Tenterfield Terrier Information & Dog Breed Facts

Terrier breeds have been originating from England from as far back as the 1500s. But the Tenterfield Terrier has a more complex history, because, it finds its ancestry in England, from the 1800s, however, interestingly, the breed developed into a distinct one in Australia, making the breed one of the rare indigenous ones from Australia.

During the 19^th century, the earliest specimens of the breed were exported to Australia on ships, accompanying the first European settlers in Australia, from Portsmouth, from the southern parts of England. According to the Terriers’ jobs on farms, the sailors and the crew also used the dogs to keep down the rodent, rat, and vermin population during the cruise. These dogs, on the ships, were strictly selected, because the sailors wanted to take the smallest specimens of the Terrier breeds, in order to save up space in the ships. They landed on choosing multiple dogs from the Fox Terrier breed. By the late 19^th century, a dog breed, called the Mini Foxie, was well-established in the rural parts of Australia working both as a vermin hunter, and a family companion. Regarding the breed’s ancestry and evolution, the Tenterfield Terrier is considered to be a result of crossing the Manchester Black and Tan or English Toy Terrier with the Standard Fox Terrier. Later, in the Australian development process, the Whippet, and the Miniature Pinscher were also introduced to the mix. At one stage, the Chihuahua was also involved, nevertheless, any outcrossing to other breeds is nowadays, forbidden. By out-crossing, rather than simply breeding the runts of the litter, a larger gene pool is established, which ensures and guarantees a more robust, healthier dog.

The breed got its name in reference to Tenterfield, a town in New South Wales, where a man named George Woolnough became first known for his devotion to this kind of Terrier breed. Tenterfield is very significant in Australian history, for the reason of the Tenterfield Oration on independence from Britain. Moreover, this town’s owner was Mr. Woolnough. Tenterfield’s residents stated that Mr. Woolnough owned and was devoted to a number of Terrier breeds, including the Tenterfield Terrier. Yet, the name Tenterfield Terrier was proposed by a television gardening personality, Don Burke in the 1990s.

In 1991, a group of the breed’s fanciers from the state of South Australia founded the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of South Australia, separate from the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of Australia, which was in operation for a longer period now. This club also included the Tenterfield Terrier in their books. Yet, later, it became evident that there were differences between the Terrier breeds. In 1993, the establishment of the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Australia Inc took place. Later, at the beginning of the 21^st century, the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) officially recognized the Tenterfield Terrier as a distinct purebred breed. Some experts are still confused about the differences between the Tenterfield and the Miniature Fox Terriers, even though the breed standard for both breeds was drawn up. Both of the breeds are also recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club), and by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The breed is spread throughout the whole world. Today, the Tenterfield Terrier’s place is rather in their owner’s laps in the house serving as a family companion, than in the farms chasing vermin.