The OES and Bearded Collie might look very similar and some people might confuse them together, but they are definitely not identical. The Bobtail is slightly larger with average height around 60 cm, or 24 inches and weight 40 kg, which is 88 pounds. The Bearded Collie height is usually somewhere around 53 cm, or 21 inches and weight around 22 kg, which is 48 pounds.
Both breeds have long and thick coat which protects them from harsh weather. Both coats requires extensive brushing to prevent matting and tangling. The Bobtails coat probably requires little bit more grooming, since their undercoat is much denser and it is matting more. The Beardies coat is more manageable. Traiditionally, the Old English Sheepdog has docked tail, which is why they are nicknamed Bobtail, but today, it is normal to see OES with long tail. The Bearded Collies tail is quite long. Next to the size, you can distinquish those two breeds by the hair on the head. The Bearded Collies fur falls from the top of the forehead creating a kind of "eyebrows" over the eyes, and forms a characteristic "beard" around the mouth, which is why they are named Bearded. The OES on the other hand does not have those two features. The temperament of both dogs is very similar. Of course, the temperament and personality can be vastly influenced by early training and socialization, but in general, both breeds make excellent active family companions who love its owners and family and are very affectionate towards them. Both are also pretty accepting to other people and animals if you introduce them properly and they are quite tolerant towards kids. But of course, you should never leave any dog breed with very young child unsupervised. Some owners suggest, that Old English Sheepdog has higher protective nature to its owners and property, but they are absolutely okay with people you introduce to them. Again, this can be vastly influenced by early socialization. Both breeds are very very active. Bearded Collie is a bit more active, agile and overall hyper and it needs truly a lot of exercise, but both breeds need a lot of daily physical and mental stimulation. Daily longer walks, hikes or jogs are necessary to have a healthy and happy dog in your home. Those two breeds are also extremely trainable, which is due to the combination of the high intelligence and their love to its people. But early training with proper socialization is essential, just like with all breeds. With enough patience and consistency, both breeds are capable of learning tons of different trick and commands. Overall, those two breeds have extremely similar personality. They are not for everyone, but if you are an active person, who likes outgoing and devote dogs, than there is a big chance, that both breeds would be a great fit for you. In the beginning of the video i said, that both breeds are from Great Britain, but they actually have different country of origin, because the Old English Sheepdog was developed in England, but Bearded Collie is from Scotland. But originally, both dogs were used for herding purposes. Every breed is prone to certain health issues. The Old English Sheepdog is hip dysplasia, entropion and cataracts. Bearded Collie is usually very healthy breed, but they ocassionally suffer from hip dysplasia or epilepsy. Those two breeds have different life expectancy and it is logical, that the larger Old English Sheepdog lifespan is slightly shorter, around 10 years, than the Bearded Collies 13-14 years.
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Poodles and Schnauzers are quite popular breeds. One of the reason is, that both come in three different sizes. The Poodle comes in toy, miniature and standard and Schnauzer also have three sizes, miniature, standard and giant and you can see the size comparsion on the screen right now.
Another similarity is their coat. While the Poodle is marked as a hypoallergenic breed that does not shed at all, the Schnauzer sheds a little bit more, but it is still a very low shedding breed. If you suffer from allergies, there is no such thing as completely hypoallergenic dog breed, since they all produce some dander or salive, but the Poodle has a high chance to not trigger the allergies. Both breeds require quite a lot of grooming. Even though they do not shed much, they need often brushing and trimming. Many people choose services of professional groomer, because the grooming can be little bit too much time consuming. Both breeds are very intelligent, constantly ranking among the smartest of all breeds. Its impossible to say, which one is smarter, but it is not that important, both are very intelligent. It is said, that the Poodle is easier to train, which is mostly due to the Schnauzer independent mind. The poodle also be friendlier towards strangers, while the Schnauzer is naturally good watchdog and can be trained to be excellent guarding dog. The Schnauzer is very loyal and affectionate to its family. Both, Poodles and Schnauzers, especially the smaller varieties bark quite a lot and they should be trained from the puppyhood to not bark excessively. I would say, that the Poodle is better choice for novices or unexperienced owners, because the Schnauzers independent mind need a trainer who know what he is doing. But just like with all dogs, the key to succesfull training is a lot of patience, consistency and lot of treats and affection for good behaviour. Another thing, especially if you are thinking about standard poodle or schnauzer, is their energy level. Those are very active and high energy dogs, that need daily proper outdoor exercise. It can be long walks, jogs or swims! These dogs will enjoy almost any activity with their people. You should also challenge them mentally, for example by some dog sport, daily training sessions or some interactive dog toys. With enough exercise, these dogs will happily live indoors. Especially the smaller varieties are excellent for apartment living. Larger types are better for living in houses with yard, but even them will like to live indoors, next to their people. Great fact about both dogs is, that they have quite a long lifespan, which is typically between 13-16 years. Smaller dogs typically live longer, so it should not be a surprise that smaller the miniature poodle and Schnauzer normally live little bit longer than Standard types. Just like all dogs, even the Poodles and Schnauzers can suffer from some health issues. Some poodles suffer from epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy or diabetes, while some Schnauzers can be prone to liver diesases, skin problems or von Willebrands disease. There is also a cross between those two breeds, which is called Schnoodle. But just like all the crossbreeds, its impossible to predict its temperament and appearance, since it can inherit it from either of its parent. If you are an active person who does not mind the extensive grooming needs, than both dogs have potential to be the best companion dogs. The main difference probably is, that the Schnauzer is more independent breed than the eager to please Poodle. It is impossible to say, which one is better, because it really depends on what do you expect from the dog! The Miniature Pinscher has a short and smooth coat and you can only find them in black and tan or red color. No other color is acceptable. On the other hand, the Chihuahua can be in almost any color. So if you will see a dog and you will not be sure if it is a Miniature Pinscher or a Chihuahua, than you can first check out its color. If the dog is white or for example blue merle, than you can be sure, that this is not the Min Pin. Chihuahua can also have a long fluffy coat, which makes it even easier to recognize it apart.
