The Silky Terrier
Records and Regulatory Issues
Mr. Taylor
Mod 9 (9/8/14)

ABSTRACT

In the pet/companion and show dog world, it is very important to groom your dog, especially the Silky Terrier. Often mistaken for a Yorkie, this particular toy breed is famously known for its long, shiny silky coat and friendly disposition. Grooming can be a great way of bonding with your pet, show off its silky, luxurious, hair in dog shows or to give him or her more visual spunk. Many tools and techniques are used to make a silky terrier look its very best for show: Clippers, shears, brushes, combs, detangling conditioners, professional shampoos, blow driers and other grooming tools are used for basic and show grooming. The Silky Terrier should be bathed once a week to once every 12 weeks; it’s a low maintenance dog and can have a fondness for grooming if started at a young age. Basic grooming should include bathing, brushing, and combing of their coat on a regular basis. Some of the many endearing qualities include a single coat that does not molt and distinct lack of “doggy” odor, therefore making them ideal for people who have allergies.

History of the Breed

The Silky Terrier originated in Australia in the 1890s, when breeders crossed imported Yorkshire Terriers with their native Australian Terriers. Some of the offspring looked like Yorkies, some looked like Australian Terriers, and others looked like the Silky of today, with a size and coat length that was between the two parent breeds. The Silky-looking dogs were interbred until the puppies predictably had Silky traits. In 1906, Australian fanciers developed a breed standard — written guidelines for what the breed should look, move, and act like — in Sydney, New South Wales. In 1909, another standard was drawn up in Victoria. The two standards didn't completely match up, mostly on the preferred weight and ear type. The two camps compromised and a new breed standard came out in 1926. The breed has had several names: initially, he was called the Sydney Silky Terrier. In 1955, he became the Australian Silky Terrier (still the official name for the breed in Australia). In the U.S., the name was changed to Silky Terrier.
The origins of the Australian Silky Terrier may never be known. All we have are myths and stories as to the creation of this wonderful companion.
Our story begins sometime in the late 19th century during the haphazard cross breeding that eventually produced the Australian Terrier. The English immigrants that travelled to Australia were only allowed to bring the various small terrier dogs due to the space and food restrictions that existed on the sailing ships of that period. The early colonials needed a dog to control rodent problems and hunt snakes, and also watch animal stock on their properties. Several English terriers were cross bred to produce what was then known as the rough or broken coated terrier. The list of terriers is thought to include the Skye, Black and Tan, Scottish, Paisley, Clydesdale, Waterside, Norwich and Roseneath terriers.

Medical Issues

The Silky Terrier is generally a very healthy breed. In past years, there were instances of patella luxation and Calves Legge-Perthes (deterioration of the hip joint). Due to selective breeding, these problems are rarely seen in the modern Silky. Some problems seen today include cruciate ligaments, juvenile cataracts, diabetes, epilepsy, allergies, tracheal collapse, and Cushing's disease may sometimes be seen in this breed as well. Sometimes even new issues can occur.
The Silky Terrier Club conducted a health survey that included 985 dogs. According to this survey, the most common (and most serious) health problem in Silky Terriers is cataracts, a severe enough form that they can lead to blindness. Other eye diseases in Silkys are progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and glaucoma. Keep an eye out for tumors in Silky Terriers, especially breast tumors. Allergies (which cause itchy skin and can leading to pyoderma) are common in all terriers. Hormonal/endocrine system diseases include hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, and diabetes. The most common orthopedic disease in the Silky Terrier is luxating patella (loose knees), then Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and occasionally hip dysplasia.
Neurological diseases include epilepsy (seizures), and occasionally white shaker dog syndrome.
Other health issues to be concerned about in Silkys are liver shunt and collapsing trachea.
Silky Terriers are prone to dental disease and harmless episodes of reverse sneezing.
Can you prevent health problems from happening to your Silky Terrier? Yes, often you can. Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited from parents. Genetic health issues are common in Silky Terriers today because of unwise breeding practices.

