Information On The Tenterfield Terrier

  The Tenterfield Terrier originated in England.  The Fox hunters of the day used Fox Terriers and Fox Terrier types, but found they needed a smaller dog to send down the Fox hole and to be used generally for hunting vermin. 

  It is believed they used the smaller progeny of the Fox Terrier and outcrossed it to other breeds to bring the dog down in size. There appears to have been many inputs of other breeds over the years, with probable inclusion of Chihuahua, Whippet, Manchester Black and Tan, Min Pin and Italian Greyhounds.  The dog has commonly been referred to as the “Miniature Fox Terrier”.

  The early settlers to Australia brought out the “Miniature Fox Terrier” as a working dog for vermin.  The breed was widely used throughout England and Australia for ratting and rabbiting.  Over the next hundred or so years the breed became quite established in Australia as a working terrier and family companion.  There was hardly a farm in Australia that didn’t have at least one of these terriers.  There was never a reason for any of these people to develop a breed registry for their beloved breed – they were just loved.

  We have a copy of a photo taken in the late 1800s of a police party searching for missing drovers.  In the front of the photo is a Tenterfield Terrier.

  It is believed these terriers were bred quite extensively in and around northern New South Wales.  A known large breeder of this terrier was George Woolnough, the Tenterfield Saddler (Peter Allen’s grandfather).  We have letters written from elderly Tenterfield residents telling us of how George loved his little terriers and owned “an awful lot”. 

  In the early 1990’s a group of interested owners, who wanted to secure the future of this terrier, advertised for interested persons to attend their first meeting.  This meeting led to the formation of the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of SA.  A similar club had been running in New South Wales for some time prior to this.   A club was then formed in WA and the breed registry was established soon after, with the first entries being January 1991.

  In 1992 it became quite apparent that if we were to eventually have this wonderful little dog recognised by the ANKC, the name of “Miniature Fox Terrier” was extremely inappropriate as the terrier was not a miniaturisation of the Fox Terrier.  We, as a club, could understand this valid point.   The link to the Fox Terrier is long since removed.

  After consultation with all club members, moves were then made through SA, WA and NSW to instigate a name change for the breed.  Numerous ideas were put forward which resulted in a ballot to all members of the SA, WA and NSW Clubs. After much publicity via the media, it was strongly voted (some 85% of returned votes) to embrace the name “Tenterfield Terrier”.

  The establishment of the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Australia Inc took place in January 1993.  The Australian club handles all of the breed registrations and its only members are two delegates from each state club.  The state clubs now established are the Tenterfield Terrier Club of SA Inc., the Tenterfield Terrier Club of WA Inc., the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Qld Inc., the Tenterfield Terrier Club of NSW Inc. and the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Vic Inc.

  The Tenterfield Terrier is a true terrier.  He is a strong, active, agile working terrier of great versatility and of pleasing proportion.  He has proven himself without question as a hunter (of various forms of vermin, including foxes) and of being an extremely loving family pet.  The Tenterfield is at home either hunting larger vermin on the land, hunting small vermin around the home and property or curled up on a loving knee in front of a fire.  The Tenterfield is an ideal companion for both children and the elderly alike.

  The Tenterfield Terrier is shown 100% naturally with only minimal grooming required to remove loose hair during the seasonal change of coats.

  There have been very few breeds of dogs developed in Australia.  
   The Tenterfield Terrier is now a recognised breed and is being shown at official shows in Group 2, the Terrier Group.

  If any further information is required, please do not hesitate to contact us on (08) 8524 3824.

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