Spinone Italiano vs Miniature Australian Shepherd - Breed Comparison

This Italian breed has an ancient blood line tracing all the back to 500 BC. Originally bred to hunt, he is today a friendly, alert and loyal companion. He is intelligent enough to do any job you give him. The Spinone is thought to be one of the oldest gun dogs ever, but it is not entirely clear that he came from Italy. There are some who think he may have come from somewhere in these European countries – Italy, Greece, France, Celtic Ireland, Spain or Russia. However, most believe the breed came from Italy in the Piedmont area.

The most common thinking is that he is a descendent of the Spanish Pointer and/or the Russian Setter. One other theory is that setters from Greece were brought to the Roman Empire and crossed with a variety of Italian dog to make the coarse haired Spinone we see today. Then the French put in their claim that the breed is a cross of many French pointers.

The theory that counts might just belong to the Italians who believe the ancestor to the Spinone includes the German Wirehaired Pointer, the Pudelpointer and the Wirehaired Pointer. It was not until the 19th century that the name Spinone was officially given to the breed.

Before that it might have been known as a Spinoso and named after a thorn bus in Italy called the Spino. This bush was so thick and sharp that small prey animals learned to hide under it because the predators could not get through it. The Spinone however was able to fight through the briars with its thick, coarse hair and tough skin.

The breed almost became extinct during the second world war as before and after the hunters in Italy had started to use other breeds for hunting. Breeders also began to cross the Spinone with wire hairs like German Wirehaired Pointer, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and the Boulet.

The most popular hunting dog in Italy today is the Bracco Italiano while the Spinone is still used for hunting.

Unlike some miniaturized pure dog breeds, the Miniature Australian Shepherd is a breed of its own. The American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club recognize that the miniature Australian Shepherd is the same as the miniature American Shepherd.

Certain breeding programs to develop the Miniature Australian Shepherd have been established and this dog is a small version of the Australian Shepherd. You can say that the Mini Australian Shepherd was developed in the 1960s and hails from the USA. American ranchers bred small Australian Shepherd dogs to create smaller replicas of the breed.

The breed is made up of strong, solid and muscled dogs that have an almost square build. His legs are made to travel any terrain and his head is long with an occipital that is pronounced and unique to the Spinone. They are said to have “human appearing eyes”, with a docked tail in countries allowing it and webbed paws.

Shorter hair covers their feet, head, legs, muzzle and ears. They have longer hair on their eyebrows and it is stiff, with soft hair on the muzzle and cheeks with a beard and mustache. It is a single coated dog though the coat is rough. They should have skin, lips, nose, and pads in colors that coordinate with their coats. For white dog it is a red-orange color, brown in dogs that are roan colored and dark red-orange in the orange and white colored dog.

The Miniature Australian Shepherd’s coat is medium-length and is straight or wavy. It comes in a range of colors such as blue or red merle and red or black tricolor. There are white or tan markings as well. He is a small dog, standing at 33 - 46 cm in height and weighing 6 – 16kg.

They have blue or brown eyes but some will even have one eye blue and the other brown. The ears are semi erect, semi floppy and the tail, while essentially left long and feathery, is sometimes docked.

Temperament:

Miniature Australian Shepherds are easygoing dogs who love being with their human families. They get on well with children in the home and are always willing to jump right in for a game.

They’re lively and agile and if its not games they’re busy with, they want to be on a walk. They’re loving and loyal and also eager to please, sensing what their owner wants.

They’re intelligent dogs too and easy to train so it is sure to go well with training and socialization, which is important for any dog. This training and socialization can actually help with problems a dog has such as being very nervous or being too active indoors. They become obedient and manageable wherever they are.

He is also willing to get on with other pets in the house. Just like the larger dog, the mini Australian Shepherd loves to be active and at work.

1.Children friendliness – yes they live kids.

2.Special talents – Digging and running.

3.Adaptability – Young dogs need a lot of attention but they don’t need a lot of space. The young dogs are energetic while the adult dogs are laid-back. They need exercise every day and at least a small back yard.

4.Learning ability – good/stubborn/intelligent.

The wonderful friendly nature’s of these dogs make them excellent family pets, especially when they have been trained and socialized. They can live in the city or country but they will certainly require being exercised as they are an active breed, wanting to be busy with his human family.

You can’t describe these dogs as low maintenance as they have long, thick hair that sheds and which will also need to be brushed regularly.

If you’re able to provide a good home for this beautiful, lively dog, then he will make you a splendid pet.

This is an ancient breed with not a lot of documented genetic issues, but it does have one deadly condition.

• Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is inherited and hits the puppies. Because it is a recessive gene both the mother and father must carry it for the puppy to inherit it. This makes it less likely than it would be otherwise. Puppies with the condition do not live more than a year. Since it is a genetic problem there is now a test for it that identifies carriers at a 95% accuracy rate.

• Like many other large breed dogs, they are susceptible to hip dysplasia. This can cause arthritis and/or lameness. There are now hip replacement surgeries available for this condition.

• Bloat is again common in large dogs and you need to watch for it with the Spinone. It can be deadly if not treated immediately. Let your dog rest quietly after eating. Do not let her exercise or play energetically after eating.

Your Miniature Australian Shepherd can enjoy good health if you make sure he has a nutritious diet, he is well exercised and he is happy and content because of the attention you give him. He can easily reach 13 years of age.

Also, say what you like, human beings constantly tampering with animals to produce certain looks has its drawbacks and can create health problems in dogs.

As a pure breed however, these dogs will be more susceptible to some common canine health problems such as hypothyroidism, patellar luxation, obesity, hip dysplasia, vision problems and cancer.

1Feeding the puppy – feed a high quality dog food for puppies of large breeds. Feed 3-4x day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating even as a puppy.

2.Feeding the adult - feed a high quality dog food for large breeds. Feed 1-2X day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating.

3.Points for Good Health – Active and strong

4. Games and Exercises – The Spinone is an active breed, but not a fast dog. In fact, they like to travel at a trot so it becomes a great dog for jogging or running with. They love to jump, track, hunt, hike. They do well with agility, retrieving, flyball, carting, being a therapy dog, a rescue dog and a watchdog.

Grooming:

The mini Australian Shepherd has a long coat with seasonal shedding. You will need to give the coat a good brush twice a week to keep it untangled and to remove loose hair.

Other grooming for your pet will be to check his eyes and ears for infection, check for unusual lumps when you brush him and check for fleas and ticks. Keep his nails trimmed and brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week to avoid plaque build up.

If you’re wondering how to keep your dog well groomed for the enhancement of this health, people such as your vet or professional groomers will do these grooming tasks for you.

Diet:

Top quality commercially manufactured dog food packed with vitamins and minerals needs to be your choice if you're going to be using these dog foods. Avoid the cheaper brands that use lots of fillers, sugar, salt, colorants and preservatives.

Home-made food is a wonderful treat for a dog and delicious, nutritious and simple ingredients such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables chopped up into his dry kibble from time to time will do him wonders.

Sometimes it will also be good to add in a little bit of raw meat too. Make sure there is a bowl of fresh, cool water available to your pet constantly.