The 10 Most Popular Small Breed Dogs

Bichon Frise puppy

By Linda Cole

Small dogs may come in small packages, but many have a confident and tenacious attitude. These dogs dont think of themselves as “small,” and some of the jobs they were bred to do required a dog with attitude. A small dog is defined as a breed under 22 pounds, and dog owners have made 10 the most popular.

Bichon Frise

No dog is completely hypoallergenic, but the Bichon Frise is a good choice for people with allergies. A smart, independent, courageous, affectionate, confident and playful cotton ball of a dog, the Bichon Frise weighs 7-16 pounds and has a life span of 12-16 years or longer. With an easy, sensitive and happy personality, this is a good family dog that gets along well with other pets.

Boston Terrier

The largest of this group, the Boston Terrier is an American made breed that weighs 10-25 pounds. This easy going, muscular, compact and well mannered canine is often referred to as the “American gentleman.” The Boston Terrier is smart, good with the entire family, easy to train and sensitive to our tone of voice. This breed is susceptible to heatstroke because of their pushed in nose, but can live 15 years or longer.

Chihuahua

The smallest breed at 2-6 pounds, this dog definitely thinks hes a “big dog.” Intelligent, graceful, loyal, lovable, brave, adventurous, agile and strong willed, the Chihuahua makes a good family pet as long as he understands you are his leader. They can be short tempered with children and wary around strangers. This alert breed is a good watchdog, and can be extremely protective of his home and family. Many Chihuahuas are fond of cats, and can live up to 15 years or longer.

Maltese

This breed was a cherished companion to kings and queens for centuries. Maltese have a life expectancy of 15-18 years and weigh 4-6 pounds. They are gentle, well mannered, obedient and very loving, with a playful side. They are likely to find a mud puddle and jump in it, just for fun. These dogs are good with children and other pets. This breed goes back almost 3,000 years when Roman poets honored them in verse, and special tombs were built for them in Greece.

Miniature Dachshund

Miniature Dachshund

A member of the hound group, the Dachshund can be standard or miniature. The standard size is 16-32 pounds, and the miniature is 11 pounds or less. This is a fearless breed, bred to hunt badger above and below ground. In Germany, their country of origin, the name means badger dog. The Dachshund is a confident hunter with a great nose. Hes energetic, bold, loyal, curious, independent and good with older kids and other dogs. One health concern is back problems because of their long spine. Its important to make sure they have a quality dog food, like CANIDAE, to keep them at a proper weight. Lifespan is 14-17 years.

Parson Russell Terrier

A Parson Russell is essentially a long legged Jack Russell Terrier, and weighs in at 13-17 pounds with a life span of 13-15 years. The Parson and Jack Russell are two different breeds, and the PRT is AKC registered. Bred to hunt fox, above and below ground, this is a tenacious breed with a fierce confidence in doing his job. Smart, strong, alert, athletic, feisty, outgoing, independent and bold with a high prey drive, the PRT is a happy and energetic dog that needs lots of exercise.

Pekingese

Sacred in China, their country of origin, these dogs belonged only to Chinese royalty. Anyone stealing a dog was put to death. Common people had to bow in the presence of a Pekingese. When an emperor passed on, his dog was sacrificed to provide protection for his master in the afterlife. This is a sensitive, independent, brave, very affectionate, alert, opinionated and happy breed. Their ideal weight is under 14 pounds, and their life span is 12-15 years.

Pomeranian

These dogs were originally much larger, and used as herding and sledding dogs. Englands Queen Victoria fell in love with the Pomeranian and began breeding the dog to the small size we know today. Weighing 3-7 pounds, with a life span up to 15 years, this is an intelligent, alert, loyal, happy, proud and active dog.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

This hypoallergenic breed lives 9-16 years and weighs 9-16 pounds. In America, we pronounce Shih Tzu as sheet-sue, but the Chinese translation is sure-ds, with the ds sounding like the “ds” in words. The original translation is from Chinese Mandarin which means “lion,” hence the nickname of the lion dog. Playful, happy, alert, courageous, clever, spunky and affectionate, theyre good watchdogs and good with kids and other pets.

West Highland White Terrier

Another hypoallergenic breed, the Westie was originally bred to hunt fox, otter, badger and rats. Weighing 15-22 pounds with a life span of 15+ years, this breed is a friendly, lively, strong willed, spunky, happy, assertive, determined, confident and loyal dog. Westie’s excel at agility, obedience and conformation. They are good with kids and other dogs, but will likely chase cats.