Grooming Procedure and Techniques
Tools that will be needed: * Nail trimmers * Styptic Powder * Ear Powder * Ear Cleaning Solution * Shampoo and Conditioner * Hemostat * Cotton Balls * Clippers/Guards * #40 and #15 blades for pads * Slicker Brush * Greyhound Comb * Pin Brush * Trimming Shears (curved and guided) Thinning Shears (4” or 5”, teeth on one side only) * De-matting Tools (mat breaker, slicer and rake) * Stripping Knives

First step (if needed): Pre-work, trim or grind nails every four to six weeks to maintain a healthy foot structure. Clean the ears by swabbing a mild ear cleaning solution. If present, pluck any long hair inside the ear canal using ear powder and your fingers or hemostat. Prior to bathing, quickly go over entire body and remove any serious mats or tangles. If the tangle can be penetrated with water, leave it and remove when the dog is clean. If the dog is in a clipped pet trim and has not been in professional grooming for six weeks or more, remove the excessive body coat.
Brushing: Systematically brush the entire coat, right down to the skin. With a slicker brush, the motion used for line brushing is a ‘pat and pull.’ Softly pat the coat with the full pad of the brush and pull out and away from the skin with each stroke. The motion should light and gentle. Start on the lower rear legs and work upwards towards the thigh. Repeat on every leg then proceed to the body, neck, head, ears and tail. Work evenly over pet, holding or pushing up the coat with one hand. This can be done with either a comb or a brush, but in most cases the comb is reserved for double checking the work of the brush. With the slicker brush, work the seam line, pulling down a small amount of fur with each stroke. Do not move to the next section until the seam line is seen. Pay close attention to the legs collar area, ears, and tail let your hands for coat density levels. If an area feels heavier or thicker, it will need special attention with a brush or a comb.

Bathing: The Silky Terrier can be prone to a variety of skin conditions, too oily coat, which can be controlled by regular bathing with the appropriate shampoo for the specific, diagnosed skin condition. Bathing a Silky’s coat when tangled will only tighten the mats, which can make further attempts at brushing an unpleasant experience. The water temperature used for bathing should be slightly warm to the touch. Bathing with water that is too hot can contribute to a dry, brittle coat. Begin your Silky’s bath by wetting down the hair on the head, neck, chest, and forelegs. Lather gently and work from head to rear, be careful not get soap in the eyes even if you have eye protection. You may rinse and repeat if the Silky seems filthy, the first lather removes excess dirt and the second brightens. Wet the Silky down prior to soaping, also make sure to have all shampoo rinsed away before applying conditioner. At this time pump the anal glands. This is done by applying light pressure at the base of the anus and pump in an up and down motion. You should get a very smelly discharge to come out, if bloody, seek a veterinarian.

Drying Techniques: The coat can be allowed to air dry; however, the playful nature of the Silky can find a reason to roll around on the floor before it’s completely dry. Gently squeeze (Do not wring out) the water from the coat with your hands to remove any excess. The coat can become easily tangled when wet, so it is advisable not to “rub” the coat with a bath towel when drying. The proper technique is to “blot” the coat, absorbing as much of the remaining water as possible. If you choose to allow the coat to air dry, make sure that you spray it with conditioner, comb or brush out any tangles. Blow drying is best; it will straighten the coat and give a more finished look. Be very careful with a human dryer it can be too and burn the skin. Using a comb or pin brush to lift the hair in sections as you dry it will also lessen the drying time.
Clipping the nails: Now, take your clippers and, holding them flat against the dog's leg, stroke the clippers in the direction that the hair grows (from the knee to the toes). Take long strokes from top to bottom and work your way all around the leg. When that is done, take your scissors and cut off any excess hair growing between the pads as well as any longer hairs left growing around the foot that the clippers didn't remove. Then use the nail clippers to trim the ends off the toenails. (If a toenail bleeds, don't worry - it looks much worse than it is. Use Quick Stop on the nail to stop the bleeding. You can also use corn starch.) Now, repeat on the other 3 feet.

Trimming and Clipping: If you don’t have a grooming table you may need the help of another person. The grooming arm would have acted as a third hand. First trim the feet, use #15 to a #40 blade, use a very light touch to clean the pads of long hair. To create a rounded foot, first block in the foot to form a square. This will help create a full circular shape with the toes pointing directly forward. Finish detailing and rounding the outline of the foot by using long curved shears. Ears and between eyes, trimming the ears can be done with clippers and ears should be cleaned of long hair both front and back (note: this is a friction area, so be careful how you clip). Straight scissors may be used along the edge to neaten them. Between the eyes can be done with thinning shears and needs to be an upside down “V” from corner of each eye to the part between the ears. All the long hair between the eyes can be neatly trimmed so the beautiful eyes can be seen. Elbows – If the coat is excessive you may want to lift up body coat and thin out coat in this area. Tail can be trimmed using thinning shears; width of tail should be about the width of your fingers as they run along the tailbone. The tail is easily done by placing two fingers behind the ‘bone’ and cutting the excess hair past the fingers, no flags. Body coat – if it becomes excessively long it can be trimmed using thinning shears taking a little off at a time.

