When Mark Perini and his girlfriend, Rebecca Levin, walk their dog Izzy in their Gramercy neighborhood, the couple braces themselves for the constant stares.
“People stop us on the street several times a day, just to tell us she’s the cutest dog they’ve ever seen,” boasts proud papa Perini, a 28-year-old model and author.
But Perini and Levin’s pup isn’t one of the city’s enormously popular breeds, such as a French bulldog or Yorkie — she’s a 4-month-old miniature American shepherd.
The breed is one of the newest to be recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), and it’s quickly gaining steam in the Big Apple.
“This breed has become increasingly popular in the city,” says Gina DiNardo, spokeswoman for the AKC, which began acknowleding the pups, known as “mini Ameris,” in July.
Ellen Friedman-Smith, who breeds the dogs at Applewood Mini American Shepherds in East Haddam, Conn., says that over half of her puppies now go to NYC residents.
“In previous litters, only one or two puppies went to Manhattan or Brooklyn,” she says.
It’s easy to see the appeal — it’s a country-bred dog shrunk for city living.
The average mini Ameri weighs in at just 20 to 30 pounds, with a shoulder height of 14 to 15 inches — about half the size of a standard Australian Shepherd.
Mini Ameris were developed in the 1960s by breeding small Australian Shepherds, until a separate gene pool formed. Because of this, many also refer to the breed as “mini Aussies.”
As far as small breeds go, mini Ameris couldn’t differ more from the Chihuahuas and Shih Tzus flooding NYC’s sidewalks.
“[They] are one of the most active small breeds out there,” says DiNardo. “Yorkies are great, but someone who prefers a Yorkie is not someone who goes running with their dog.”
That was the selling point for Perini and Levin, 25, who traveled to Oklahoma last month to fetch Izzy from a breeder. “We wanted a dog who could keep up with our active lifestyle,” says Perini.
Izzy’s street charm translates well to the Internet, where she now has nearly 500 followers on Instagram (@izzythemini).
Cute factor aside, the breed is also a quite loyal companion. According to the AKC, the miniature American shepherd gets along great with other pets and children.
That’s what motivated Clinton Hill resident Kariane Peek, 32, and her boyfriend to adopt a mini Ameri. They purchased Kaya from Friedman-Smith last year, and now the 1-year-old is becoming a therapy dog to help children learn to read.
“We saw that Kaya had a good heart, and we wanted to put it to good use,” says Peek.
“She is such an intelligent [puppy]. I have never had a dog that understands logic so quickly.”
When Perini isn’t posting cute pics of his new pup, he’s busy fielding requests from followers on how they can get a mini Ameri of their own.
“We gave [one woman] our breeder’s info, and within the next week she had travelled to Oklahoma to the same breeder and brought home a puppy,” says Perini.
“Izzy now has a sibling in the city!”