Many people think a dog is a dog regardless of breed or size but in truth, there are distinct differences between a large and toy dog breed. Some of these differences would be related to proper care, health risks, behavior, and even lifespan.
Keep in mind that in most cases, toy breeds are small because of special breeding from a breed that was originally large. A perfect example of this is with the Toy Poodle. To achieve such a small size, unique breeding was required from the Standard Poodle, which can weigh as much as 75 pounds.
Because there are special things to consider associated with a toy dog breed, we wanted to provide information on what you should consider to ensure you end up with a healthy and happy dog opposed to one that ends up being sickly or presents with serious behavioral issues.
Yes, smaller dogs are simply adorable, especially those on the toy scale but looks can be deceiving. In fact, some toy dog breeds become more of a handful than 200 pound dogs. You want to enjoy your pet, building a long relationship of trust and love so knowing what to look for would be critical.
Reasons to Purchase a Toy Dog Breed
Again, just because a small dog is cute is not the right reason to buy one. The following are legitimate reasons to own this type of dog.
- Compact – Because of the small size, a toy dog is an ideal choice for someone living in an apartment or someone who does not have time or is unable due to physical limitations to provide the dog with a lot of exercise or physical activity.
- Care – Smaller dogs are usually easier to care for as well. Obviously, a smaller body means less brushing, even toy dog breeds with long, flowing hair.
- Cost Efficient – There is no comparison in the cost of feeding a large breed dog versus a toy breed dog. The amount of money spent on food alone would be tremendous so if on a budget, the smaller dog would be an obvious decision.
- Travel – Whether you travel on business or pleasure, it would be much easier to find a family member or friend to care for a small dog opposed to a large one. Additionally, if you like to take your pet with you while traveling, carrying a toy dog breed in a carrier through an airport would be a breeze, not to mention far less expensive. Even taking a small dog on a road trip would be less stressful.
Research
One of the most important steps you should take before spending money on any toy dog breed would be do conduct in-depth research. The internet provides a wealth of information and virtually hundreds of websites provide detailed information on every possible dog breed.
With research, you could learn the history, size at maturity, potential health risks, information on temperament and behavior, how well a certain breed does with other animals, as well as children, special considerations regarding diet, and much more. By comparing this type of data for several breeds of interest, narrowing your choice down to one would be easier.
Popular Toy Dog Breeds
As you can imagine, the list of possibilities when it comes to buying a toy dog breed is tremendous but again, the goal would be choosing the dog that is going to match your lifestyle and expectations best. Below are just a few examples of breeds, those that have long been considered favorites although each is unique.
- Australian Silky Terrier
- Bichon Frise
- Chihuahua
- Chinese Crested Dog
- Griffon Bruxellois
- Japanese Chin
- Maltese
- Papillion
- Pekingese
- Pomeranian
- Pug
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
Choosing the Right Dog Breeder
Just as important as the actual toy dog breed is the breeder from which the puppy is purchased. Due to the growing number of puppy mills, places that house sometimes hundreds of dogs in horrific conditions simply to overbreed as a means of making money, you should never purchase any dog from the following sources.
Although these places sell all types of dogs, they are notorious for selling smaller breed dogs. Instead, any toy dog breed or any dog for that matter should be purchased from a reputable and licensed breeder.
- Pet Stores (even those with well-known names and reputations)
- Newspaper or internet ads
- People selling puppies in front of stores, on the sidewalk, or other public locations
- Through casual neighbors, coworkers, and even friends of friends
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