But what if the Chihuahua is short coated with red or black and tan color? Then there are some other differences in the appearance. You can look at the ears. The Miniature Pinscher ears are set very high on the head and they can be folded in half, although very often they are erect. The Chihuahua ears are set at a 45 degree angle and there is a bigger gap between them. Another difference are the eyes. Chihuahua eyes are much larger, more expressive and rounder. Miniature Pinscher eyes are oval shaped. Then we have the size and body. As you probably know, the Chihuahua is the smallest of all dogs, with average height between 15-25 cm, which is 6-10 inch and weight between 1,5-3 kg, which is 4-6 pounds. Miniature Pinscher is bigger and heavier with height between 10-13 inches or 25-32 cm and weight between 8-10 pounds, which is 4-5 kg. One last important difference is the gait. Especially the Miniature Pinscher has very unique, high stepping gait, which is easy to recognize. What about the temperament? Both breeds might be small in size, but they definitely have big personalities. Both are active, courageous, fearless, alert and spirited. I think that the Chihuahua is lets say more companion type of a dog, while the Miniature Pinscher is a hunter. Which is a logical, since the Min Pin was bred in Germany to hunt vermin. The Chihuahua origin is unclear, but it is believed that they were developed in Mexico from Techichi dog, which was a companion dog of Toltec civilization. This also explains, why the Chihuahua does not have a strong hunting instinct, while the Min Pin might have tendencies to follow smaller animals and they are not recommended to household with smaller pets. Both dogs are affectionate and friendly towards their family and they make good playful partners for older children. They are too fragile to let them alone with young kids who do not know how to act properly around dogs. They can be easily injured. On the other hand, the Chihuahua and the Miniature Pinscher are not the best friends with strangers and other dogs. Even though the Chihuahua is not a total coach potatoe, it is very easy to meet their exercise needs. Thanks to their small size it can be done with daily indoor exercise. Of course you should still také them on few good walks every day. The Miniature Pinscher activity level is something else. This is a forever on move dog which is always ready for any outdoor adventure. They love long walks or hikes. And you should be prepared for a very playful dog, afterall, their nickname is the King of Toys. So if you are an active person, than the Min Pin is just for you. If you are more laid back, or even a senior, than you should rather consider the Chihuahua. So to sumarize it, if you are looking for a devoted companion dog, which does not have very high exercise needs and that provides tons of affection, than the Chihuahua is great for you. On the other hand if you are looking for always active, independent and spirited breed, that will always entertain you with its playful nature, than the Miniature Pinscher is the better choice. Great fact about both dogs is, that they have relatively low grooming needs. Long haired chihuahuas needs frequent brushing, but short coated Chihuahua and Min Pin only need occasional brush to minimize the shedding and to keep the coat in top condition. The Chihuahua lifespan is very long, up to 20 years. They can suffer from patellar luxation, heart murmur or pulmonic stenosis. The Min Pin life expectancy is little bit shorter, but still very long, it is around 15 years. The major health concerns are legg calve perther disease, cataracts and skeletal deformities. I am absolutely sure, that you know about the Shar Peis, they are very easy to recognize and quite popular. But did you know that there are some differences between the Shar Pei types? There is the Bone Mouth and Meat Mouth Shar Pei, plus, the coat type can vary a lot as well. In this video i will tell you everything you need to know about the different Shar Pei types.
