Before purchasing a small dog there are several things to consider. Not all dogs are created equally and while they are cute, cuddly and wonderful, behavior and other issues associated with small dog breeds do have big significance when choosing a small dog. Check out the complete List of Small Breed Dogs with Pictures.
Size
Usually a small dog is considered to weigh less than 22lbs or be shorter than 16 inches.
The Chihuahua, is the smallest of the small breed dogs and weighs only 6 to 8 pounds and is only 6 to 10 inches tall. The largest of the small breeds is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that weighs 24 to 36 pounds and is 14 to 16 inches tall.
So, the first decision is how small of a small dog would you like. The very small guys are actually simpler to pick- up, move, and take with you and they are also easier to groom, and take care of physically.
Trainability
Each small breed are trainable to understand commands, but some learn better and faster than others. A fast learning breed is a lot less complicated to train and will learn more commands at a shorter time frame. While a slower understanding breed needs additional patience and time to train.
Hair and Shedding
Some small dogs shed practically no hair. These types will make it very difficult to find a single one hair in your house. Other breeds shed a medium amount of hair and you will find hair that is trapped in your carpet, clothing and couch.
Then there are the big shedders. These are usually small breed dogs that have naturally have long hair coats. Should you own one, you will discover hair on all sorts of things at your residence. You will discover a lot of hair in your carpeting, couch, and clothing. With many breeds of small dogs you can always keep the hair trimmed short which will eliminate some of the shedding issues.
Low Maintenance
Small dog maintenance comes down to 2 things, grooming and vacuuming. Some breeds are nearly maintenance- free and only need an intermittent brushing and do not drop virtually any hair so you don't have to vacuum.
It is advisable to brush a long haired dog everyday so his coat does not grow to be matted and tangled headache! You can also prevent this by keeping his coat clipped short and then simply brush it from time to time.
Children
Most all dogs, large, medium sized and small are fantastic with kids, especially when they grow up as a puppy at their side.
However, any child that's overly rough or accidentally teases a dog is at risk of getting bitten. In case your dog is getting poked, played with too rough, gets the ears pulled will protect himself and he'll most likely give some warning nips and growls of course, if it goes on he might bite.
So, when you have very young kids and choose bring a dog into your house it is your responsibility to monitor your kids around the dog and help them learn to respect him and be mellow with him. Then the probabilities of your son or daughter being bitten are practically none.
Watchdog
Practically all small dog breeds make great little watchdogs. They will growl, bark and make a big fuss when a stranger penetrates their turf. However some breeds are superior at this job as compared to others. Some are highly alert and stand to bark unrelentingly if a stranger is on their property.
Allergies
In contrast to common belief, it is not dog hair that creates allergies, it is dog dander,or dead skin flakes that does. This microscopic dander floats by way of the air and if inhaled or once it lands in the eyes it activates the allergic reaction.
All dogs with skin which pretty much includes them all, create dander. So there is no such thing as dog, big or small, that does not make it and is thus safe for allergy- sufferers. But, because small dogs have less skin, they make less dander. Additionally it is believed that breeds who’re low hair shedders also shed less dander.
So when you have allergies to dander, first think about a small dog and then consider a low shedding breed, like a Poodle or Maltese, or among the other low shedding breeds. Check out the complete List of Small Breed Dogs with Pictures.
