by Christine Cameron

Created on: January 25, 2008   Last Updated: January 26, 2012

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 Dachshund, 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 when picking a very young pup. If you want a "toy", wait

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