Australian terriers and mutts

It's a wonderful feeling to realise that for the last week Penny has been improving steadily after her scary bout of gastroenteritis. We've gone for some kind of walk each day lately, even if only a stroll and a sniff at a local sports ground.

As we wandered around recently, a passer-by stopped and asked if Penny was an Australian terrier. As far as we know, her ancestry is shih tzu, maltese terrier, and possible poodle.

However... here's the Australian terrier we met that day in the park...

And here's a site with another photo of an Australian terrier...

They sure do look a lot like Penny in some ways.

But she's not an Australian terrier, I feel sure. It's just that the fur is similar.