Miniature Poodle vs Irish Terrier - Breed Comparison

The Irish Terrier is a dog breed from Ireland and one of the many different terrier breeds there are.

Nobody is too sure of the Irish Terrier's history but it is one of the oldest terrier breeds. It appears as if the dog breed was developed from a wheat colored terrier and the extinct black and tan terrier.

It was always a common practice to crop the ears of terriers, but in 1889 the Irish Terrier Club required that the ears remain uncropped. The first Irish Terrier was shown in 1881, and the first Irish Terrier registered with the American Kennel Club was in 1885. The Irish Terrier Club of America was founded in 1896.

The Poodle is no stranger to the dog world and has been a familiar face in Western Europe for hundreds of years. Though they have lived in Europe for centuries, their origins are unsure, with some saying they hail from Germany and others say France.

The Miniature Poodles have been used in both countries as gundogs for water birds.

They have always been admired for their intelligence, and Miniature Poodles are believed to have been bred from Standard Poodles. It is interesting to note the 3 official sizes of the Poodle are Toy, Miniature and Standard – all considered one breed and judged according to the same written standard, just with different size requirements.

The Irish Terrier is a medium sized dog who stands between 45cm and 50cm and weighs in the region of 11 to 12kg. He has a short, dense, wiry double coat which is a red, golden, sandy, wheaten color.

The ears of the dog are semi-erect/semi-floppy and the tail is held high and curved.The chest is deep and muscular and the front and back legs are strong, long and muscular.

Temperament:

The Irish Terrier is a companion dog today, even though he was once a guard- and hunting dog. He is an amicable dog while also being alert and active. He is also independent and strong-willed so he will require training and socialization as then he becomes obedient and relaxed and much easier to live with.

They're social dogs too, loving all the members of their human family, getting on well with children in the home.

With good care the lifespan of the Miniature Poodle is 14 – 16 years of age. This purebreed dog is small, standing at 28 – 38cm in height and weighing 7 – 8kg.

The coat is typically curly, springy and dense. Colors of the coat can be cream, beige, silver, black, brown or apricot. They are low shedding dogs and are regarded as being hypoallergenic. The ears are floppy and the tail is usually docked to give the dog a nice, compact look.

Temperament:

The Miniature Poodle is intelligent and learns easily, so you won’t have any trouble with training him and having him socialized.

He is a lively dog and loves a game and a walk, loving as much time as possible spent with his human family. He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children who have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals.

They are not overly-friendly with strangers, and therefore make excellent watchdogs. They’re the kind of dogs who need both physical and mental stimulation though, and he won’t be content to be left and ignored – after all he counts himself as a member of your family! They make wonderful pets, being playful and energetic and loving water, always ready to swim with you.

Irish Terriers are good with people and want to be an active member of their human families.

They are active dogs and will require ongoing mental and physical stimulation. This is a lively dog, but he still loves to spend quiet time indoors with his family.

They’re intelligent dogs with a strong sense of loyalty towards their owner, making excellent family pets.

When you take a Miniature Poodle into your home and your heart, there are many wonderful positive aspects that come with him.

You won’t have any trouble training him as he is clever and bright. He is such a loving, loyal pet and he takes his job of guarding you seriously too.

Because they aren’t aggressive, they're easy to keep in the city or the countryside, so long as he receives plenty of love, companionship and exercise. Perhaps the only thing that may require a little bit of effort on your part is the fact that his coat will require quite a bit of upkeep to keep it looking good and healthy.

In exchange for looking after him, you’re going to benefit from having a wonderful canine friend and family pet in your life for many years.

The Irish Terrier is a healthy dog breed and you won't find yourself running to the vet often with him, but still he can land up with one of the common dog problems.

It is always wise to be aware of hip dysplasia as this is a disease which can occur in all dog breeds and all dog ages. Also look out for eye diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts as these can lead to blindness in your pet.

There is a disease known as cystinuria which is quite a concern with Irish Terriers. It’s an inherited kidney disease where increased amounts of arginine, lysine, amino acids cystine and ornithine are excreted in the urine.