You are probably familiar with the Meat Mouth Shar pei, which is the typical type for the Western world. But it is not the original breed. The original, Chinese version of the breed is the Bone Mouth Shar Pei. But if you will look to the AKC breed standard of the Shar Pei, you will not find a single word about the Bone or Meat mouth. On the other hand, if you will ask the professional breeders of the Shar Pei, they will tell you that the difference is definitely here. So what is the difference? Well the most striking one is their muzzle. The Bone mouth shar pei has no pudding over its nose and cheeks are fleshy. There should be nothing extra between the teeth and jaws that would make the bite less efective and powerful. It is because this type, unlike the Meat Mouth type, was bred for working purpose, to be more specific, for hunting. The Meat Mouth type, which is sometimes also reffered as the Western or American type is not built as a working dog, but more as a show ring dog. They always had to have the pudding over the nose and fleshy thick cheeks. A lot of time it is called as the hippopotamus head. This gives them the famous sweet and adorable look. The Bone mouth shar pei is overall looking much more as working dog. Their skin is closer to the bone and they have only a little wrinkling at the shoulder and neck area and sometimes at the forehead. The muzzle of the Bone mouth shar pei is thinner. The Meat Mouth shar pei muzzle is much wider muzzle and they have much more wrinkles. Sometimes they have wrinkles all over their body, but that is not always the truth. They definitely have a lot of fold skin in the head, around mouth and throat Nostrils are another important difference. While the Bone mouth shar pei has wide nostrils, the Meat Mouth shar pei nostrils are much smaller and it creates health issues and difficulties while they exercise or play vigorously. They have problems with breathing. The last difference on their head i will mention is their ears. The Meat Mouth shar pei ears are usually fold down and slightly forwards. The ears are very small in size. The traditional Bone Mouth Shar pei ears vary quite a bit. They can be small, but they can be large and they do not need to be folded down. It is not uncommon for the Bone Mouth Shar pei to have upstanding ears. As i already said, the traditional Bone Mouth Shar pei is the working breed while the Meat Mouth Shar pei is the, lets say, show ring breed. And you can see the difference on their body. The Bone Mouth Shar Pei looks much more athletic, light and more powerful. They are also larger, with height between 19-23 inches, which is 48-58 cm. The Meat Mouth Shar Pei is much smaller, with average height between 18-20 inches, which is 45-50 cm and they do not look athletic. They look more heavier and compact. They also have shorter legs. Another difference is their coat. And it is important, because did you know that the Shar Pei got its name after its coat? It literally means sand – skin, which is how the Shar Pei coat should look like. But the truth is, that you can find many coat versions today. The traditional Bone mouth shar pei coat is always very short and they are always in cream, brown or black color. The Meat Mouth Shar Pei can have the horse coat, which is rough to touch and prickly and it is similar to the original coat. Than they can have the brush coat, which is slightly longer and smoother. The last variety is the bear coat, which is long and it is similar to the Chow Chow coat. They can also be in many more colors, including blue, fawn or red. The tail is little bit different as well. The tail of the meat mouth variety is is naturally quite short, and curls over either side of the back. The Bone mouth shar pei tail can be curled over the back, upright and curved, and an erect double-ring. The temperament of both types is very similar, i would say that the Bone mouth type is more active, which can be advantage or disadvantage, it dependes on what do you expect from your dog. But overall, i would not say there are big differences in the temperament. It is also believed, and i think this is a big advantage, that the Bone-Mouth Shar-Pei is considerably healthier than the Meat-Mouth variety. Especially because they do not have that much breathing problems. The ancestors of Scotch Collie are ancient herding dogs – including the Roman Cattle dogs, Viking Herding Spitzes and Native Celtic dogs. Another probable ancestors are Irish and Gordon Setters.
In 1700s there was a Collie type of dog living in the Scotland, which resembles the Collie we know today. In their native land they were used to herd farm animals, but also for guarding and hunting. Scotch Collie was imported to the America in the 1800s to help farmers. That caused, that some people and kennel clubs started to breed them for the showring. And as you can probably guess, in the showring, the most important thing is the appearance and not the herding ability. The show Collies lost the hardworking temperament and they probably lost some of the intelligence as well. The most important thing was, that they make good companions and they look good. I am not saying that the show and lets say „city“ collies were stupid, not at all, but they were different from the original breed. If you are looking for a loving, eager to please and friendly companion, you probably thought about Labrador and Golden Retrievers.
The Labrador Retriever’s coat is short and straight while the Golden Retriever’s coat tends to be longer and wavier. The colors are different as well, the Golden Retriever can be in all shapes of gold color starting from almost white to a dark golden, the Labrador Retriever can be yellow, black and chocolate. Thanks to their coat, it is very easy to recognize those two dog breeds apart. But what about their personality? Is it really the same? I would say, it is very similar, but we can find big differences in some areas. To understand them, we must go back in time and look at the history of those two breeds. It is true, that both breeds were bred as working dogs, but they were bred in different circumstances. While the Labrador Retriever was bred in Newfoundland to do hard job. They were used as a working water dog, to help fishermen retrieve nets and haul gear. The Golden Retriever was bred by Brittish and Scottish lords, who wanted to use them for lets say gentleman hunt. The difference is, that when the hunt was over, they wanted to have sweet and loving dog by their side and they definitely did not work as hard as the Labs. That is why i would say that Labradors have more working dog temperament, they are little bit more energetic, they are definitely more stubborn and they are bigger go getters. They want to get the job done. On the other hand, many people agree, that Goldens are sweeter, gentler and more sensitive. |