A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER HEAD
THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER IS SPIRITED, ALERT, COURAGEOUS, AND SELF-CONFIDANT, WITH THE NATURAL AGGRESSIVENESS OF A RATTER AND HEDGE HUNTER; AS A COMPANION, FRIENDLY AND AFFECTIONATE.
The nose color is black. Aussies may have an inverted V-shaped area free of hair (leather) that runs up from the nose in the direc- tion of the stop. The color of the leather is black. This desirable trait is found in varying lengths in a mature dog, but not all dogs will have it. (See photo on previous page.) A ruff and topknot are hallmarks of the breed. In all colors, the topknot is lighter than the head color. It is furthered described in the standard: Topknot - Covering only the top of the skull; of finer and softer texture than the rest of the coat. ** The ruff frames the head, covers the neck, and blends into the apron. This protective ruff under the throat should not be clipped or completely stripped. The ruff protects the throat from injury and is an important feature, developed to protect the dogs as they
worked. A bare throat would leave it vulnerable to bites from the prey it hunts. The form of the head is important to the functions for which it was bred. The Australian Terrier is spirited, alert, courageous, and self-con- fidant, with the natural aggressiveness of a ratter and hedge hunter; as a companion, friendly and affectionate. ** Faults; Shyness or aggressiveness toward people. **
** The Standard for The Australian Terrier approved by the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club.
* THE ILLUSTRATED CLARIFICATION OF THE STANDARD Copyright 1994 by The Australian Terrier Club of America, Inc. Compiled, written, and edited by I. E. Weinstock and K. Barnes.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Ida Ellen Weinstock has been involved with Australian Terriers since the early 1960s; breeding, showing, and learning the breed in Australia from two of the people (Frank Longmore and Fred Wheatland) who, together, helped to define the modern Australian Terrier and who formed the breed club. She has also made visits with the great breeders and their kennels: Tagalong, Seven Oaks, Bluebell, Tinee Town, Taralee, Benbullen, and several others. Together with her sister, Alice Ann Wight, Ida Ellen returned home from Australia with two dogs that became the foundation of their Regency Kennels. She showed their homebred, Ch. Regency Big Ben Bullen, a red, to three Group Firsts (he was the first Aussie to achieve this), as well as two BOBs at Westminster (handled by Alice Ann) and was Best of Breed at the National Specialty over the largest entry of Aussies up to that time. This record held for 16 years. Many years later, Ch. Regency Lord of Summerhill, with seven generations of Regency behind him, was the first red to go BIS. His grandmother, Ch. Regency My Gracious, was also a National Specialty winner.
Ida Ellen has served on the committee that completely revised the US standard (only recently modified to allow for undocked tails) and co-authored the ATCA’s Illustrated Clarification of the Standard. As a member of the Judges Education Committee, she worked with Jane Tenor on the PowerPoint, presented seminars, and did—and still does—ring-side mentoring. In addition, Ida Ellen has judged the A Match for the developing Great Lakes Australian Terrier Club, the first ATCA Futurity, and many sweepstakes. Ida Ellen and Alice Ann are founding members of the Raritan Valley Australian Terrier Club. Ida Ellen is currently the President of the Bucks County Kennel Club and the AKC Delegate for the Montgomery County Kennel Club.
Jane Tenor is a breeder, owner, and handler of Australian Terriers with over 40 years of experience in the breed. She handled two of the breed’s notable sires: Ch. Crestwood’s Crackerjack and Ch. Regency Lord of Summerhill (the first red Aussie to earn an all-breed Best in Show in the US). She served as President of the Australian Terrier Club (six years), on the ATCA Board of Directors, as Show Chair for National Specialties, as Moderator for the first Australian Terrier International Forum held in conjunction with the ATCA National Specialty, worked to develop the first ATCA Judges Education PowerPoint and on all subsequent versions, and worked to develop the ATCA Mentor Program. Jane has judged both the ATCA National Specialty Sweepstakes and ATCA National Futurity. She has served as ATCA Judges Education Chair and continues to co-chair ATCA Judges Education, and she is an ATCA- approved Presenter and Mentor. In 2015, Jane received the AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award from ATCA.
322 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 2021
Powered by FlippingBook