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Silky Terrier

The Silky Terrier was developed in late-19th-century Sydney, Australia by crossing Yorkshire Terriers with native Australian Terriers — producing a larger, silkier-coated toy between the two parent breeds.

Calculate Silky Terrier age
Lifespan13.3 yrrange 11–15
SizeToyToy Group
Weight10–10 lb4.5–4.5 kg
Senior at9 yrgeriatric at 13

Gallery (3)

About

About the Silky Terrier

The Silky Terrier was developed in late-19th-century Sydney, Australia by crossing Yorkshire Terriers with native Australian Terriers — producing a larger, silkier-coated toy between the two parent breeds. AKC recognition dates to 1959.

Aging

How Silky Terriers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 13.3 years (n=150, small sample). Patellar luxation and Legg-Calvé-Perthes are the defining orthopedic concerns; diabetes mellitus is above-average in breed surveys; tracheal collapse rounds out late-life issues.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.3 yr · range 11–15Senior careSenior at 9 · geriatric at 13Common health issues3 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
10–10 lb(4.5–4.5 kg)
Height
9–10 in(22.9–25.4 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
Blue Silver & TanGray & TanSilver & TanSilver Black & TanBlue & TanBlack & Tan
Temperament

Temperament

How Silky Terriers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

friendlyquickkeenly alertjoyful
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Silky Terriers are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.