[conureparrot]

hello, I live with my family of 5 in a big New York city apartment. We are looking into getting a dog and I have been throughly researching Aussies. clearly, the standards and minis are too big for nyc. I have been looking into the toys and teacups. I have read that Aussies are extremely active breeds. just how active are they? I contacted a seller who said that the smaller the dog, the less exercise they need but that doesn't seem true. is she right? she also said that other owners walk the dogs 1 to 3 times a day. is this ok? how long and frequent should the walks be? are they easily bored? how do they fare on planes?

 

[conureparrot]

I thought I may add that ive also been looking into Aussaliers and ausichons but those are extremely difficult to find

 

[LeoRose]

I'd be super-wary of anyone advertising their dogs as "teacup" sized. It's more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. IMO, combining the potential health issue of Australian Shepherds with the potential health issues of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is a bad idea.

Honestly, one of the best apartment dogs is an off the track Greyhound. The require surprisingly little exercise for their size once they quit racing, and are generally extremely chill dogs.

 

[conureparrot]

it is a gimmick. they don't fit in teacups. the website says that they are 8 to 10 inches tall and 6 to 8 lbs. its more just a smaller toy. I was under the impression that mixing breeds with possible health issues increases their gene pools, thus heavily decreasing their risk of disease. greyhounds are great, my aunt has two, but they aren't that I am looking for. my main concern is keeping up with the exercise of the dog. the Aussaliers combine the active and passive, creating a perfect balance, but I could only find one place that had them with a long wait list. I was just wondering weather a full on Aussie that's half the size would need much more exercise. does anyone know how much they need?

 

[conureparrot]

I thought I would clarify that keeping up with exercise does not refer to the greyhound

 

[storyist]

Every Aussie I've met is hyperactive and barks when excited. I'm an old broad and have been dealing with dogs and horses since I was a kid and the smarter the animal, generally the more difficult it is (unless you're going to be training and giving them things to think about constantly). They get bored and start looking for things to do. Ordinary training bores them because they've been there, done that.

If someone lies to you like this person has, you'd be better off looking elsewhere for a dog.

 

[LeoRose]

If a heath issue has a genetic cause, then yes, a mixed breed dog can can have it. I've encountered more than one doodle with hip dysplasia, and my own Doberman cross had a heart condition common in Dobermans.

Outcrossing to help correct health related issues requires serious thought as to what breed(s) to outcross to, and why. In Dalmatians, there was a known gene that causes a particular type of bladder stone. Pointers don't have that gene, and are similar in type to Dals. A single litter was whelped from a Dalmatian x Pointer cross, and the resulting puppies bred back to Dalmatians. Eventually, after several generations of breeding the outcrosses to Dals, the Dalmatian studbook was opened up, and the dogs were allowed to be registered as Dalmatians. As a result, you now have generations of registered Dalmatians that don't have bladder stones.

It's also difficult to predict exactly what a mixed breed's temperament and activity level will be. The could take after one parent breed more than the other. They could be atypical for both parent breeds. Miniature American Shepherds / Miniature Australian Shepherds are still a herding bred at heart, and while the might not require as much physical activity as a full sized Aussie, they still need mental and physical stimulation. Lots of toy dogs make excellent sport dogs because of their energy level and drive.

You might want to consider adopting an adult dog who's temperament and energy levels are a known quantity, and not take the gamble that a puppy brings.

 

[Lillith]

I would also be very wary of any breeder who advertises "teacup" dogs. It's a marketing gimmick, and the dogs are often not bred with health and temperament in mind. They're bred so the breeder can make money. Quality is not top of mind for them. Therefore, you aren't really guaranteed a certain temperament, so it would be difficult to gauge how much exercise the dog really needs.

Smaller doesn't always equal less exercise. There are some 10 pound dogs out there that could probably put my dog to shame!