Difference between Show and pet Grooming
Grooming show dogs is much different than grooming pet dogs that never enter the conformation competition ring. Pet dogs just need a clip that will keep them clean and easy to maintain. Show dogs, on the other hand, need special grooming in order to represent their breed to the best of their abilities. If you’ve ever been to a conformation dog show, you’ve seen dogs on tables being groomed by their handlers. Most short-haired breeds just need a bath, nail clip and a teeth cleaning, but some breeds (such as Poodles, which are notorious for their grooming needs) will need a lot more attention and time devoted to grooming.
A Short-Coated Silky Terrier
Keeping a Silky Terrier in a shorter cut is easier and usually more appealing for the average pet owner. Using a wire-bristled slicker brush, you “pat and pull” a small section of coat at a time, starting at one of the rear legs and working your way around the body, penetrating all the way to the skin. Once your brush slides easily through the section on which you are working, move to the next area. You must be careful not to brush too hard. They have sensitive skin and can get “slicker burns,” sores and abrasions from friction, if you use too heavy a hand. Because their coats have static electricity, we often use an anti-static or heavily-diluted moisturizing spray to keep the static-factor down on the final brush out after the bath. The feet are trimmed neat and clean with no toe clumps or stray hair showing, as befits these sturdy little workers. Although the finished product should look natural, we subtly neaten the body with thinning shears for a nice outline. The Silky’s glossy coat should bounce and flow as it whizzes about in its busy lifestyle. As home maintenance goes, upkeep is not really all that labor-intensive – you brush and comb your own hair every day, after all – but a shorter trim would make it easier. For a cute pet look, we use either #1 or an “A” snap-on comb attachment to our #30 clipper blade on the body and legs. We trim the face round like a West Highland Terrier, cleaning out the eye corners. The Silky’s pointed ears should be neatly shaped with scissors. This type of a “puppy cut” looks great on a wide variety of breeds and mixes. The body length can be left longer in cold weather, trimmed closer for the summer months, depending upon which clipper blade or comb attachment the groomer uses. Show dog grooming has a lot effort put into the process due to the high demand of appearance of style, finish, color, and flow of the groomed coat and nails.
Silky, Not Sculpted
Named for its signature coat, Australia’s lively little ratter cleans up nicely for the Toy Group. Its straight, single glossy coat is – obviously – silky in texture. According to the standard’s section on coat, the hair “falls below and follows the body outline.” Unlike Yorkshire Terrier, the Silky’s coat should not approach floor length and should never be sculpted (molded or built).
In the parent club’s breed brochure, the Silky Terrier is described as “naturally clean pointed,” which indicates the absence of long hair on the ears and feet. Otherwise the hair is moderate in length, and parted on the head, neck and over the back to the set-on of the tail. The hair on the face should not be long and the legs should have short hair “from the pastern and hock joints to the feet.” The tail should be well-coated, but devoid any plume (teased puff of hair at the tip).
The Silky Terrier’s two-toned adult coat has lustrous sheen that cannot be enhanced through sculpting. Coloring is blue and tan, with blue extending from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail, down the forelegs to the elbows, half way down the outside of the thighs and on the tail. Tan points are found on the muzzle and cheeks, around the base of the ears, on the legs and the feet, and around the vent. The trademark topknot may be either sliver or fawn color that is lighter than the tan points. Nails should always be black and no other color or shine should be added.

References
Salzberg, NCMG, K. (2009). A Short-Coated Silky Terrier. (p.8) Retrieved from http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-information/dog-groomer-salzberg/a-short-coated-silky-terrier.aspx
Sayers, D. (2014). Breeder Buzzwords – The Silky Terrier | Best In Show Daily | 2014. (p. 8-9)Retrieved from http://www.bestinshowdaily.com/blog/breeder-buzzwords-the-silky-terrier/ http://www.lirn.net/services/3vb-9ddaf6f2e74fe4a3f4ef/classic
Welton, M. (2000). Silky Terrier Health Problems | Feeding | Raising a Healthy Puppy. (p.4)Retrieved from http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/silkyterriers.html http://www.lirn.net/services/3vb-9ddaf6f2e74fe4a3f4ef/classic