Paw-radise Salon & Spa

      

      

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog, You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion".

 "Good Things Come in Small Packages"

Small Dogs, known as The Toy Group includes most of the very small and miniature lap dogs and apartment-sized companion dog breeds. Toy dogs play a critical role in the lives of people that live alone and their presence can have beneficial effects on the health of the sick, the elderly and the housebound. Toys are popular companion dogs for people living in cities and adapt well to apartment life. Many Toys distrust strangers and make great watchdogs and don’t need a lot of exercise beyond what they get running around and playing indoors. Toys make great traveling companions and are readily accepted just about everywhere. Toy dog breeds are always difficult to housebreak but usually adapt well to apartment life. If your Toy isn’t completely house trained after 3 months then you should seek professional help. Toddlers and small children are too rough for toy dogs that may bite in self-defense.

 Here we will discuss 5 of the 10 most popular dogs in The Toy Group.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a graceful and happy toy spaniel that is larger than its close relative, the English Toy Spaniel. The Cavalier is a gentle, even-tempered, happy and playful small dog. Cavaliers make excellent family dogs who even like to play with small children (always under supervision of course). The Cavalier finds all humans delightful and loves to cuddle in their laps and snuggle in their beds. However, these comfort-loving Spaniels love to run in the yard and chase chipmunks, squirrels, and birds. Cavaliers are easy to train but require early socialization as puppies to overcome their natural timidity.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a graceful and happy toy spaniel that is larger than its close relative, the King Charles Spaniel. The Cavalier Spaniel has long ears which frame a domed head with a gentle expression and soft round eves. The Cavalier Spaniel retains some of the sporting dog breed characteristics and has a good nose and loves to go on walks. The well-feathered tail, which may or may not be docked, is constantly wagging. Cavalier Spaniels have a long silky and glossy coat with lots of feathering on the neck and chest. Colours seem to differentiate between four varieties of Cavaliers: Prince Charles is a tricolour dog with a white coat and black and tan markings; the Bleinham King Charles has the same white coat with chestnut-red markings; the third variety is the original Black and Tan; and the fourth variety is Ruby which is a solid red colour. Cavaliers are about 11 to 14 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 11 to 18 pounds. Cavaliers are members of the AKC Toy Dog Group.

Temperament:
The Cavalier is a gentle, even-tempered, happy and playful small dog. Cavaliers make excellent family dogs who even like to play with small children (always under supervision of course). The Cavalier finds all humans delightful and loves to cuddle in their laps and snuggle in their beds. However, these comfort-loving Spaniels retain some of the characteristics of the sporting dog breeds. They love to run in the yard and chase chipmunks, squirrels, and birds. Cavaliers are easy to train but require early socialization as a puppy to overcome its natural timidity. Cavaliers make great family dogs. This breed also seems to do fine with first-time or novice dog owners.

Exercise:
Cavaliers don’t need a lot of exercise but they love to go on walks. Cavalier Spaniels can adapt to apartment living and can even adapt to being left alone during the day if they get walked regularly and get lots of attention in the morning and evening.

Grooming: 

Cavalier Spaniels require brushing and combing twice per week and more often when shedding. The Cavaliers’ bottom should be kept trimmed for cleanliness.

Health Issues:
Cavaliers generally live from 8 to 12 years and common health issues include: hip dysplasia, heart disease and eye problems.

Pomeranians or “Poms” are one of the smallest toy dog breeds. The Pom is lively, spirited and animated. This breed is a keen-eyed extrovert who is very inquisitive and must check out all activities going on around him. The Pom is a proud and confident, even cocky, toy dog that requires early and thorough socialization with strangers to minimize its tendency to bark. This toy breed is intelligent, eager to learn and takes readily to positive and gentle training methods.

Pomeranian puppies are hard to resist and rank 10 out of 10 on the cuteness scale. The Pomeranian dog has a short body, a fox-like V-shaped head, prick ears, straight legs and a tail that turns over its back in Spitz fashion. The Pom is double coated and its harsh, straight outer coat covers a soft, fluffy and full undercoat. The overall impression is one of an elegant ball of fluff from which the Pom’s legs stick out. The feathered legs, chest, loins and tail give the breed a luxurious look. The coat can be any single color including: white, cream, orange, red, brown or black or any particolor. The nose is usually black. Pomeranians stand 7 to 9 inches tall at shoulder height and can weigh from 3 to 7 pounds. The Pom is a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Toy Dog Group.