As to answer your question on exactly how much exercise for a herding breed, I would put it at least one hour minimum during the week if you're just doing leashed walks mixed with some training, plus something more strenuous and fast paced on the weekends to really burn some energy. An obedience or agility class would also be very helpful to keep their mind focused. It really depends on the dog, though. There are mellower Aussies who could probably be fine with a little less, and higher strung Aussies who need significantly more. A good breeder would be able to match you with an appropriate puppy, or tell you if her stock won't fit with you at all.

To put this in perspective, I have an Aussie/Collie mix who I would consider medium to high energy. When we lived in town, I would go for at least a 45 minute walk every day after work, but he was on a 100ft long line and we walked through parks where he had plenty of opportunity to canter along, sniff wildlife smells, and move in a giant circle around me. That's a bit different than a walk on a 6ft leash. We had an agility class once a week. On the weekends, we would go on longer hikes in more secluded green areas that lasted 1 hour to 1.5 hours. We had a small yard that he was allowed to lay about in when we were home and watch the world go by. I would say he was satisfied with that amount of exercise and stimulation, but if for weather or life reasons exercise dipped below that, he would get pushy and restless.

 

[conureparrot]

Hey guys thanks for all the replies. Reading this, I think that it would be better for my family to choose another one of the many breeds out there. I'd rather get the right fit. Has anyone heard of micro sheepadoodles? They also seen great. Any info on them?

 

[storyist]

Why do you want a micro anything? If you want small, research toy breeds. There are a lot of them with great variety, and you can find reputable breeders for them who have knowledge of generations behind their puppies instead of people out to make a buck on the latest craze.

 

[conureparrot]

I'll make sure to do that. Any suggestions?

 

[LeoRose]

Visit the AKC website, and look through the breed descriptions. Read about the history of the breed, as well as their exercise and grooming requirements. For the breeds that catch your attention, visit the breed club's website for more information.

Anyone breeding "poos", "doodles", "teacup this", "micro that", or any other " designer dog" mixes, the odds are that they are more concerned with making a buck than they are in producing healthy, sane, long-lived dogs.

 

[parus]

Micro or teacup anything is just asking for an inbred dog that's easily squashed. If you want a tiny dog, get a tiny dog breed from a healthy line of tiny sturdy little ancestors, like a nice little Pomeranian or Toy Poodle or Papillon or Chihuahua (the long-haired ones can be super cute, IMO). Many of the toy breeds are known for general good health and longevity.

(Honestly, I'd take my 100lb dog over any small dog for apartment living, all things being equal - many of the big breeds tend to be couch potatoes - but I understand that with public transit and landlords and whatnot, smaller is often more practical.)

Toy breeds are popular with crappy BYBs and puppy mills, so do be careful about the source of your dog. (In contrast, "designer" tiny dogs like cutesy-named crosses and micro-minis and teacups and all the other buzzwords are almost the sole province of crappy BYBs and puppy mills, with VERY few exceptions, so I'd avoid those altogether.) Get a dog from someone who is clearly breeding for good health and good temperament so you don't end up with a snappy ankle-biter that costs a zillion dollars in vet bills.

 

[Crantastic]

Papillons are fantastic but probably not what you want, energy-wise. Mine is 13 and still gets antsy if she doesn't walk for an hour every day. She'll come home from a two-hour walk, grab her toy and throw it around. There's a reason papillons are common agility dogs -- they are quite smart and have a ton of energy.

In addition to the toy group, also look into dogs in the non-sporting group. There are some smaller breeds in there that do well in cities. I saw a ton of Boston terriers in Toronto. Frenchies and shibas, too.

Also, check out Petfinder to see what's available in shelters and rescues near you. There could be a unique, perfect little mix for you.

 

[Knute]

I agree with the other posters.

Get a dog breed that is meant to be a particular size. There are many small breeds with high intelligence that don't get much bigger than 14 lbs. and about 12 inches tall which are very suitable for small homes.

