Tasmanian Smithfield Dog - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The modern day Smithfield is considered as Australian or Tasmanian breed, but its origins are in England. The original English Smithfield dogs were used to drove cattle and sheep to the market and they were especially famous in the Smithfield Market in London. The ancestry of this breed is unknown, but they were most likely a mixing pot of different types of collie dogs. These English Smithfield dogs were solely working dogs, they were bred for their utilization and not so much for their appearance, nor for companionship.
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2) In Australia
So how does these dogs ended up in Australia? They were brought to this country with the first settlers during colonial times. They lived in largest numbers around the Sydney, where they were used for the same purpose as they were in England, to drove cattle to the market. Some theories say, that Smithfields were further crossbred in Australia with some local dogs, with other European breeds and with Dingoes. But as i mentioned earlier, the exact ancestry of this breed is a mystery.

3) Almost extinct
The Smithfield dog was not perfect for the hard work in Australian hot climate. They had trouble to work on warm days, which is why ranchers started using other Australian herding breeds instead of Smithfield. This include dogs like Australian Cattle dog or Stumpy Tail Cattle dog. This brought the Smithfield dog nearly to extinction on mainland Australia, but they survived in larger numbers in Tasmania, an Australian Island in southern Australia, where they are still sometimes used for working with cattle and other livestock.

4) Herding
The Smithfield is quite good herding dog breed. It is a loose eyed dog and they are using mainly their barking and biting to move the livestock. They are described as fast and forceful, when they are working with the stock. Just like other herding breeds, even the Smithfield is very agile, intelligent, alert, they are good problem solvers and they simply just love to work. And just like most of other herding dogs,they are also excellent at various dog sports, like agility or flyball.

5) Companions
Of course, the Smithfield dog is not only a worker, they also make amazing companion dogs. They are much better suited for active people and families, as they need proper exercise to stay healthy and happy. They can happily live with other dogs or other pets, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood and they are good playful partners for kids. Of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Smithfield is a very friendly and patient dog, which are amazing qualities for living with kids. They enjoy being around the family and this is very affectionate and loyal dog breed.

6) Size
The Smithfield is a medium sized dog breed. The average height is between 18-21 inch, which is 45-54 cm and weight between 35-55 lbs, which is 15-25 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

7) Tail
The Smithfields appearance is pretty unified. It is a shaggy coated, medium sized dog with floppy ears. The only exception is the tail. There are two varieties of the Smithfield dog, one having a natural bobtail and the second having a longer tail. Both types are acceptable and both types can exist within the same litter.

8) Coat and color
The Smithfield has similar coat as the Bearded Collie. It is a pretty long, coarse and shaggy coat. There are some shorther coated types as well, but vast majority of Smithfields have rather longer coat. They come in variety of colors, most commonly in combinations of black, grey, red and white.

9) Maintenance
The Smithfield dog does shed some deal of fur, but the shedding is not extreme. You should regularly brush their coat to keep it tangle and mat free and to remove all the dirt and loose hair. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
There are no scientific studies about the health of this rare breed, but this should be usually healthy and hardy dog breed with lifespan around 14 years. Of course, they still might suffer from the typical doggy health issues, such as some joint and bone problems, problems with ears, some allergies or infections.