The Australian Terrier Club of America, Inc.
Dedicated to the Advancement of Quality, Purebred Australian Terriers
AKC Parent Club Member 1977
Founded 1958
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The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation.
If you haven’t seen a dog show in person yet, we highly recommend attending one to experience it first-hand. If you are looking to meet a quality Australian Terrier, this is the place to see one! Check out our Upcoming Events page to see what events may be near you! Attend one of our National Specialties! We would love to meet you and here, you can not only see the breed in person, but meet breeders from all over the USA!
Interested in performance? Australian Terriers excel in this area! They were bred to be Jacks and Jills of all trades around farms, and their duties included herding livestock, killing vermin and venomous snakes. However, they were also the first terrier bred to be companions, small enough to curl up on the hearth (or bed) at night. This resulted in a fast, agile, independent working dog during the day and a companion at night.
It is noteworthy that many of our companion and performance dogs are also breed champions, and many are breeder or owner handled to their other titles. There is a bond that comes from working with your dog for hours each day, for weeks and even years to get them ready for an obedience or agility event. And many of these dog-handler teams go on to continue to compete together for years. Each of these exhibitors has some really funny training stories that they could share with you if you corner one and ask them. There is a certain challenge that comes with training an innovative terrier.
We hope to see you at a conformation show or performance event!
If an ATCA member or members wish to have the ATCA Support the Entry of Australian Terriers at a local show, please go here: ATCA Supported Entry Guidelines
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