the broken-haired, black-and-tan Old English terrier, but it includes in its heritage a number of other terriers, among them possibly the Dandie Dinmont (Dandie Dinmont terrier), Skye (Skye terrier), Scottish (Scottish terrier), cairn (cairn terrier), and Yorkshire (Yorkshire terrier) terriers. The Australian terrier stands about 10 inches (25 cm) tall and weighs about 11 to 15 pounds (5 to 7 kg). It is a rather long-bodied dog, with a harsh coat and a softer topknot. The coat may be blue-black or silver-black, with tan on the head and legs, or sandy or reddish brown.

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