Examples:
Miniature Poodle, high intelligence, no shedding, about 15 lbs
Miniature Schnauzer, high intelligence, no shedding, about 15 lbs.
Terriers, generally are high intelligence.
Many dogs would fit your desires. The largest terrier is the Airedale. It gets to be about 24 inches tall.

There are true Toy breeds. Example: Toy Poodle.

Steer clear of "teacup" breeds. Often these "teacups" are inbred runts of a breed or cross-breed mix. Runts generally have a genetic problem of some sort. Now, inbreeding will only aggravate the genetic issues and may accentuate others. This is a downward spiral to pets with many problems.

Think carefully about the type of dog and the source of the dog.
Be sure to verify the breeder and get a Vet to run a health check BEFORE you purchase. Use a Vet of your CHOICE, not the breeders choice.

 

[RonE]

When I was growing up, they were called runts. The first dog we had was a runt dachshund from a neighborhood backyard breeder. The parents and siblings were all normal size. Ours looked exactly like a miniature dachshund.

She was a pretty dog and lots of fun. When she was four, she lost the use of her back legs (with no apparent injury.) My dad was a creative woodworker and made her a set of wheels. She used those for about six months. Then she died, despite excellent vet care.

I can't say for sure that she died young because she was a runt, but her parents and siblings all reached a normal dachshund age.

Now they call them teacups and they charge a premium for them. They are bred intentionally. The only way I'd have one would be if I considered it a hospice situation and I was prepared to deal with a myriad of medical problems and a likely early demise.

 

[Walkerhunter]

hello, I live with my family of 5 in a big New York city apartment. We are looking into getting a dog and I have been throughly researching Aussies. clearly, the standards and minis are too big for nyc. I have been looking into the toys and teacups. I have read that Aussies are extremely active breeds. just how active are they? I contacted a seller who said that the smaller the dog, the less exercise they need but that doesn't seem true. is she right? she also said that other owners walk the dogs 1 to 3 times a day. is this ok? how long and frequent should the walks be? are they easily bored? how do they fare on planes?

Hi, I breed teacup/toy aussies. They are lovely little dogs. All my pups are very, very sweet. People rave about them. Most of my pups or around 10-12 pounds, under 15. That would be considered a toy. Teacups are under 10 pounds. I have also had standard and miniature aussies in the past. They do like a lot of exercise and they love to chase animals, even children. Toys' herding instincts are not so great. Honestly, I've never had an aussie that was hyperactive, even the standards or the miniatures. My toys are not hyperactive at all. I think if the dog is hyperactive, as Cesar Milion would say, it is the owner's fault. The person is too nervous or too permissive. Dogs need discipline just like a child. Some of my puppies.

 

[Walkerhunter]

hello, I live with my family of 5 in a big New York city apartment. We are looking into getting a dog and I have been throughly researching Aussies. clearly, the standards and minis are too big for nyc. I have been looking into the toys and teacups. I have read that Aussies are extremely active breeds. just how active are they? I contacted a seller who said that the smaller the dog, the less exercise they need but that doesn't seem true. is she right? she also said that other owners walk the dogs 1 to 3 times a day. is this ok? how long and frequent should the walks be? are they easily bored? how do they fare on planes?

Toy Aussie breeder again: They do not take near as much exercise as a large dog but they do need exercise. You will love walking around the neighborhood with your little dog. You'll get a million comments about them. As with any dog, it's what you do with them. I'm sure they could get used to flying if you did it often. I walk my dogs once a day about 20-30 minutes.

 

[Walkerhunter]

Toy Aussie breeder again: They do not take near as much exercise as a large dog but they do need exercise. You will love walking around the neighborhood with your little dog. You'll get a million comments about them. As with any dog, it's what you do with them. I'm sure they could get used to flying if you did it often. I walk my dogs once a day about 20-30 minutes.

I also want to say that there are some in the Aussie world that believe that Aussie's were "little blue dogs" so the standards have been bred up from the little dogs.