Australian Terrier Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy an Australian Terrier?

Start with the dog, not the route. The Dogs Australia breed standard describes “a sturdy low-set dog, rather long in proportion to height with strong Terrier character, alertness, activity and soundness”, and its temperament as “essentially a working terrier, but its loyalty and even disposition make it equally suitable as a companion dog.” Dogs Victoria adds that Aussies need secure fencing and should be walked on a lead in case they find something worth a chase.

Either route can work. A registered breeder who knows the family's health history gives you the best odds with a puppy. A rescue gives you an adult whose character with people and other animals is already known. The route to avoid is a cheap online ad with no information about the parents.

Reference only, not quotes. The breeder figure was read on the breeder's own website and the rescue fees on the RSPCA pages named below, all on 11 November 2026; prices and fees change, so check with them.

Where does the Australian Terrier come from?

From Australia, out of British stock. Dogs Australia's breed page describes small terriers that came out on the First Fleet and later ships to kill vermin, and says the mixed terriers evolved into a breed suited to this country: small, rough-coated, with a large ruff and apron, killing vermin and snakes and keeping watch on isolated homes and goldfields claims. It says the first standard for the Australian Terrier was written in 1887 in Victoria, with the colour already set as blue and tan. No one can say exactly which terriers went into the mix, because breeders kept their records to themselves.

Today's standard (last updated 18 October 2012) places the breed in Group 2 (Terriers) and asks for:

Dogs Victoria gives an average life span of 11 to 16 years and describes the Aussie as alert, intelligent, inquisitive and loving, not a constant barker but one that barks at something amiss.

What health questions should you ask a breeder?

Three things matter most: kneecaps, diabetes in the family, and any DNA results for the parents. Dogs Australia calls the Aussie a very basic little dog that is relatively free of hereditary faults, says that as in all small breeds there is sometimes a degree of patella displacement (a slipping kneecap), and says hip problems such as Legg-Perthes disease are now almost non-existent because breeders have worked since the 1970s to eliminate them.

Diabetes: what the Australian research found

A VetCompass Australia study published in Veterinary Record in 2020 used the records of 134,329 dogs seen at 152 first-opinion clinics in 2017. Compared with a reference group of rarer breeds and unidentified crossbreeds, Australian Terriers and their crosses had the highest odds of diabetes of the breeds it reported (odds ratio 7.93, 95% confidence interval 2.83 to 22.27). The study found diabetes in 0.36% of the dogs overall.

A 2020 study in PLoS ONE of 483 related Australian Terriers bred in the United States estimated the heritability of diabetes at 0.18 and found the inheritance was polygenic, with no evidence of a single gene of large effect. In plain terms: genes play a part, but there is no one DNA test that rules diabetes out. So ask the breeder whether any of the puppy's close relatives developed diabetes, and talk to your vet if your Aussie starts drinking or urinating more than usual.

DNA tests

The Australian Terrier Club of South Australia publishes a list of Australian Terriers reported clear of von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder) and degenerative myelopathy (a progressive spinal cord disease). Ask the breeder which DNA tests the parents have had and to see the reports by registered name.

Sources as linked, read 11 November 2026. A test being on a club list shows what can be tested, not how common a condition is. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice. Our Australian Terrier health guide covers living with these conditions.

How much is an Australian Terrier puppy from a registered breeder?

Few breeders publish one. In November 2026 we read the own websites of Australian Terrier breeders that show Dogs Australia membership through a state body, leaving out listing and marketplace sites. One Dogs Queensland member breeder published $2,200 for a pet puppy (November 2026), on a page updated in July 2026. The others published no price. One breeder is not a range, so treat it as a single example and ask several breeders. We found no Australian Terrier club that publishes a guide price.

Reference only, not a quote. Breeders set their own prices and change them, so check with the breeder and ask what is included.

Registered Aussie puppies are not plentiful. Dogs Australia's registration figures show 229 Australian Terriers registered in 2025, against 332 in 2018. These are registrations, not litters, but they suggest registered puppies are not easy to find. Clubs can point you to breeders: the Australian Terrier Club of Queensland, for example, publishes a breeders directory. Budget for what comes after the price, too: the dog cost calculator gives a first-year figure, and our guides to cheaper vet care and desexing costs help with the rest.

What do Australian Terriers in rescue look like?

Mostly adults, plus Aussie crosses. They come into rescue for the same reasons as other dogs, such as a move or an owner who can no longer manage, and sometimes because a busy terrier's digging, barking or escaping was more than the household expected. With a cross, coat and temperament vary, so the foster carer's or shelter's notes on the individual dog matter more than the breed label.

That is the advantage of adopting: you can ask how the dog goes with children, cats and other dogs, whether it digs or escapes, and what its vet notes say, before you sign anything. Our Australian Terrier adoption guide for Sydney covers the local side.

What does a rescue Australian Terrier cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Read our guide to adopting a dog in Australia.

If no Australian Terrier is listed near you, browse small dogs as well: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

How do Australian Terrier puppy scams work?

Scamwatch warns that scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings for pets that do not exist, and that a very cheap pet is likely a scam. Dogs Victoria's puppy scam fact sheet adds that fake ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders. What to watch for with an Aussie:

• Borrowed numbers. A real breeder's membership or source number in an ad proves nothing on its own. Contact the breeder through Dogs Australia or the state body, not the ad.
• Colours outside the standard. The standard allows blue and tan shades, or clear sandy or red. Anything sold as a rare colour is not what the standard describes.
• “Registered” with no named body. Ask which body issued the papers; papers from a registry outside Dogs Australia are not Dogs Australia pedigree papers.
• No answers about health. A seller who cannot tell you about kneecaps or diabetes in the family is not giving you the information you need.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the state-by-state table of breeder numbers, how to check each one, and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder is a reasonable choice if you want a puppy and are prepared to wait, if you want to show or do dog sports from puppyhood, or if you have watched the rescue listings for months and no adult has suited your home. Check these before you pay:

1. Registration. Ask for the breeder's prefix and membership number and check them with Dogs Australia or the state body. It confirms membership, not puppy quality.
2. Kneecaps checked by a vet in both parents.
3. Diabetes in the puppy's close relatives, asked about directly.
4. DNA reports for the parents, by registered name.
5. The mother and where the puppies are raised, before any deposit.
6. A written contract covering health problems, register type, desexing and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is an Australian Terrier the right dog for you?

The appeal is real: Dogs Victoria calls the Aussie an even-tempered, versatile dog that delights in human company and is equally at home on a farm or in a suburban backyard. Be honest about three things before you apply. Terrier drive: it will chase, and Dogs Victoria says Aussies find rabbits, guinea pigs and chooks very tempting. Fencing: you need a secure yard and a lead on walks. Coat: a brush or comb a couple of times a week, with the feet trimmed and nails cut.

Not sure it fits? Try the what dog breed am I quiz and the adoption readiness check, and read our guide to family dogs in Australia.

Find an Australian Terrier near you

Australian Terriers and Aussie crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Australian Terriers for adoption in Sydney
• Australian Terriers for adoption in Melbourne
• Australian Terriers for adoption in Brisbane
• Australian Terriers for adoption in Perth
• Australian Terriers for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting an Australian Terrier, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast.

More adopt-or-buy guides: Australian Silky Terrier, Tenterfield Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Border Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Koolie.