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On the evidence of its record, Better with older children is the Australian Silky Terrier's standing with children, supervision assumed as with any dog. Supervision, respectful children and a dog allowed to walk away are the universal conditions; the Australian Silky Terrier asks no others.
Energy scores 3 out of 5, the middle of the scale: the Australian Silky Terrier needs its 20 to 45 minutes daily and then settles like a sensible dog. A dog that forgives grabs, shrieks and unpredictability is the dog families actually need; the Australian Silky Terrier's temperament record says it is that dog, within the limits stated here.
The Australian Silky Terrier's growth stages run 8 weeks at about 1 to 2 lb, 6 months at about 5 to 6 lb, 9 months at about 7 to 8 lb, ending at the adult range of 8.0 to 10 lb and 9.0 to 10 inches tall. Standard colors: blue, tan. The breed belongs to the Terrier group and its home ground is Australia.
Teaching the child is the faster half of the equation with an Australian Silky Terrier: calm approaches, no neck hugging, and stopping when the dog moves away.
By the numbers: a toy dog standing 9.0 to 10 inches, weighing 8.0 to 10 lb, living 13 to 15 years, with insurance typically $27 to $51 a month. The detail on this page hangs off those figures.
The Silky suits gentle, playful households that want terrier sparkle with a silk coat in a sturdy toy package. Expect a bright, devoted little dog that joins every activity, supervises the garden and sleeps as close as allowed. Families that do best give the Australian Silky Terrier a quiet retreat children never enter, food and chews in peace, and praise when it walks away from irritation.
Holidays stress test the pairing annually, and an Australian Silky Terrier whose exercise of 20 to 45 minutes travels with it holidays as calmly as it lives.
Other pets follow the dog record, With early socialization, as their starting point in an Australian Silky Terrier household, with introductions managed on neutral ground. Barking scores 4 out of 5, so the Australian Silky Terrier has a voice and uses it: announcements, comments and the occasional full report on the street outside.
Puppy or adult is the family's other decision: an Australian Silky Terrier puppy grows up fluent in your chaos, an adult with a known history removes the guesswork.
Believe the dog and manage the gap: distance, gates and gradual, treat fed exposure at the Australian Silky Terrier's pace. A breed rated Better with older children can still hold an individual with a hard start in life, and forcing contact makes nervous dogs worse, never better.
Fetch, hide and seek with the dog searching, and simple training tricks the children teach themselves all work. Games that wind an Australian Silky Terrier up beyond its judgement, wrestling and chase grabbing, are the ones adults should retire early.
The temperament behind the rating is Bold, scrappy, cheerful and full of self belief, and patience is where that shows in family life. An Australian Silky Terrier that can be dressed up, chased and chattered at by children it knows, then given its retreat when it has had enough, is the breed working as rated.
The record gives the Australian Silky Terrier 13 to 15 years of life: respectable for a toy dog, and heavily influenced by weight, teeth and screening.
Can an Australian Silky Terrier fit your home? The verdict with exercise, noise and company needs weighed in.
Short answer first: Good with children.
Last updated: November 6, 2026