What To Look For In A Teacup Australian Shepherd
Toy Australian Shepherds or Teacup Australian Shepherds are much smaller than the so-called Standard Australian Shepherd. These small little dogs have all the characteristics and traits of their larger brothers, but they have become popular as pets in an increasingly suburban world.
Nevertheless, even though they are of smaller stature, teacup aussies are active, intelligent little dogs. They arent lapdogs who want to laze around on the couch all day. Rather, they want to be with their owner doing exciting things like agility exercises in the park.
So, youve finally decided that a Toy Australian Shepherd is the perfect dog for you and youre off to the breeder to go and get your new darling. If you want a good, well-bred dog, then here are some of the things to look for in your new puppy and his parents.
1.Energy level: depending on your activity level, you might want a somewhat lower energy Aussie. Ask the breeder what the parents energy levels are as this will give you a clue as to how energetic you need to be with your new teacup Aussie.
2. A good toy shepherd should be proportionally balanced in terms of its skeletal structure and muscle. It should be simply smaller in size than a standard Australian Shepherd it shouldnt have excessively toyish features, such as a very domed head, bulging eyes or very fine bones.
3.The ideal dog should be cheerful, attentive and alert, showing agility, strength and stamina.
4.You should see no signs of aggression or viciousness in the puppy or its parents. Dogs should also be confident and not unduly shy.
5.Check the ears of the puppys parents: are they triangular and fold one half to one quarter forward. Prick ears or floppy hound ears are a fault in the breed standard of toy Australian shepherds.
6.The jaws should not be overshot or undershot.
7.The coat of these dogs should be moderate in length and of a texture that easily sheds burrs or grass seeds (as working dogs, aussies have to be practical in their attire). Coats that are too long or too soft are not ideal for working dogs.
8.Many color variations are acceptable with Teacup Aussies. Typically they are blue merle, red merle, sold black and solid red or black and red with white and tan markings. Merle refers to a type of speckled pattern rather than a color. The key is that the dog should not have too much white on him. Two merle dogs that are bred together can create puppies with a number of genetic disorders such as deafness and blindness. So dont be fooled by breeders who claim that such dogs are rare and special.
9.A Dudley nose is a nose that doesnt have any pigment this can be bad for the dog as it will be highly susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. Ideally, the puppy should not have a pink spot larger than one quarter of the entire surface.
Nevertheless, even though they are of smaller stature, teacup aussies are active, intelligent little dogs. They arent lapdogs who want to laze around on the couch all day. Rather, they want to be with their owner doing exciting things like agility exercises in the park.
So, youve finally decided that a Toy Australian Shepherd is the perfect dog for you and youre off to the breeder to go and get your new darling. If you want a good, well-bred dog, then here are some of the things to look for in your new puppy and his parents.
1.Energy level: depending on your activity level, you might want a somewhat lower energy Aussie. Ask the breeder what the parents energy levels are as this will give you a clue as to how energetic you need to be with your new teacup Aussie.
2. A good toy shepherd should be proportionally balanced in terms of its skeletal structure and muscle. It should be simply smaller in size than a standard Australian Shepherd it shouldnt have excessively toyish features, such as a very domed head, bulging eyes or very fine bones.
3.The ideal dog should be cheerful, attentive and alert, showing agility, strength and stamina.
4.You should see no signs of aggression or viciousness in the puppy or its parents. Dogs should also be confident and not unduly shy.
5.Check the ears of the puppys parents: are they triangular and fold one half to one quarter forward. Prick ears or floppy hound ears are a fault in the breed standard of toy Australian shepherds.
6.The jaws should not be overshot or undershot.
7.The coat of these dogs should be moderate in length and of a texture that easily sheds burrs or grass seeds (as working dogs, aussies have to be practical in their attire). Coats that are too long or too soft are not ideal for working dogs.
8.Many color variations are acceptable with Teacup Aussies. Typically they are blue merle, red merle, sold black and solid red or black and red with white and tan markings. Merle refers to a type of speckled pattern rather than a color. The key is that the dog should not have too much white on him. Two merle dogs that are bred together can create puppies with a number of genetic disorders such as deafness and blindness. So dont be fooled by breeders who claim that such dogs are rare and special.
9.A Dudley nose is a nose that doesnt have any pigment this can be bad for the dog as it will be highly susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. Ideally, the puppy should not have a pink spot larger than one quarter of the entire surface.
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