 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
The creation of different dog breeds represents centuries of
selective breeding to create a true line of dogs all with similar
desired characteristics. Sometime in all this breeding, toy breeds
were deemed desirable and were hence developed. Typical examples
of these very small dogs are:
Chihuahua
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese
Toy Poodle
Pomeranian
And, of course, there are many others, including the popular and
adorable "Poo Mixes" (Yorkie-Poo, Malti-Poo, Shih-Poo, etc.)
.
Consider this.....if these dogs are so tiny as adults, how tiny are
they as newborn puppies? VERY TINY!
These "itty bitty" babies have trouble maintaining body temperature,
cut their baby teeth late, thus having trouble with kibbled foods,
AND they have difficulty maintaining a safe level of blood sugar.
Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia) is such a very important issue with
Toy Breeds that I have devoted an entire page on Small Wonders,
with information about signs and symptoms to watch for and ways to
treat and most importantly how to prevent low blood sugar. Please
see our page on Hypoglycemia.
BEFORE YOU ADOPT
When you look at these adorable miniature puppies, think twice
before you adopt. The Toy Breed puppy is frequently a high
maintenance project for LIFE!
This is not a stuffed animal.....this is a living, breathing creature
with a handicap......TINY!
You may need to feed this baby 4-6 times daily. Soft puppy foods
are often needed as these puppies may not be able to eat dry food.
They need extra warmth and it is extremely important that you have
a veterinarian you feel comfortable with and trust.
Puppies/dogs this size cannot tolerate fleas! They are simply too
small to have any blood to give away to blood sucking parasites.
They need to be adequately wormed and checked by your vet
through their first year of life and then have a yearly exam. Your
vet will set up a schedule he deems fit.
Diarrhea is common in puppies, but a very tiny puppy cannot
withstand the dehydration that sometimes accompanies diarrhea.
Pet store puppies and even shelter puppies are at high risk for
kennel cough and the pneumonia that sometimes occurs in extreme
cases.
Parvovirus or Distemper are particular disasters for puppies of this
size.
So.....to sum it up......
A Toy Breed puppy is a 24 hour commitment.....7 days a week. If
this is more than you bargained for, you may want to get an adult
Toy Breed or even another type of dog.
Listed above are only some of the reasons, Toy Breed puppies should
be at LEAST 8 weeks of age, before being adopted and why we, at
Small Wonders, have no set age for adoption. We assess each puppy
individually and many times, our puppies are 12 weeks or older
before we deem them ready to leave our care. This insures YOUR
new baby a healthier and happier start and makes him/her a loving
addition to your family.
selective breeding to create a true line of dogs all with similar
desired characteristics. Sometime in all this breeding, toy breeds
were deemed desirable and were hence developed. Typical examples
of these very small dogs are:
Chihuahua
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese
Toy Poodle
Pomeranian
And, of course, there are many others, including the popular and
adorable "Poo Mixes" (Yorkie-Poo, Malti-Poo, Shih-Poo, etc.)
.
Consider this.....if these dogs are so tiny as adults, how tiny are
they as newborn puppies? VERY TINY!
These "itty bitty" babies have trouble maintaining body temperature,
cut their baby teeth late, thus having trouble with kibbled foods,
AND they have difficulty maintaining a safe level of blood sugar.
Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia) is such a very important issue with
Toy Breeds that I have devoted an entire page on Small Wonders,
with information about signs and symptoms to watch for and ways to
treat and most importantly how to prevent low blood sugar. Please
see our page on Hypoglycemia.
BEFORE YOU ADOPT
When you look at these adorable miniature puppies, think twice
before you adopt. The Toy Breed puppy is frequently a high
maintenance project for LIFE!
This is not a stuffed animal.....this is a living, breathing creature
with a handicap......TINY!
You may need to feed this baby 4-6 times daily. Soft puppy foods
are often needed as these puppies may not be able to eat dry food.
They need extra warmth and it is extremely important that you have
a veterinarian you feel comfortable with and trust.
Puppies/dogs this size cannot tolerate fleas! They are simply too
small to have any blood to give away to blood sucking parasites.
They need to be adequately wormed and checked by your vet
through their first year of life and then have a yearly exam. Your
vet will set up a schedule he deems fit.
Diarrhea is common in puppies, but a very tiny puppy cannot
withstand the dehydration that sometimes accompanies diarrhea.
Pet store puppies and even shelter puppies are at high risk for
kennel cough and the pneumonia that sometimes occurs in extreme
cases.
Parvovirus or Distemper are particular disasters for puppies of this
size.
So.....to sum it up......
A Toy Breed puppy is a 24 hour commitment.....7 days a week. If
this is more than you bargained for, you may want to get an adult
Toy Breed or even another type of dog.
Listed above are only some of the reasons, Toy Breed puppies should
be at LEAST 8 weeks of age, before being adopted and why we, at
Small Wonders, have no set age for adoption. We assess each puppy
individually and many times, our puppies are 12 weeks or older
before we deem them ready to leave our care. This insures YOUR
new baby a healthier and happier start and makes him/her a loving
addition to your family.
IS A TOY BREED RIGHT for
YOU?
YOU?