Dog breeds in Australia
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toyAffenpinscherA small German ratter with a monkey face and a big opinion of itself. The Affenpinscher is low shedding, clever and stubborn, needs 20 to 40 minutes of activity a day, and does best with adults or older children who will keep it company.View Details
houndAfghan HoundThe Afghan Hound is an elegant, independent breed known for its silky coat and speed. Loyal yet reserved, it suits patient owners who can meet its grooming needs and provide regular exercise.View Details
terrierAiredale TerrierThe Airedale Terrier is the largest terrier: tall, athletic and very clever, with a confident, independent streak. It suits active owners who enjoy training, and makes a capable companion, watchdog and working dog when it gets daily exercise and clear rules.View Details
workingAkitaThe Akita is a large, powerful spitz breed with roots in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, where it was used for hunting and guarding. Dogs Australia recognises two separate breeds: the Akita, which descends from the heavier American type, and the Akita (Japanese), known overseas as the Akita Inu. Akitas are dignified, loyal and reserved with strangers, and they can show dominance over other dogs, particularly of the same sex. Males stand 66 to 71 cm and females 61 to 66 cm under the Dogs Australia standard, with a lifespan of around 10 to 12 years. The Akita is not a restricted breed in Australia, though its size, guarding instinct and heavy double coat make it a breed for experienced owners.View Details
workingAlaskan MalamuteThe Alaskan Malamute is a powerful, friendly working breed built for endurance. Loyal and social, it thrives with active owners who can provide space, structure, and regular exercise.View Details
workingAmerican BulldogThe American Bulldog is a strong, athletic former farm dog with a confident, protective nature and a soft spot for its family. It suits experienced, active owners who can give it training, clear structure and regular exercise from puppyhood.View Details
terrierAmerican Staffordshire TerrierThe American Staffordshire Terrier, widely known as the American Staffy or AmStaff, is a muscular, confident terrier developed in the United States from English bull and terrier stock and recognised by Dogs Australia in Group 2 (Terriers). It is a legal breed in Australia and is distinct from the restricted American Pit Bull Terrier. Males stand approximately 46 to 48 cm and females 43 to 46 cm, with a lifespan commonly given as 12 to 14 years. AmStaffs are affectionate and loyal with people but can be intolerant of other animals, so early socialisation and secure handling matter. Registration papers matter more for this breed than most, because in Victoria they can be the owner's proof that the dog is not a restricted breed.View Details
workingAnatolian Shepherd DogThe Anatolian Shepherd is a big, independent livestock guardian from Turkey that makes its own decisions. Devoted to family and reserved with strangers, it needs an experienced owner, secure fencing and room to patrol, ideally on a rural or semi-rural property.View Details
companionAustralian BulldogsThe Australian Bulldog is a sturdy, affectionate companion bred in Queensland to cope with Australian heat better than the English Bulldog. It is calm at home, playful with its family and needs only moderate exercise, but it hates being left alone for long.View Details
herdingAustralian KelpieThe Australian Kelpie is a sharp, high-energy herding dog bred to work stock in tough Australian conditions. It is loyal and quick to learn, but it needs an active owner who can give it daily exercise, mental work and a real job to do.View Details
workingAustralian ShepherdThe Australian Shepherd is an American herding breed, classified by Dogs Australia in the Working Dogs group and developed on Californian ranches in the nineteenth century despite its name. It is a medium sized, double coated working dog known for high intelligence, strong herding drive and close attachment to its people. Coat colours include blue merle, red merle, black and red, usually with white and tan markings. The breed suits active Australian households that can provide daily physical work and mental engagement, and it struggles in homes that cannot. Two inherited issues, the MDR1 drug sensitivity mutation and merle coat genetics, matter more to buyers than anything else on the record.View Details
toyAustralian Silky TerrierThe Australian Silky Terrier is a toy terrier developed around Sydney in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from crosses between Yorkshire Terriers and Australian Terriers. It is lively, alert and affectionate, with a true terrier's confidence and ratting instinct in a dog of around 4 to 5 kg. Most stand 23 to 26 cm at the withers and carry a long, fine, glossy single coat in blue and tan. It is generally a long-lived breed, though owners should be aware of luxating patella, tracheal collapse and dental disease. In Australia it is recognised in the Toy group and puppies come from a modest number of registered breeders.View Details