Russian Toy Terrier vs English Shepherd - Breed Comparison

Russian Toy Terrier vs English Shepherd - Breed ComparisonRussian Toy Terrier is originated from Russia but English Shepherd is originated from United States. Russian Toy Terrier may grow 30 cm / 11 inches shorter than English Shepherd. Russian Toy Terrier may weigh 25 kg / 55 pounds lesser than English Shepherd. Both Russian Toy Terrier and English Shepherd has almost same life span. Both Russian Toy Terrier and English Shepherd has almost same litter size. Both Russian Toy Terrier and English Shepherd requires Low maintenance.

History

russian toy terrier - historyThe 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.

english shepherd - historyThe English Shepherd is another dog with an English name that was developed in the United States. They developed from British farm dogs that were brought to the United States in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by the Scottish and English as they settled in the New World. Tracing their line through working dogs and collies in Scotland and northern England, the settlers bred them with local dogs and each other. These working farm dogs were called English Shepherds, Scotch Collies, barnyard collie, farm shepherd, the cow dog, and the old fashioned shepherd.

The English Shepherd was appreciated by the settlers and farmers because he was a versatile dog that could herd their flocks and protect their homes as well. They appreciated his intelligence and ability to hunt vermin and be a companion for their children. English Shepherds were bred to work with a variety of livestock such as pigs, cattle, goats, sheep and fowl. They were used to hunt as well and were known to track racoons and squirrels and tree them. There wasn’t a more popular dog in the American Midwest and East in the 1800’s and 1900’s.

The breed is trustworthy, alert and independent. As the small family farms were replaced by large agricultural enterprises the English Shepherd’s numbers dwindled as well until he fell into the category of a rare breed. There were no clubs to support it and not AKC recognition. The UKC had a different dog registered as a farm shepherd.

Today’s English Shepherd is still a farm dog, but he also hunts, is a therapy dog, competes in AKC trials, and performs search and rescue duties. As a farm dog, they are still the most desirable due to their versatility in working with different livestock, guarding the home and caring for the children. They do these things in a gentle way if possible but can be tough if needed. They have great empathy for the livestock and for their human family. This makes him a great dog for the family. The English Shepherd has remained a farm dog, working dog more than a show dog, over all these years.

Basic Information

Group:
Toy dog
Herding dogs
Origin:
Russia
United States
Height Male:
20 - 28 cm
7 - 12 inches
46 - 58 cm
18 - 23 inches
Height Female:
20 - 28 cm
7 - 12 inches
44 - 54 cm
17 - 22 inches
Weight Male:
1 - 3 kg
2 - 7 pounds
21 - 28 kg
46 - 62 pounds
Weight Female:
1 - 3 kg
2 - 7 pounds
18 - 23 kg
39 - 51 pounds
Life Span:
11 - 13 Years
13 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 6
5 - 8
Size:
Toy dog
Medium dog
Other Names:
Russkiy Toy
old fashioed collie, old fashioned shepherd, Scotch Collie, old time collie, farm collie
Colors Available:
Solid red, black and tan or greyish and tan., brown and tan
black and white, sable and white, and tri-color. , black and tan
Coat:
Smooth coated
double, silky
Shedding:
Minimal
Constant
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Sweet, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Loving, Loyal, Protective, Social, Stubborn, Sweet
Grooming:
Low maintenance
Low maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

Description

russian toy terrier puppy - descriptionThe 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.

english shepherd puppy - descriptionThe American bred English Shepherd is a medium sized dog that looks somewhat like an Australian Shepherd or Border Collie. They have tails, never come in merle coloring and their head is not as rounded as the Australian Shepherd. A working dog, its proportionally very well balanced. Because the English Shepherd is so popular across the country, doing a wide variety of jobs, there is some regional differences in the dogs.

The coat can be curly or straight with feathering around the tail, ears and legs. Their heads are slightly rounded but broad and the muzzle is also broad with a solid black nose except for the clear sable dogs whose nose is brown. The eyes show you how intelligent and strong this breed is, and they should be round, brown and oblique. The ears are close to the head and wide apart.

With a strong, muscular back and shoulders the English Shepherd can do almost anything you ask him to. His legs are strong and straight, and his hind legs are muscular. His feet are compact, oval and well padded.

