Dog Grooming Hints

Best small family dogs

Small breed dogs have become highly sought after in these days of condominium living. While the American Kennel Club still recognizes a strict adherence to height and weight for the “Toy Breed” class, cross breeding has now become the norm. You can find almost any breed categorized as “toy” or “tiny” these days.

The reasons for wanting a small breed puppy are vast; “I want a dog, but have no space”, “I want a dog I can carry around and dress up”, ” I want a puppy that won’t knock down my children”. You should remember that smaller dogs sometimes have big needs. For instance, small dogs tend to have very long life spans, fifteen to twenty years is not unheard of. Should your teenager fall in love with that Yorkshire Terrier at the pet shop, remember that the pup is probably only three or four months old. Your teen has college, career, family, and friends in his or her future; where does the older dog fit in? If you buy your fifteen a puppy now, where will it be when your child is thirty-five? You may need to be prepared to take the dog back to your home at some point. Also be prepared to pay for geriatric veterinary care.

Many small breed puppies are of the “fluffy” variety! Which means you will have to invest in grooming appointments, or in grooming tools and time. There are a few small breeds with short coats, including; Chihuahua, Rat Terrier, Miniature Dauschund, and Miniature Pinscher. Others are starting to show up, again with the aid of cross breeding.

All of the short coated breeds above fit nicely into the family unit, with the Rat Terrier being the “busiest” personality (of course, all puppy personalities are different and distinct.) The Mini Dachshund is a wonderful pup for older children; due to possible back problems, small children should be monitored around them. Miniature Pinscher and Chihuahua puppies often get a bad rap. Usually owned by adults, and treated like children themselves, they are often not very social. How ever, they can be a wonderful addition when properly socialized, and guaranteed not to knock down the toddlers!

Most small breed puppies are going to require some professional grooming. Non-shedding breeds have become the most popular, allowing many people with allergies to now own dogs. The poodle is the “original” non-shedding breed, though there are many other purebred dogs that do not shed. Poodles are a wonderful dog that grow to literally every size, so be careful

I think the feisty, independent, very sweet Yorkshire terrier makes a great apartment dog.

This small, very loyal dog does not shed. In a small apartment, or in any home, for that matter, this is a very important consideration. The hair of a Yorkshire terrier is more like human hair than dog hair. They do need to be groomed frequently, especially if you allow the hair to grow long. If the coat is cut shorter in a ‘puppy cut’ or a Schnauzer cut (which is a popular cut for a yorkie) grooming is much easier.

Yorkies are so small, it is easy to bathe them often in a sink. especially if the have a short cut. Their little faces can be washed daily with a washcloth or a type of wet wipe made especially for pet grooming.

The Yorkshire terrier is a sturdy little dog and has the fewest health problems of any small (toy) breed. They do well in cold weather with just a little fleece coat. Yorkies love to go for walks and a short walk for us is a long walk for the short-legged Yorkie. They love to play, chase balls or squeaky toys and most like to have a favorite little stuffed animal to play and sleep with.

Yorkshire Terriers can be rather yappy, but can be trained not to bark at every little noise. They are protective little dogs and they bark because they are ‘protecting’ their home. They can easily be taught to bark quietly, or growl quietly, and this usually satisfies their need to alert their master of danger.

Seriously consider the highly intelligent, loyal Yorkshire terrier for a wonderful, faithful companion.