Temperament:
The Pom is lively, spirited and animated. This breed is a keen-eyed extrovert who is very inquisitive and must check out all activities going on around him. The Pom is a proud and confident, even cocky, toy dog that requires early and thorough socialization with strangers to minimize its tendency to bark. Pomeranians don’t do well with small children or toddlers as they are just too small and can be candidates for accidental injury. Poms will chase larger dogs and you have to protect them from themselves. This toy breed is intelligent, eager to learn and takes readily to positive and gentle training methods. Poms, like most toy breeds, can be difficult to housetrain so you must persevere early. Make sure to socialize and train your Pom early to control his barking which can be a very annoying problem. Pomeranians make good watchdogs as they will bark if they hear strangers. Pomeranians do fine with novice or first-time dog owners.

Grooming:
The Pomeranian’s coat needs brushing and trimming once a week. Poms are heavy shedding dog breeds. Male Poms blow their coat once a year and females twice a year, and they can look pretty patchy. Don’t worry it will grow back again! Brush the coat with a slicker or pin brush – working from the head down. Try and tease out any tangles with a coarse comb. Be careful not to brush and comb too often as you can damage the undercoat. Only give Poms a wet bath when they have blown their coats, otherwise use a dry shampoo.

Health Issues:
Pomeranians have a life expectancy of from 12 to 16 years and have a number of common health problems. These health disorders include: congenital heart defects (patent ductus arteriosus); patellar luxation; eye disorders (progressive retinal atrophy and entropion); tracheal collapse; and low blood sugar in very small Poms. Watch out for early dental problems which are common in this breed. You should always neuter non-breeding males no later than 6 months of age to prevent leg-lifting problems. Because Pomeranians are expensive, there are a number of unscrupulous breeders selling puppies that are too big for the standard or ones that have a number of genetic problems. 

The Papillon, Papillion or Pap is one of the oldest European toy dog breeds. The French word for butterfly was used to describe this lively toy breed with the erect butterfly ears. The Pap’s body is longer than tall and has a straight back. Its head is small and fairly wide with a rounded skull. The Pap has heavily-fringed ears that look like butterfly wings and a heavily plumed tail that is curled over the back. The Pap’s coat is abundant, long, fine and silky with a ruff or frill on the chest. The hair is short on the skull, muzzle, and lower legs. The Papillion’s color is white with patches of any color with a well-defined non-white blaze and nose band. Paps stand about 8 to 11 inches at shoulder height and weigh from 9 to 10 pounds. This breed is a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Toy Dog Group.

Temperament:
The Papillon is a friendly, affectionate and intelligent dog that is much more robust than it appears. The Pap is definitely not a lap dog and is high spirited, active and loves to play outside and go for walks. This breed is very smart and can be trained to be a good agility and obedience dog for competitions. If the Pap is socialized early and trained properly, and not pampered and spoiled, it becomes a confident and outgoing companion who gets along well with older children and pets. Paps are somewhat wary of strangers and make good watch dogs. Paps are suitable for novice or first-time dog owners.

Grooming:
The Paps grooming requirements are minimal and they only need a regular brushing and occasional bath.

Health Issues:
The Papillon should live for 14 to 16 years and has no common serious health problems. Other less common diseases include: luxating patella, heart disease (mitral valve disease), eye diseases (cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy) and deafness. If you are buying a Pap puppy from a breeder, you should ask to see the parent's OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) certificate screening for luxating patella and the recent CERF (Canine Eye Registry) results for eye diseases. Remember to check the teeth frequently for tartar build-up and hand pluck excessive hair growing inside the ears. If you don’t like spending time grooming your dog, you should probably avoid a Poodle. Poodles do not shed their hair and are often called ‘hypoallergenic’ because they are good for people with allergies.

The Yorkshire Terrier or  Yorkie  is a rugged toy dog that is very popular because it has all the admirable attributes of larger dogs but in miniature. The typical Yorkie plays hard and has limitless energy. With persistence a Yorkie can be obedience trained. Some are bright and learn quickly, while others are more obstinate and opinionated. Yorkies get along well with other pets but they can be very possessive of their food and toys. The Yorkshire makes a better pet for older and calmer children. The Yorkshire will bark at strangers, often in a high pitched voice. Early socialization is required so that the dog doesn’t become too shrill and to ensure barking is controlled.

