Mini Sheepadoodles vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison

The Mini Sheepadoodle is such a sweet, teddy bear of a dog. It comes from two awesome dog breeds – the Old English Sheepdog and the Miniature Poodle. It is thought that the dog originated in the USA.

They are two very different looking dogs, but their personalities are fairly similar. This designer dog isn’t purebred and isn’t registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC).

The Russian Toy Terrier is one of the dog breeds that hails from Russia in the 20th century. The Russian nobility fancied these little dogs as companions but also as they were useful for catching rats and being watchdog.They would set off an alarm with their barking.

It is believed that the Manchester Terrier and the English Toy Terrier were the foundation breeds for this dog.

They are available in smooth and long-haired varieties. The breed has recently been recognized by the UK Kennel Club but is not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The Mini Sheepadoodle, a mix between the Mini Poodle and Sheepdog stands at between 48 and 52cm and weighs between 11 to 20kg.

He is solidly built with a broad skull and face. The coat is usually medium length and can be either straight, wavy or curly. The coat can be quite a few colors depending on the parents. Some are brown, cream or black while others are white and grey or white and brown.

He is a low shedding dog. He has a double coat which will still need brushing. This hybrid breed has a thick coat that will need to be trimmed professionally every now and then as well. This is good for hot weather and for reducing the time it takes to groom the pet.

Temperament:

They’re easy-going, social dogs, loving to spend time with their human families. They are gentle and patient with children and they get on well with other pets in the home as well.

The Poodle is a very intelligent dog and because there is Poodle in the Mini Sheepadoodle, you can be sure that your dog is going to be bright too and that he will be able to be trained and socialized with ease. They’re friendly and don’t do too well as watchdogs.

The Russian Toy Terrier is a petite dog and is inclined to be a fragile dog breed. It belongs to the toy group. It is also known as the Russian Toy Terrier or the Russkiy Toy.

The dog’s small size means it is ideal for living in the city or the countryside.

He measures between just 20 and 28cm and weighs between just 1kg and 3kg.

The dog has a small head with big eyes and ears which are large ad erect. The tail was always traditionally docked to give it a cute, compact look, but these days it is left long.

You also get a long-coated dog and the smooth coated dog. The long coated variety has a lot of feathering around the tail, legs and ears. Colors of the coat can be solid red, brown and tan, black and tan or greyish and tan.

Temperament:

This little dog is full of character and is bold and cheerful. He is such a loyal, devoted little dog and small though he is he is territorial, protecting and guarding his owner. It is such a sociable little dog, devoted to his human family, while being wary of strangers.

Even a small dog like this will need training and socialization as he can become yappy and clingy if he is constantly piked up and petted.

The Mini Sheepadoodle is such an affectionate teddy-bear dog and is calm, gentle and loving.

They make perfect family pets and want to please their owners. He is friendly and gets on well with his human family as well as with other pets in the home.

Children love him as he is always willing to have a game. They’re sociable and playful and make a wonderful canine pet and companion in your home.

The Russian Toy is a small, feisty dog with long legs and huge upright ears. He is intelligent too. Don't let his fine structure deceive you as he is far more robust and tough than he looks.

He is a great playmate for disciplined, respectful children who know how to be kind to animals. Wild, unruly kids could so easily accidentally break one of his tiny little legs during rough play.

He loves his human family though and is guaranteed to make you an excellent little pet and companion.

They’re healthy dogs and you’re not likely to be spending too much time at the vet. Every dog can be prone to any one of the many common dog illnesses there are. These can be hip dysplasia, obesity, bloat, dental disease, cataracts and more.

Bloat:

This can be a life-threatening disease and treatment will be required as soon as possible. Known also as gastric dilatation and volvulus, the stomach twists and fills with gas. The dog’s stomach becomes distended with gas, and pressure is placed on the diaphragm, creating breathing problems.

Your dog will have a swollen stomach, he’ll be drooling and panting and he’ll be restless and he may even make little whimpering noises because he is in pain. He may be trying to vomit. Your dog needs to get to the vet immediately.

Hip dysplasia:

This is a leading health concern with many dogs and with the Mini Sheepadoodle as well. It’s a condition where there is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. It can lead to pain and arthritis and you may even notice your once-active pet battling to do what he once did, even when he is still young.

There are things that can be done though and your vet will discuss treatment methods with you and ideas to make it comfortable for your pet.

There isn’t too much information about inherited health problems with this dog and he can live to be 11, 12 or 13 years of age, maybe even longer.There are one or two health problems to be aware of -

Patellar Luxation:

This condition occurs with the knee caps of the dog and either one or both back legs can be affected. Sometimes surgery will be required to help the dog.

Teeth Problems:

Little dogs always battle with their teeth, and the Russian Toy Terrier can experience problems when the puppy or ‘milk’ teeth don’t fall out. It affects the development of adult teeth. Sometimes the vet even has to have the teeth removed.

Exercise:

The Mini Sheepadoodles will need quite a lot of exercise as he is an active dog. Walks are always a super idea, and hikes even better. He will love other forms of activities such as ball games, hide and seek, ropes games and general rough and tumble games.

Grooming:

A brush every other day will be required. You can have your pet professionally trimmed. Check him over during brushing for unusual lumps. Check inside his ears and inside his mouth as he can’t tell you about ear infections or a bad tooth causing him a lot of pain.

Diet:

Provide your wonderful dog with the best food there is. Just like human beings, food plays an important role in good health. Learn to read the labels on commercially manufactured dog foods and try to feed your pet natural, wholesome foods with vitamins and minerals.

Some of the more inferior brands pump their foods full of colorants and preservatives. Try and provide your Mini Sheepadoodle with some home-made food which is simple and free of spices. Things like boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables chopped up and added to the dry kibble sometimes can do your pet a lot of good.

Make sure your pet always has a bowl of fresh, cool water available.

General:

Provide your pet with a warm, dry place to sleep.

Make sure his vaccines are up to date and make sure you have a reliable trusted vet to turn to when he is sick.

Exercise:

The Russian Toy Terrier is a small breed and isn’t going to need too much exercise. However it will do him good to get out to sniff around, and a walk every day will be recommended.

Grooming:

Your Russian Toy Terrier is a fairly low maintenance dog and isn’t going to require specialist grooming. The little dog will simply require some occasional brushing to remove loose hair.

When you brush him, check inside his mouth for bad teeth as small dogs like this can suffer from pain with overcrowding of teeth.

Diet:

Tiny though he is, the Russian Toy Terrier will need good food. It will be tempting to pop sugary treats into such a tiny little dog’s mouth. This can in fact be seriously dangerous for him, not to mention that he can become obese. This opens up anew set of health problems.

You can feed this little dog commercially manufactured food but it should be the best quality one for small breeds.

Give him some tasty homemade food too. Simply add into one big pot chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots. This food can all be chopped up, refrigerated and added warmed up and in small portions to your tiny pets dry kibble once or twice a week.

A tiny bit of raw meat can also go a long way to ensuring his skin stays healthy and free of skin infections.

Ensure that there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water within his reach.