The Tenterfield Terrier has English origins but, like dog breeds such as the Miniature Fox Terrier, the Australian Terrier, the Silky Terrier, and the Australian Cattle Dog, was developed uniquely in Australia.

Appearance

The Tenterfield Terrier is a balanced, square terrier with a short, fine coat. The coat is predominantly white with markings in black, tan, liver or brindle. The preference is for a docked tail, but naturally short tails or bobtails are known to occur.

History

Breed Origin

As is so often the case, the origins of the breed are somewhat obscure. It is generally believed that smaller puppies from the litters of Fox Terriers were crossed with the progeny of other small breeds. Certainly, by the late 1800s a dog type known as the Little or Miniature Fox Terrier (known colloquially as â€˜Mini Foxiesâ€™) was well established in rural Australia. By the 1920s the dog was a fixture in urban households as well.

The name â€˜Tenterfieldâ€™ is sometimes incorrectly stated to denote the terrierâ€™s place of origin as Tenterfield, New South Wales. Rather, Tenterfield is one of many Australian towns and villages in which small dogs of this type were known to exist. The town of Tenterfield is significant in Australian history, and the best-known owner of its saddlery was a man named George Woolnough, who was immortalized by his grandson, entertainer Peter Allen, as the â€œTenterfield Saddlerâ€. Mr. Woolnough owned a number of small terrier-type dogs; however, photographs of these dogs are not readily available. The name Tenterfield Terrier was suggested in the 1990s by Don Burke, a television personality of the era, and was adopted during the renaming of one of the then-Miniature Fox Terrier clubs.

Breed Development

In 1991 a group of enthusiasts from the state of South Australia formed the autonomous Miniature Fox Terrier Club of South Australia, separate to the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of Australia, which had been operating in New South Wales for some time. In 1992 they met with owners from other states to discuss the future of the Clubs. At that time, it became evident that there were some differences as to the preferred type of dog that would represent the Miniature Fox Terrier breed. Further, challenges to the name â€œMiniature Fox Terrierâ€ were being mounted, and threatened to preclude recognition by an All-Breed club, which was a priority among some breeders. In 1993 fanciers from South Australia and other states formed the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Australia. The breed standard of the Tenterfield Terrier differs in substance from that of the Miniature Fox Terrier, and although they are sometimes confused, the two dogs have been developing along divergent lines for over twenty years and are now separate breeds.