The Silky Way Australian silky terriers make loyal, loving pets.

It’s fallen from top-dog status since the 1970s, yet the loyal, loving Australian silky terrier deserves consideration as a family pet, writes Roger Crosthwaite.

Size-wise, there’s not much to an Australian silky terrier: a lean, muscly body of about 5kg, rarely more than 23cm high from paw to shoulder, although the trademark long, bluish-grey and tan coat gives the impression there’s much more dog lurking under there.

These little balls of energy straddle that divide where terrier meets toy breed, in that while they’re happy to sit on a lap and be cuddled, they retain their ingrained terrier instinct to chase, be it a rabbit or a tennis ball.

They were officially recognised as a breed by the Australian National Kennel Council in the late 1950s, but have been around since the early 1900s, originally bred from Yorkshire and Australian terriers. For many years they were colloquially known as Sydney silkies, because of the particularly fine fur of dogs from Sydney breeders.

Ubiquitous in Australia in the 1950s and ’60s, they even developed devoted followings in the US and Canada. Locally, however, their stock has fallen somewhat, with numbers dwindling. Helen Arkley, secretary of the Australian Silky Terrier Association of NSW, said that at a recent silky show there were a mere 27 dogs, whereas a couple of decades ago they could have expected 90 to 100 entries.

Silkies no longer make the top 10 of popular breeds’ lists these days. And that’s a shame, because they are lovable – and loving – little dogs that easily adapt to almost any living situation. They are consistently ranked among the more intelligent dog breeds, so they quickly absorb obedience training.

Helen Arkley acquired her first Australian silky terrier in 1971 and is still a big fan. She gives them an enthusiastic thumbs-up as a family pet. “They’re great with children,” she says. “They’ll play with kids all day if you let them. They’re also very adaptable. They can go from a one-bedroom apartment to being among sheep and cattle on a farm. They’ll lick you to death and love to sit on the couch with you, but only for a rest. Then they’re off again.”

Helen says the idea of all little dogs being yappy nuisances doesn’t apply to silkies. “They will bark if there’s something to bark at, but they’re not known as problem barkers. They’re actually great pretenders; they’ll make a big show of barking at an intruder or a larger dog but will soon back down.”

Point taken. As long as you’re not relying on it as a prospective guard dog, this little Australian classic could be a great addition to the family.