At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, smooth single coat
A small, neat terrier with a fine, short, smooth single coat.2
Personality what they are like
A bright, alert little dog with lots of energy. With consistent training and enough activity it becomes a cheerful, affectionate family companion.2
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High for its size: around 60 minutes of active exercise a day.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Minimal; the short coat sheds moderately and needs only simple regular brushing.2
The story where it all began
Small terriers came to Australia with 19th-century English settlers to keep rats down, and breeders crossed the smallest Fox Terriers with other small breeds to create a compact ratter. Long known as the Miniature Fox Terrier, the breed was renamed in the 1990s to honour the Tenterfield Saddler, George Woolnough.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The name was suggested in the 1990s by television gardening presenter Don Burke.1
- 2
George Woolnough, the saddler who owned these terriers, was the grandfather of entertainer Peter Allen, who wrote the song 'Tenterfield Saddler' about him.1
- 3
By the 1920s these little terriers had moved from farms into city homes all over Australia.1
- 4
Its ancestry includes Fox Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Toy Terriers, a bit of Whippet and even some Chihuahua.2
Recognised by the official bits
- ANKC (Dogs Australia)
- Has an ANKC breed standard.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Tenterfield Terrier. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Hand strippingHand stripping keeps the harsh texture; clipping also worksevery 12 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery 3 weeks
- Ear checkevery 2 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery day
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 10every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Tenterfield Terrier - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, recognition, history, fun facts
- Tenterfield Terrier - Hill's Pet Australia hillspet.com.auused for size, lifespan, coat, colours, temperament, exercise, grooming, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.