Characteristics

russian toy terrier dog - characteristicsThe 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.

english shepherd dog - characteristicsIt may seem strange to talk about kindness in a working dog, but it is one of the defining traits of the English Shepherd, along with intelligence. The breed is extremely kind to everyone he lives with animals and people. Once he is secure in his job and takes in his children or his herd, he is one of the best caretakers around. He is an independent thinker, is easily trained, and highly affectionate. However, he does see himself as the boss and unless you establish yourself in that alpha role you could have problems.

Health Problems

russian toy terrier puppies - health problemsThere 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.

english shepherd puppies - health problemsLike many other herding breeds, it has been found that about 15% of English Shepherds had a gene mutation called MDR1. This means they have adverse reaction and high sensitivity to many common drugs for dogs. This condition could be life-threatening so test your dog for it and know what you are up against.

Caring The Pet

Exercise:

russian toy terrier dogs - caringThe 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.

Feeding

english shepherd dogs - caringRemember the English Shepherd is a hard working dog. But if you don’t work him don’t overfeed him. Twice a day, he needs about one half cup of a good quality dry food made with an active, medium sized dog in mind.

Health issues

In addition to the health concern listed above, the English Shepherd is also prone to:

Dysplasia

Both elbow and hip dysplasia can plaque the English Shepherd as it does almost any active breed. Have your puppy tested as it can cause lameness and arthritis.

Exercise and games

This is a herding breed and they need exercise. They need a job. They are intelligent and work oriented so make sure they have something to do. Take them to herding trails and have their herding instinct tested. Put them to work in flyball, agility, frisbee, tracking, obedience, rally, herding and showmanship events. Just make sure your English Shepherd has enough to keep his mind and body stimulated at a high rate every day.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Russian Toy Terrier vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  2. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chihuahua - Breed Comparison
  3. Russian Toy Terrier vs Morkie - Breed Comparison
  4. Russian Toy Terrier vs Havanese - Breed Comparison
  5. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chorkie - Breed Comparison
  6. Russian Toy Terrier vs Pekingese - Breed Comparison
  7. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chinese Crested Dog - Breed Comparison
  8. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chiweenie - Breed Comparison
  9. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chug - Breed Comparison
  10. Russian Toy Terrier vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  11. Russian Toy Terrier vs Brussels Griffon - Breed Comparison
  12. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chipoo - Breed Comparison
  13. Russian Toy Terrier vs Chiapom - Breed Comparison
  14. Russian Toy Terrier vs English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) - Breed Comparison
  15. Russian Toy Terrier vs Long Haired Chihuahua - Breed Comparison
  16. Russian Toy Terrier vs Bichon Bolognese - Breed Comparison
  17. Russian Toy Terrier vs Franzuskaya Bolonka - Breed Comparison
  18. Russian Toy Terrier vs Phalene - Breed Comparison
  19. Russian Toy Terrier vs Bugg - Breed Comparison
  20. Russian Toy Terrier vs Cockachon - Breed Comparison
  21. Shih Tzu vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  22. Silky Terrier vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  23. Snorkie vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  24. Toy Bulldog vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  25. Toy Mi-Ki vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Pembroke Welsh Corgi vs English Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  27. English Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. English Shepherd vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) - Breed Comparison
  29. English Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog - Breed Comparison
  30. English Shepherd vs Bearded Collie - Breed Comparison
  31. English Shepherd vs Collie - Breed Comparison
  32. English Shepherd vs Austrailian Blue Heeler - Breed Comparison
  33. English Shepherd vs Dutch Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  34. English Shepherd vs Blue Healer - Breed Comparison
  35. English Shepherd vs Australian Collie - Breed Comparison
  36. English Shepherd vs Catahoula Cur - Breed Comparison
  37. English Shepherd vs Australian Red Heeler - Breed Comparison
  38. English Shepherd vs Catalan Sheepdog - Breed Comparison
  39. English Shepherd vs Bergamasco - Breed Comparison
  40. English Shepherd vs Berger Picard - Breed Comparison
  41. English Shepherd vs Appenzell Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  42. English Shepherd vs Bohemian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  43. English Shepherd vs Croatian Sheepdog - Breed Comparison
  44. English Shepherd vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervuren) - Breed Comparison
  45. English Shepherd vs Blue Lacy - Breed Comparison
  46. English Shepherd vs Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. English Shepherd vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) - Breed Comparison
  48. English Shepherd vs Black Norwegian Elkhound - Breed Comparison
  49. English Shepherd vs Cao da Serra de Aires - Breed Comparison
  50. Pyrenean Shepherd vs English Shepherd - Breed Comparison

View/Compare Breeds

Popular Dog Breeds