Tuesday, November 13, 2007

For All You Small Dog Lovers

Which, judging by our guests thus far (and more to come), is many of you! I emailed with my friend Colleen Patrick, director and acting-coach extraordinaire, as well as pet lover and cuddler, to let her know Tasha was still "with us." I commented on some of the adorable photos I've been seeing of your small pups (some you all haven't seen yet) and mused how it might be fun to have a little pup to cuddle--with apologies to Angela Hunt, of course.

Here's some of what Colleen shared with me about the benefits and pitfalls of having a little dog. Enjoy!

**
Small dogs who are well trained are terrific hikers, campers, etc., and will alert you to any threat - seen or unseen. Some small breeds, like Pomeranians, are classified as watch dogs and can reduce your home insurance policy.

Upside:

tiny poops
affectionate without huge muddy paw prints on good clothes
can be held in a lap
are like teddy bears in bed
small food bill
tiny poops
get 'em healthy and they stay that way
their personalities are smile magnets
high energy
usually get along with other pets - cats, dogs, whatever - of all sizes
are tons of fun to play with, and they love to play and laugh
can be more entertaining than TV
tiny poops
are very sensitive to your emotions
love to run and run and run
are generally one person pets - they'll love everyone but be devoted to one person
tiny poops
they can be taken everywhere - on planes with you and stay at hotels, even
easy to train and handle because they are small enough to push around
I walk JR 3 miles around Green Lake and he can still keep going and going and ..
they can be dressed easily (to accommodate cold weather if they're trimmed)

Downside:

-they need to be trained just like a big dog or they can become yappy little pests
-they should not be around young kids because they can be hurt
-good to groom/wash them a little more often than big dogs - 1c a month or so - because they are held and near the face more
-certain toy breeds have teeth problems; they're shrunken big dogs & have more teeth than mouth
-some have seizures (but this is across all large and small breeds now)
-long-spined breeds of any size die sooner than shorter spined pets
-need to be watched like a hawk when they first arrive; they will find *everything* on your floor in your house that perhaps a dog should not have in his/her mouth. Puppy-proofing a house is as important as kidproofing for a baby crawling around...
-it's hard to keep one of them around; if others need rescuing, the temptation is great to bring more home. I have three Poms and my kitty and we have a blast. It's hysterical around here fun-wise, but when I say "settle down" they all behave so I can work. They've been trained to sleep when they're on the bed, they have to play elsewhere..

Give Tasha a big hug and kiss for me.


--Colleen Patrick Writer/Director '
http://cameracoach.com ...live your greatest dream!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mine is a cockapoo, and she's on the small side for her breed, but she is THE friendliest dog on the planet.

And if I forget to bring along a bag when I walk her, a leaf off a tree will do.

Angela said...

LOL! Tiny poops? I had to admit--my back yard looks more like a minefield. Cow pasture.

I shan't say more. :-)

Angie, still laughing

Pam Halter said...

I have one word to say about cats.

Litterbox.

Preferrably the self-cleaning kind.

Unknown said...

I have two small breed dogs, a pekipom and a Chihuahua. They are both great dogs and they love to dress up! When it gets cold out I bring out the basket of dog clothes and they get so excited!

Kathryn Mackel said...

Alexandra and dear Accidental Poet...if you'd like to feature your dogs, I'd love to have them! Email me at kathrynmackel@aol.com

Anonymous said...

My beagle Lady is neither large nor small. She's big enough to be out in the weather, and small enough to sit in my lap. Big enough to go for walks, and small enough to snuggle in bed. Big enough not to yap, and small enough to travel happily in an RV. In other words, the perfect size! (Who, me? Prejudiced? Nah, couldn't be!)