Small Dogs are Dogs with Charm and Personality
Small dogs have charm and personality. Over the course of time more and more new breeds have been created by selectively breeding dogs with a certain external appearance and certain character traits. Small dog breeds came into our existence for various reasons. Some small dogs, like the dachshunds and Yorkshire terriers performed specific tasks by hunters. Other small dogs like the Pekingese, Shih Tzu and Maltese were created especially as companions for the well-to-do and the noble. Every land in the world has produced its own breed of small dogs. These small dogs as a result of trade became known in countries all over the world.
The Chihuahua comes from Mexico. The Pekingese and Shih Tzu originated in Tibet and China. Many types of terriers were bred in the Scottish Highlands. It is possible that the ancestors of the petit chien lion and of the poodle were from ancient Greece. The Chinese crested hairless dog is a descendant of the Aztec kingdom and China.
In earlier times to own an expensive purebred dog such as the Pekingese or the Shih Tzu was reserved only for the wealthy and privileged individuals. The situation changed, however, with the French Revolution when privilege based on social class was called into question. The middle class began to own expensive pedigreed dogs that were easily distinguished from a mutt. The popularity of the purebred dogs began to soar.
Breed standards in every breed describe from head to toe, height, weight, general appearance and character traits. A breed standard specifies how the ideal representative of each breed should look. Nature does not permit complete uniformity to these breed standards set by “people.” A standard only represents a goal to which breeders are suppose to come as close as possible of creating. Unfortunately, these rigid standards call for things that have created unnecessary health problems and unnatural characteristics for a dog. For example, noses that have been bred to be excessively short hindering the dog’s breathing and can cause pinched nostrils, which can lead to heart problems. Some breed standards call for legs so short that the dogs can no longer walk normally. It is the goal of responsible dog clubs and associations to work against excesses of this kind.
Small dogs differ from large dogs only in terms of their size. It does not need to be overly protected. It is untrue that small dogs are more susceptible to disease just because they are small. On the contrary, small dog’s life expectancy is even higher than larger dogs.
One of the added enjoyments of the smaller dogs is dressing them up in cute tiny dog clothes and accessories. Larger dogs can be dressed up as well, but there is just something extra sweet and cute about the teacup dog clothes, to see a cute little Yorkie in dog clothes is eye opening, and the Chihuahua dog clothes sometimes are the cutest of all.
Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She offers Designer Dog Clothes at: http://www.littleguysdogclothesshop.com
If this article interested you, check out our page on Small Dog Breeds
Do you run a site that should be listed here? Link to this site and then tell us about it.
Articles
Choosing the Dog Breed For You
You should decide what kind of dog will best meet your requirements. You may want to choose a cross-breed, designer or pure-bred dog...
Hereditary Diseases in Dogs
An article on hereditary dog diseases that lists common health problems and the breeds that commonly inherit them.
Top 10 Toy Dog Breeds
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.
Top 10 Terrier Dog Breeds
The Terrier Group includes those small but lively terrier breeds that were developed (mainly in Great Britain) to hunt small burrowing animals such as badgers, foxes, otters, rabbits and rats.
Top 10 Hound Dog Breeds
The Hound Group includes dog breeds with a wonderful sense of smell and/or great athleticism. These breeds were developed to follow game either by sight or by smell.
How Dogs Can Help Teach Your Children Responsibility
Owning a dog is a great way to engage your kids in the process of responsibility. Teaching your children to be responsible is probably one of the most important aspects of being a parent. And why not have a little help in this department with the assistance of a brand-new puppy?
Making A long Road Trip More Comfortable For Your Dog
If your road trip is going to be a long one then you need to take a few extra steps to plan accordingly and ensure that you and your puppy get to your destination safe and happy. Here are a few suggestions that can help...
Xoloitzcuintli Dog Breed
The Xolo is one of the world’s oldest and rarest breeds. Statues and effigies dating back more than 3,000 years have been found in Mayan tombs. Xolos were valued for their loyalty, companionship and intelligence as well as their curative and mystical powers.
Our List of Dog Breeds
A list of over 110 Dog breeds and growing.
Additional Content
If you have a picture of your dog that you would like us to use either in a 'dog photo needed' spot or in our up coming dog breeds photo gallery, you can e-mail us the picture at dogphotos@Dog-Breed-Facts.com
All submissions become the sole property of Dog-Breed-Facts.comRead our term of use and privacy statements.
For quick browsing of our site visit our site map.
