Yo-Chon vs Mioritic Sheepdog - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

This is a large dog coming from the Carpathian mountain area of Romania.

He has always been an excellent working dog, guarding and protecting sheep. Farmers always kept these dogs as working dogs, with no written records being kept about the development of the breed.

The breed is ancient, possibly dating back to ancient Roman times. It was in the 20th century that interest in the breed was ignited, and in 1981 the first official breed standard was recorded. The breed was also registered with the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 2005.

The Yorkie Bichon or Yo-Chon as he is fondly referred to as a designer crossbreed hailing from the United States.

Information isn’t readily available on the origins of this cute little dog, but the dog is believed to be a cross between a Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier.

It is thought that the dog was developed in the United States from about 1998 to 2001. As a hybrid, the Yorkie Bichon isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The Mioritic Sheepdog looks very much like the Old English Sheepdog with his huge body covered with long hair.

His head is also large with a black nose and smallish to medium length floppy ears. The color of the double coat is usually white, cream or pale gray, and sometimes you will find patches of these colors.

The tail has always been traditionally docked, otherwise the tail is left long with a slight curl at the end. The height of the dog is 65 to 75cm and he weighs roughly 50–60kg. Below the thick coat is a muscular dog with strong, straight legs which can help him become quite agile and speedy when needed. Allowed to breed, they can produce anything from 3 to 9 of the most adorable looking puppies.

Temperament:

The Mioritic Sheepdog is a balanced dog, loving to be with his owners but being wary of strangers. He is a brave dog, willing to guard his human family with his life.

He is also a strong-willed and dominant so it will be to his benefit to be trained and socialized so that he becomes obedient and easy to have around.Training won’t be difficult as he is an intelligent breed and already naturally obedient.

He is an energetic dog too so he will need to have regular exercise and games. He therefore gets on well with children in the home, loving to join in with all their games. He will need to be supervised around small children just because of his cumbersome, large size.

The Yo-Chon stands between 25 and 30cm and weighs in the region of 2 to 4kg. He can be like a teddy-bear this little dog and the coat can be either silky and straight or wavy. It is medium length and some people have the coat professionally trimmed.

The low shedding coat comes in a variety of colors – cream, grey, tan, white, black or bi-colored.

Temperament:

Your Yorkie Bichon will no doubt have some habits that come from both parent breeds. Your dog is likely to be independent, social, friendly, social and loving, wanting to spend lots of time with you.

They’re small but they make good watchdogs with their high-pitch bark. Your Yo-Chon is an intelligent little dog too and by having him trained and socialized he is well behaved and pleasant to have around. You can tell him to lie down, sit or stay which is useful when you have visitors.

He gets on well with children, but the puppies particularly are tiny and fragile and they can easily get hurt by untrained and undisciplined children.

The Mioritic Shepherd has always been used to guard and protect livestock, but even though he has always taken this role seriously, he is calm and loving around his human family, making a splendid family pet.

He also plays the role of guardian and protector of his human family seriously. He is a big strong dog and training and socialization will become necessary as he can become aggressive with certain people who he doesn’t trust.

Inviting one of these dogs into your home will ensure having a constant and loving companion at your side.

The Yo-Chon is an independent, happy dog who loves nothing more than to be surrounded by all his favorite human beings.

They are loving, loyal and gentle dogs and are good playmates for children who have been taught how to handle them with care and kindness.

He is smart and has an amicable nature and will take kindly to being trained and socialized.

With the Yo-Chon in your life, you can be sure you’re going to benefit from having a splendid family pet and companion.

The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog is a truly hardy dog breed and with good care such as good food and exercise can reach 14 years of age.

There are always some common dog illnesses to look out for and because he is a large dog, hip dysplasia can be a problem.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is a disease where there is abnormal growth of the hip joints. Smooth movement of the joint is hindered and this leads to inflammation and pain.

At first you may find your dog limping and then you may find that after lying down, he battles to get up again. The joint becomes thickened with less mobility and the dog is reluctant to play like he used to. He will certainly need to get to the vet for treatments to make him more comfortable.

Both the Yorkie and Bichon Frise are dog breeds that are prone to Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. This is when there is insufficient blood supply to the hind thigh bone, so the dog becomes lame.

Surgical correction is necessary. Like small dogs in general, the Yochon might have dental issues. Slipped kneecaps, hypothyroidism and eye problems might affect the Yochon as well.

If otherwise healthy, expect your Yochon to live well into his teens.

The Mioritic Sheepdog’s long hair is coarse and will need to be regularly brushed to keep it free of tangles. It will certainly need to be brushed 2 or 3 times a week, while some owners of this dog will prefer to have the coat professionally clipped. Because of the long hair, while brushing him it is an excellent time to check for ticks and fleas.

Diet:

The food you give your pet plays such a critical role in his health and longevity. Always make sure that you’re giving your pet an uncomplicated diet to avoid stomach upsets.

Give him the best commercially manufactured kibble. To provide him with some variety, add in some boiled chicken, cooked vegetables such as potato, carrots and spinach to his kibble from time to time. He will also benefit greatly from having some raw meat added into the kibble occasionally.

Learn to know which human foods are totally toxic to him and avoid these. Make sure he is never without cool, fresh water.

Exercise:

Everybody is busy and they don’t always have time to exercise their pets. As a human being, your health relies heavily on the exercise you get so you and your dog can exercise together.

These days if you seriously don’t have time and you have money to spare, there are excellent doggy daycare centers where your dog can have fun playtimes with other dogs and people.

Dog exercises will change over time with age but at least try to get used to giving your pet a walk every day as this kind of exercise can extend into old age with both you and your pet.

Swimming, ball games, fetch games and walks or hikes are all great forms of exercise.

Diet:

Good nutrition ensures your Yorkie Bichon has a good chance to be healthy and energetic. Some of the commercially manufactured dog foods you get are made with bad ingredients and they can make your dog sick.

The good quality ones can be nutritious for your dog and also wonderfully convenient. Always read the packaging labels so you know what your dog’s getting.

Cooked vegetables, boiled chicken and brown rice, nicely chopped up and added to the dry kibble can add variety to your pet’s diet while remaining deliciously nutritious and tasty as well.

Always make sure your pet has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

Brush your Yo-Chon at least twice a week to keep the hair silky and shiny. Clip your dog’s nails when they get long.

Check inside his ears for signs of redness and the possibility of an infection. Try and look inside his mouth too for bad teeth as this can cause lots of health problems for your pet.

If you don’t have the time to do all these things, there are professional pet groomers who will do all these grooming chores for you.