SILKY TERRIER

Apartment Living

Good for 1st Time Owners

Tolerance Levels

Affection for Family

Kid Friendliness

Stranger Friendliness

Ease of Grooming

General Health

Trainability

Prey Drive

Exercise Needs

Energy Level

History

The Silky Terrier is a small terrier dog which was created by mixing Yorkshire Terrier of Britain and Australian terrier. While some dogs looked like Australian Terriers, some looked like Yorkies and others like the Silky of today. This was mainly due to the coat length and size inherited from the two parent breeds. Initially, it was known as Sydney silk terrier and later was called the Australian Silky Terrier in the year 1955. In USA (United States Of America), the name was changed to Silky Terrier.

Varieties

Mixed breeds

Siland Terrier

This breed of Silky Terrier is enthusiastic, energetic and fun loving. In order to keep them fit, they need to go through average exercises like running around the house, parks and yards. They love to go on outdoor tours on a leash.

Poolky

A crossbreed between Silky Terrie and Poodle, they are playful and naturally very sweet in nature. They bark very loudly and gel with the kids. They are friendly, enthusiastic and fun-loving nature.

Temperament & Personality

Silky Terrier is friendly to strangers and wants to be the center of attraction while hoping to win a person by all its charm. They are sassy and smart in nature. They can be very vocal at times. Since this dog is just 10 pounds, it is portable in nature. This breed is a better choice for the families with active children since they are bigger than Yorkshire terrier.

They are affectionate, courageous, alert, sociable and extremely intelligent. This dog is willful at times with curiosity and full of energy. Like most other terriers, they like to chase and dig.

Exercise

A good deal of self-exercise occurs for this breed due to the general propensity for patrolling his territory. However, the dog needs to walk for stimulation of mind. They get delighted if they get the scope to run around and explore. Ballgame will please them a lot. In the canine sports agility, they often do well, since being nimble and very energetic.

Grooming

Since the hair of the dog is very silky, it is necessary to use a moisturizing type of shampoo. The coat needs high maintenance. Since the coat is single, hence combing and brushing two to three times per week will free the coat from the tangle. Per month, they need one bath. For signs of infection, irritation and wax building, ear checking is done. For gum disease and tartar buildup, brush the teeth at least once per week.

Health Problems

For Silky Terrier, eye disease is a major worry and can appear in form of cataract leading to blindness. There can be lameness and pain from loose knee joints as well as hip disease. Scratching can lead to skin infection and chronic allergy causes itching. There can be a dental problem along with liver shunt, diabetes, and epilepsy.

Training

They are easy to train breeds and inclined to make up their own rules. To channel his independence into activities and cleverness, gentle and consistent training is provided to them. To housetrain the Silky, crate training is the easiest way.