In well-functioning kidneys, blood is filtered so as to create urine. Cystine is reabsorbed back into the bloodstream but with dogs affected with cystinuria they cannot reabsorb cystine back in their bloodstream, causing an accumulation in the urine. Dogs with cystinuria suffer inflammation of the urinary tract and can also develop urinary blockage and kidney failure. Immediate veterinary intervention is required.

Dog’s thrive on good nutrition and exercise, and if your Miniature Poodle gets both of these combined with plenty of love, he can live to be up to 16 years of age and even older.

They are robust little dogs, but even so, they can get sick. Ear infections, joint diseases, obesity, dental disease and bloat are common dog diseases to look out for -

Bloat:

This is a life-threatening condition where your pet’s stomach fills with gas. The swollen stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm and the dog battles to breathe. The dog could also vomit, be drooling and lethargic.

The stomach can also twist putting the dog in shock. This bloating can occur with any dog breed and efforts can be made to avoid it by feeding the dog smaller more frequent meals as opposed to one larger meal which he gobbles up.

The dog shouldn’t exercise immediately after a meal either. You also want to avoid obesity at all costs.

Mitral Valve Disease:

When the mitral valve malfunctions, blood isn’t being pumped out of the heart to the rest of the body. If the mitral valve weakens or leaks it can lead to endocarditis.

Quite a number of dogs develop some form of heart disease during their lifetime, with a high percentage being due to mitral valve insufficiency, which is more common in smaller dogs.

Your dog may have a cough, be lethargic and lose weight. The first signs of a leaking mitral valve is a heart murmur. At first MVI doesn’t have obvious clinical signs, but with time the efficiency of the heart is reduced and congestive heart failure develops. Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet and suggest treatment.

Sebaceous Adenitis:

A skin problem sounds fairly mild but it can cause havoc in your pet’s life, causing him to be constantly licking and scratching himself. The hair becomes dull and brittle, and breaking the skin from continuous scratching invites bacterial infection. These skin infections will require veterinary intervention.

Grooming:

The coat of the Irish Terrier requires a brush twice a week to keep it bright. If you intend showing your dog, the coat will need to be stripped a couple of times a year to maintain the texture and color.

Other Irish Terrier owners take their dog to the groomers to have the coat clipped. The dog doesn't shed a lot and they are referred to as being somewhat hypoallergenic.

As with any other dog breed, other grooming needs with your Irish Terrier will include clipping the nails, checking his teeth for plaque build-up and checking inside the ears for infection.

If you're unsure how to perform these grooming procedures with your pet, simply ask your vet who will explain to you precisely how to ensure your dog remains in tip top condition.

Exercise:

He's a fairly active dog so you want to make sure that you are attending to his exercise needs. Take him for a walk every day, and if you've got a good sized garden, throw a ball for him. If you're a jogger you can count him in.

Diet:

What you feed your Irish Terrier will depend a lot on his age and his activity levels. Every dog is a unique individual and nothing is set in stone regarding their diets. Just like people though, feeding him a lot of junk food will contribute to illness and shorten his lifespan.

He needs quality food. If you buy commercially manufactured food, make sure to read up on how much to feed him. Try and mix in some cooked chicken, brown rice and vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat.

Learn to know what foods are toxic for him. Make sure he has a bowl of fresh, cool water constantly available to him.

Grooming:

If you opt to keep your Miniature Poodle’s coat long, it will actually require regular brushing – every day in fact, if you want to avoid matting and tangling. Most people don’t like the work this involves and they have their Poodle’s hair cut short all over, then he only needs a brush once or twice a week. Your Miniature Poodle just loves the time you spend with him grooming him. It’s your time to feel for any unusual lumps and to also check for fleas and ticks. Some people take their pet to the doggy parlor to have the coat clipped.

The dog’s nails should also be trimmed regularly, and their ears also need to be checked for wax buildup and debris which can lead to an ear infection.

Teeth need to be checked over too because dental disease won’t only lead to loss of teeth but it could be toxic for important body organs too.

Wipe around your pet’s eyes as tear stains can form under the eyes.

Make sure to feed your pet a top quality diet full of vitamins and minerals. Get to know the foods which can be toxic for your pet and cause stomach upsets. Dogs appreciate simplicity and consistency with their diets, and apart from dry kibble, home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables can be excellent for your pet.