Aussiepom

Aussiepoms (or Aussie Poms) are a mixed breed dog that is a hybrid of the Australian Shepherd and the Pomeranian. They are a relatively recent “designer dog” mix developed in the United States in the 2000s as a small and aesthetically pleasing companion animal. Aussiepoms inherit intelligence and herding instincts from the Aussie side of their ancestry and the stubbornness and soft but high-maintenance coat of their Pom mom or dad. They are highly social, energetic, and affectionate. This mixed breed enjoys an active family and room to run and play. They do like to herd people and animals and bark a lot when they play or when left alone for too long. Aussipoms make adorable family pets but need some training, attention, and grooming. If you want a dog to pamper and love, this may be the choice for you!

3 Pros and Cons of Owning an Aussiepom

The Best Dog Food for an Aussiepom

All dogs should have a high-quality diet, for the health of the dog and for your pocketbook. In the long run, your dog will have fewer health issues and expensive vet bills if you invest proactively in a dog food that meets their nutritional needs with natural products, free from unnecessary additives or low-quality fillers.

Note that Aussiepoms are subject to obesity, so be sure to limit their feeding to the portions recommended by your veterinarian and avoid giving too many treats. People food that causes so many of us to struggle with our own weight should be a strict no-no for your little furbaby.

Aussiepom Size and Weight

Aussiepoms come in three manageable sizes: medium, small, and toy. Both males and females may range in height from 10-17 inches and in weight from 8-30 pounds. They’re conveniently sized for a small living space or traveling around the country in an RV.

Aussiepom Common Health Issues

A hybrid breed such as the Aussiepom inherits not only its parents’ strengths, but some of their flaws as well. This type of dog is susceptible to some of the same issues that plague Australian Shepherds and Pomeranians.

Overall, the Aussiepom is considered a healthy breed with a relatively long lifespan of 12-15 years. However, these are a few of the possible health problems of this breed that you and your vet should keep an eye out for:

Aussiepom Temperament and Behavior

These are high-energy dogs that love to run, play, and bark. They are social and will want to spend as much time as possible with their owners. If left alone too long, they will suffer from separation anxiety and act out with even more barking and destructive behaviors.

As a very new breed, their temperament is not uniform. Individual puppies may inherit different proportions of the tendencies of their Australian Shepherd and Pomeranian backgrounds. Owners will need to watch puppies closely to identify their unique blend of characteristics and make sure to provide an appropriate environment and training for them.

They are suitable for all sorts of families, but do best in a home where someone will be in the house most of the day. Older children are a better fit for them than younger ones, as their tendency to nip and herd will not be as potentially harmful to them, and older children are better able to participate in training the dog responsibly.

How to Take Care of an Aussiepom   

Maintenance and Grooming

The coat of an Aussiepom, like the rest of the dog, is a mixture of their Australian shepherd and Pomeranian ancestry. Their fur may be shaded red, blue, or tri-color or may have a solid color with small random marks of other colors. One of the most common color combinations is a white or cream base coat with brown or beige markings.

They have long, fluffy coats and shed frequently, so they are not the best choice for people with allergies. The coat needs to be brushed a couple of times a week to remove loose hair and keep it from matting. It will tend to gather up twigs, bits of leaves, and insects from outdoor play, so it needs to be checked over when the dog comes back into the house.

Training

This breed is both intelligent and stubborn at times. This can make training a little tricky. It’s best to approach training as a bonding opportunity and use praise and positive reinforcement to encourage the desired behaviors, while ignoring and redirecting them from undesirable behaviors.

The breed does tend to nip at children and other pets during play and as an expression of their herding instincts. Training them out of this behavior should be a high priority and requires firmness, but not harshness. A heavy-handed approach can create an overly submissive dog that will not feel like the joyful and enjoyable pet you would want.

Exercise

Aussiepoms have huge stores of energy out of all proportion to their diminutive size. They’re likely to still be ready to play after even the most active day. Plan on taking your Aussiepom on long daily walks and giving it time to run and play in a fenced area. They can fit through small openings, so check your fences carefully for areas where they can squeeze underneath or through small gaps. As highly social dogs, they don’t do well with just being left to entertain themselves. They’ll want to play games with their family that challenge them mentally and physically. Agility and obedience lessons will feel like a game to them if you approach them with patience and love. Realize that your goal is to build a relationship with your animal, not just to get compliance by any means possible.

Aussiepoms and Children

Aussiepoms do well with children and other pets if trained and socialized with them from puppyhood. Their herding instincts will kick in when they see children running around and screaming. They’ll chase them down, nip at them, and try to force them all into a nice little group of distressed toddlers and an unhappy cat or two.

Obviously, it’s essential to train them out of this behavior early on. They should be corrected firmly and consistently and redirected to an alternative activity, such as chasing a ball. It’s very important with this highly intelligent and potentially stubborn breed not to be too harsh, as this will cause them to resist further training or become cowering and fearful animals.

This breed is much less of a problem with older children. These kids should be thoroughly a part of the training process, both to know how to respect the animal’s space when they’ve had enough interaction, and how to use the positive training techniques recommended by people experienced with the breed.

Dogs Similar to the Aussiepom

• Australian shepherd: This breed is larger and more friendly to kids, other pets, and strangers than the Aussipom.
• Pomeranian: These dogs are temperamentally similar but smaller and fluffier than Aussiepoms. Both breeds need a lot of grooming to keep their coats from getting tangled.
• Poodle: These come in a greater variety of sizes, from toy to large standard poodles. Unlike Aussiepoms, they shed hardly at all and are a good choice for people with allergies.