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Australian Terrier breeders

The Australian Terrier is a small terrier in the Terrier group of The Royal Kennel Club (RKC).

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Advertise your Australian Terrier puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed Australian Terriers? caninebreeder.co.uk gives UK breeders a place to list their kennel, advertise Australian Terrier puppies for sale and promote an Australian Terrier stud dog to owners looking for a suitable mate. A free basic profile shows your kennel or company name, location, website, social links and breeds, and a Premium profile adds contact details, services and prices, a photo gallery and health certificates. With so few Australian Terriers registered each year, being easy to find matters. See listing plans.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

  • Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
  • Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
  • Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
  • Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
  • Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Australian Terrier

The Australian Terrier is a small terrier in the Terrier group of The Royal Kennel Club (RKC). According to the RKC, the breed was probably developed in Australia from British terriers that settlers took there in the 19th century, and the Scottish, Skye and Cairn terriers are thought to have played a part. Settlers used them to keep rats and other vermin down, and the breed standard still asks for strong terrier character, alertness and activity.

Size and build. The standard describes a sturdy, low-set dog that is rather long for its height, with an ideal height of about 25.5 cm (10 in) at the withers and an ideal weight of about 6.5 kg (14 lb). Individual dogs may be a little larger or smaller. The RKC classes it as a small breed with a lifespan of over 12 years.

Coat and grooming. The body coat is a harsh, straight, dense topcoat about 6.35 cm (2½ in) long over a short, soft undercoat. A clear ruff runs from the neck to the breastbone, and the muzzle, lower legs and feet should carry no long hair. Standard colours are blue, steel blue or dark grey-blue with rich tan, or clear sandy or red. The RKC lists the coat as medium length, says it sheds and suggests grooming more than once a week. The Australian Terrier Club of America, the breed's US parent club, advises brushing at least weekly, bathing only occasionally because frequent shampooing can soften the coat, and keeping the hair short around the eyes, ears, feet and tail.

Exercise and home. The RKC puts its exercise needs at up to an hour a day and lists the breed as suited to a flat or apartment with a small to medium garden, in town or country.

Temperament. The standard calls for a friendly, outgoing dog that is obedient, eager to please, loyal and even-tempered. It should not be aggressive, though it will stand up for itself if attacked. Given its vermin-hunting background, ask breeders how their dogs get on with cats and small pets.

How many are bred. The breed is uncommon in the UK. RKC figures show between 12 and 44 Australian Terriers registered each year from 2016 to 2025, with 12 in 2025, so you may need to join a waiting list or travel to find a litter.

Australian Terrier health tests

The RKC does not list any breed-specific health screening schemes or DNA tests for the Australian Terrier. The one good-practice measure on its breed page is prioritising genetic diversity. The RKC has no breed-specific DNA testing package for the breed at present, although its individual DNA tests can still be ordered.

Genetic diversity matters in a breed with so few registrations each year. The RKC advises breeders to aim for puppies whose coefficient of inbreeding (COI) is no higher than the breed average and, where possible, well below it. Its online calculators show the COI of a proposed mating next to the breed average, which the RKC recalculates each June.

Having no listed scheme does not mean the breed is free of health problems. Ask breeders what veterinary checks their breeding dogs have had, how long related dogs have lived and whether any conditions have appeared in their lines, and look up recorded results on the RKC Health Test Results Finder. For concerns about a particular condition, the RKC suggests speaking to your vet or the breed health co-ordinator.

  • RKC good practice: prioritising genetic diversity (compare the mating's COI with the breed average using the RKC inbreeding coefficient calculator)
  • RKC breed-specific DNA testing package: none currently offered
  • BVA canine health schemes: none listed by the RKC for this breed
  • Breed Watch: Category 1 (no breed-specific points of concern identified for judges)
  • Breeding restrictions: no additional breed-specific restrictions listed by the RKC

Choosing an Australian Terrier breeder

No more than 44 Australian Terriers were registered with the RKC in any year from 2016 to 2025, so patience is part of buying one. A careful breeder usually plans litters around people already waiting rather than advertising constantly, and will want to know about your home, routine and experience with terriers.

A good breeder should be able to explain why they chose the pairing, including how its coefficient of inbreeding compares with the breed average. You should see the puppies with their mother where they were raised. In England, anyone who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells any of the puppies, or runs a business breeding and advertising dogs for sale, needs a council licence, and a licensed breeder must not sell a puppy younger than eight weeks. Expect a written contract, RKC registration documents if the litter is registered, and an offer of help if you can no longer keep the dog. The RKC's Find a Club service lists two UK breed clubs, the Australian Terrier Club of Great Britain and the Southern Counties Australian Terrier Club, which can give advice on the breed.

  • What is the COI of this mating, and how does it compare with the breed average?
  • What health checks have the parents had, and can I see the paperwork?
  • How long have the grandparents and other relatives lived, and were there any health problems?
  • How are the puppies being socialised with people, household noise and other animals?
  • Will you take the dog back or help rehome it at any age if my circumstances change?

Australian Terrier questions

How big does an Australian Terrier get?

The RKC breed standard gives an ideal height of about 25.5 cm (10 in) at the withers and an ideal weight of about 6.5 kg (14 lb). It is a sturdy, low-set dog that is rather long for its height, and individual dogs may be a little above or below these figures.

Do Australian Terriers shed, and how much grooming do they need?

The RKC says the breed sheds and suggests grooming more than once a week. The harsh outer coat should be brushed regularly, and the breed's US parent club advises bathing only occasionally because frequent shampooing can soften the coat.

Is an Australian Terrier suitable for a flat?

The RKC's breed profile lists it as suited to a flat or apartment with a small to medium garden, and puts its exercise needs at up to an hour a day. It is still an active terrier, so daily walks and things to do matter wherever you live.

Are there health tests for Australian Terriers?

The RKC does not list any breed-specific health schemes or DNA tests for the breed. It recommends prioritising genetic diversity, which means checking the coefficient of inbreeding of a mating against the breed average. The breed is in Breed Watch Category 1.

More for Australian Terrier owners and breeders

Official sources