The Yorkshire Terrier is a rugged dog that comes in a portable size. The Yorkie is a toy dog breed, with a height about 7 to 9 inches and weighs from 5 to 7 pounds. This terrier is well proportioned and very compact. The Yorkies head is small, with medium size eyes, a black nose and small v-shaped, pointy ears. It has a long shiny straight coat and its entire length may reach to floor level. The hair on the dog’s head is usually long and tied with a bow or brushed to the sides or clipped. The hair on the muzzle is very long. The Yorkshire’s coloring is golden tan on its head, chest and legs, and steel blue on the body. Puppies are born black and tan and are normally darker in body color.

Temperament :
This toy breed is very popular because it has all the admirable attributes of larger dogs but in miniature. The typical Yorkie plays hard and has limitless energy. Today some see this dog as a fashion accessory. They treat it delicately, with much pampering. An owner’s view of their dog has much to do with how they turn out. With persistence a Yorkie can be obedience trained. Some are bright and learn quickly, while others are more obstinate and opinionated. Yorkies get along well with other pets but they can be very possessive of their food and toys. This dog breed can be overwhelmed by small children. The Yorkshire makes a better pet for older and calmer children. The Yorkshire will bark at strangers, often in a high pitched voice. Early socialization is required so that the dog doesn’t become to shrill and to ensure barking is controlled. Yorkies make very good watchdogs. This breed is very suitable for first-time dog owners.

Grooming:
The Yorkshire has very long and silky hair that has to be brushed and combed daily. Its body coat is groomed parted down the back, and its entire length may touch the floor. Many owners with limited time are adopting a Schnauzer trim. It is short and neat and requires much less maintenance. Check the Yorkie’s ears regularly and remove excess hair inside the ear passages. Yorkies do not shed hair and may make a good dog for someone with allergies. This breed is sometimes referred to as ‘hypoallergenic’.

Health Issues:
The average life expectancy of this dog breed is 12-14 years. Reduction in size has caused many medical problems. The list can include dislocation of kneecap, eye infections, gum disease and collapsed windpipes. Poor teeth also run through some lines.

The Maltese is one of the most intelligent and most gentle of all the toy dog breeds. This lively and agile little toy dog loves to play games. This toy breed is cheerful, loving, playful, smart and has lots of personality. Maltese should have early socialization while they are puppies to give them more confidence and overcome their distrust of strangers and minimize their tendency to bark. Maltese enjoy obedience training and some will do well in competitive obedience and agility competitions. This toy breed does fine with older and considerate children.

The Maltese is one of the most intelligent and most gentle of all the toy dog breeds. This lively and agile little toy dog loves to play games. Maltese are small in stature and usually stand 8 to 9 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 4 to 7 pounds. This toy dog breed has a long-haired coat without any undercoat. The gorgeous coat is straight and silky without any curls and is pure white in color. The Maltese is a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Toy Dog Group.

Temperament:
This toy breed is cheerful, loving, playful, smart and has lots of personality. This intelligent toy dog adores and wants to please his master, so it is fairly easy to train. Maltese should have early socialization while they are puppies to give them more confidence and overcome their distrust of strangers. Maltese enjoy obedience training and some will do well in competitive obedience and agility competitions. If you overindulge and spoil this toy dog, you will probably end up with an insecure, spoiled and barky dog. This toy breed tends to be barky and difficult to house train so early training will help both of those problems. Maltese love to go for walks but keep them on-leash to prevent them from being attacked by a larger dog. This toy breed does fine with older and considerate children but does not like the rough handling that can happen with toddlers. Maltese are somewhat cautious with strangers and make fine watchdogs. This toy breed does well with first-time or novice dog owners.

Grooming:
Maltese require a lot of grooming including daily combing and brushing and regular bathing. The coat is parted down the centre of the back and should almost reach the ground. These dogs do not shed their hair and the dead hair should be brushed and plucked out. The hair in front of their eyes should be held up with a head band or bow to allow the Maltese to see.

Health Issues:
Maltese generally live for 13 to 15 years. Some common health problems include: eye infections, teeth problems including gingivitis, liver problems and low thyroid.