Why a "toy' dog?

[DahliaBelle526]

Just curious as to everyones reasons for owning a toy breed. Most of my reasoning is because I live in a small apartment and I thought it would be a lot easier for me to handle a small dog. They demand quite a lot of attention, but it is easier for me to take Belle with me. She'll sit on my lap or go in her crate. She is almost 7 months.

Dahlia is about 9-14 lbs at 4 months and she is getting bigger so obviously the idea of a toy dog kind of a flew out the window with her. It is okay. She should grow to be about 20 lbs or smaller. I don't know what she weighs right now.

Belle is quite the little love bug. She loves to sleep right next to me on the bed and is sort of like me- she HATES to get up in the morning. Dahlia will bark at both of us to get up and Belle will just growl at her. lol.

Anywho, just thought I'd ask "Why"..

-Thea

[Cassiepeia]

I wanted a small dog because I had moved out of home and a smaller dog would be easier for me to move around with. I also wanted something different, since I'd grown up with large breeds. Originally I wanted a Poodle, but ended up with the smallest breed of all...a Chihuahua. He's around 4lbs (although he should weigh a little more, but his ill health has caused him to lose weight).

Cass.

[StephanieandTeddy]

Growing up we had small dogs because my mom liked things that were cute and fluffy!!

[Rivsky]

I've always wanted a large breed dog but our living situation just doesn't lend itself to that at this stage so we looked at smaller breeds simply because they take up less room, are easier to take places with you, are small enough to be able to play ball inside without destroying the house etc.

Getting a cross breed we did take a bit of a gamble with what size he'd end up as but he is just perfect for us in every way - and he has done SO much in teaching me and my BF how cool small dogs can be (unfortunately I have to admit to previously thinking small dog = yappy dog because of previous experiences ) I'm proud to say that I now know better!!!

[qwertyasu]

Originally Posted by Rivsky

he is just perfect for us in every way - and he has done SO much in teaching me and my BF how cool small dogs can be (unfortunately I have to admit to previously thinking small dog = yappy dog because of previous experiences ) I'm proud to say that I now know better!!!

yeah, I used to think small breeds ''weren't REAL dogs but then one day I fell In with a shih-tzu and I have found they are just as ''doggy'' as the big breeds. Two things that are nice about them is:they can fit on your lap and you don't need to get a bigger bed to have them sleep with you!

[Rivsky]

Originally Posted by qwertyasu

yeah, I used to think small breeds ''weren't REAL dogs but then one day I fell In with a shih-tzu and I have found they are just as ''doggy'' as the big breeds. Two things that are nice about them is:they can fit on your lap and you don't need to get a bigger bed to have them sleep with you!

LOL - that's so true!!!

[Swiftwind]

Getting a toy breed was actually my mum's choice (not that I regret it at all! ). My sister and I had chosen a really lovely big dog to adopt from the RSPCA. When he unfortunately got poisoned at only 10 months old and had to be put down, my mum swore that we wouldn't get another dog. That is until she saw Abby! Our garden, in reality, is not suited to a big dog. It's just perfect for the little ones, though. Living in a busy city I don't think it's fair to have a big dog in such a small living space unless you have the time to dedicate to exercising it. I like the toy breeds though, and I love the fact that you can pick them up to give them a big hug.

[Punkygirl0101]

I have always had smaller dogs, except one year we had a rescue husky mix who killed two of our other dogs, so my mom only wants small dogs now. She does want a large dog in the future, when shes old and has no other dogs.

I want large dogs in the future!

[Beryl]

We had medium sized dogs (cockers & cockapoo mutt), toy (Pomeranian), and a large dog (GSD)

I chose toy dogs primarily for the reason mentioned already - ease of porting around. I traveled a lot on business and it was easier to bring a toy dog on a plane and to a hotel than a large one.

Another reason factored in when I got my toy poo right after losing my shining Black Knight Lance -- GSD -- after only 11 years -- longevity. My cockapoo mutt lived around 14 years and my pom lived 18 years.

However, I know there is no guarantees because anything can happen with toy dogs but they do tend to live longer.

Dahlia -- your dog may still be a toy -- just not a small toy.

[mom2cocoa]

Originally Posted by Punkygirl0101

I have always had smaller dogs, except one year we had a rescue husky mix who killed two of our other dogs, so my mom only wants small dogs now. She does want a large dog in the future, when shes old and has no other dogs.

I want large dogs in the future!

Husky's tend to have a very high prey drive. It's not the size of the dog that caused the problem, it's the breed that caused the problem! My dog is 57 lbs. and gently nuzzles our gerbils and lizards. Of course I never leave them alone together. But I really believe the problem here is the husky breed, not the size.

I love large dogs. However, I have to say I had a foster chihuahua once that I adored and still grieve over to this day. And she was adopted a year and a half ago. I should not have adopted her out, I should have adopted her myself. If I could have her back I would in a heartbeat. But other than that I'm a large dog person.

[roman]

i wanted the toughest breed around!

actually i dont really know why i got a maltese i think it was because when searching for our new puppy all the "hypoallergenic" breeds are pretty much rare or no one breeds them ofter. I though about getting another whaeton like max but my mom thought a smaller dog would be a little bit calmer but obviously that flew out the window lol

[mom2cocoa]

my mom thought a smaller dog would be a little bit calmer

Where on earth did she get that idea??....lol. It's usually the other way around.

[roman]

i dont know lol. max has always been active and she thought a smaller dog would be calmer than max. She doesnt mind it though just as long as he doesnt become crazy with her she is perfectly fine with him,

[calgal]

While I was young and raising 6 sons, most of our dogs were large breeds. Wolf/GSD, 2 GSD, Collie and Rottie. As we grew older, we found the small breeds suited us better when it came to traveling more and of course with our arthritis we just were not able to do the things with a larger breed as we use to, and large dogs need lots of exercise. Some small breeds such as the Jack Russel is not for old folks like us even though they are small. They need LOTS of exersize, mentally and physically. So with our life style and what we wanted in a small dog, it was between the poodle, Maltese and Yorkie. We found the Maltese (for the most part) was not a very outgoing adventurous type, and the poodle tends to get their noses out of joint too often and sulk. Probably because of how smart those buggers are. So we ended up selecting the Yorkie for their outgoing personality and the love of adventure. We also have a 15 year old Chihuahua that we have had since she was 3 months old. We didn't want to get another one because of how much they shed and we wanted a non-shedding dog this time around.

[Ice Lady]

I got my Yorkie because I wanted a permanent baby for my Lhasa Apso. I live in a small space and am unable to exercise a dog very much. I get them out for about 4 - 15 min constitutionals a day. The rest of the time they can run and play in my space and get sufficient exercise. Small dogs are usually very loving and make great early warning systems and wonderful companions. I have been told by a vet that they can develop an intelligence level equal to that of an average 5 yr old child because of the time that is spent with them.

Joan and the Little Ladies