Bichon Frise photo by Jonathan Day
Miniature Dachshund photo by Howard Young
Shih Tzu photo by Sadie Shih Tzu

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New Zealand Farm working Dogs 10 Practical Feeding

By Dr Clive Dalton

Old  dogs need special care after many years of loyal service

 
 Balanced feeding

Dogs need a balanced diet, which has everything in it to meet their needs for maintenance and production.

What does a dog need for maintenance?

Table below has a mass of information on the energy and protein that a dog needs.  First, look at the layout. 

  Note these features:

·      There is information for three weights of dogs.

·      The maintenance needs per weight of dog are shown in kcal of energy and in grams of protein.  So a small dog (15kg) needs 1005kcal of energy and 72g of protein each day to sustain its body functions.

·      There is a range of diets in the left column and their energy and protein contents are shown beside them.

·      Look back in the column for each weight of dog and you can see how much of that diet to feed and how near that quantity comes to meet the maintenance needs.

For example: 450 g of meat will provide 900 kcal of energy and 81g of protein.  This is 105 kcals of energy too little, and 9g of protein too much.  Its "near enough" you could say.

What about production (working)  needs?

Here you have to provide feed over and above maintenance.  See Table below which shows the number of times you multiply the maintenance feeds by to meet the dog’s nutritional needs.

Dogs in work

Light exercise                 1.5 x M

Medium exercise            2.0 x M

Heavy exercise            2.5 x M

Bitches

Late pregnancy            2.5 x M

Early lactation              3.0 x M

Pups

Up to 7 weeks                  2.0 x M

7-9 weeks                        3.0 x M

9 weeks onwards            decrease to adult levels

Calcium and phosphorus

The Calcium and Phosphorus daily needs for a dog are shown in table below.

The table shows when supplements are needed for that range of diets.  If you need to add Ca or P, how much do you provide - the answer is in table 4, using the most readily available sources of dicalcium phosphate or bonemeal, and calcium carbonate.

Minerals and vitamins

Look at table below to see which type of diet is likely to be short of minerals and vitamins.

Note that the all-meat diet is short of all those listed so has serious implications for health.   Note also that vitamins D and E are going to be short in all the diets.

The all-meat diet

So many farmers will tell you that an all-meat diet is ideal for a working dog and theyll back their opinion with a lifetimes experience of feeding meat.  They point out that dogs are carnivores so meat is their natural diet.

These opinions are flawed!  But there are hundreds of farmers who wont accept these basic facts and nutritionists are regularly criticised for their ignorance of real life on a farm.  Owners also argue that commercially available diets are too expensive and there are plenty of cull stock to eat up which have little market value.  Again, remember my first question of what is a dog worth to your business.

There are all sorts of problems with all-meat diets for working dogs, and they require substantial supplementation with minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iodine, as well as vitamins.  Dogs on these so-called all-meat diets are in fact supplementing them by scavenging.  They are eating dung, carrion and goodness knows what else.  They maybe look all right but are not being kept at peak fitness, which a balanced diet allows.  Skinny underweight dogs are unhealthy and are even more prone to parasite attack.

The second common error is thinking that adding milk will balance an all-meat diet.  This is not true either. 

Bones

Bones with a red tinge of meat on them provide very little nutrients.  Bones are good dental exercise - and thats about all.  They do contain some calcium and phosphorus but its better to supply these important minerals in other more digestible forms if needed. 

How long was the meat frozen?

This is a concern on farms where there are many shepherds using meat out of the same freezer.   There are no problems if the meat is cut up, bagged and dated, but so often this doesnt happen and you dont know how long the meat has been frozen.  If you mark on plastic bags remember the ink may come off or be hard to read when iced over.  Tie-on labels are always readable.

The rule of holding meat at minus 10 degrees C for 7 days is a MINIMUM.   Please note well this point.   And its important to make sure the meat is at minus 10 right at the centre.  As many old freezers are used for dog meat, they sometimes are not at peak efficiency.  If you have any concerns, get your Dog Control Officer to check the freezer.

Big bags of mince for example will take much longer than 7 days to get to minus 10 C in the middle so they are not treated properly.

The key is to have a system that rotates the meat, and that everyone involved in using the meat understands it.  If you buy low-grade carcasses from a meatworks, make sure they have been held at the correct temperature and for the correct time.  The same would apply to local abattoir meat.

All meat sold at licensed pet food shops must meet the requirements of the Hydatids Act, so you can buy there with confidence.

Thawing frozen meat

Imagine working hard all day and getting a frozen joint to chew at all night.   What a great reward from a grateful boss!   This happens to many dogs when things are busy and the planning breaks down.  Allow at least a day for meat to thaw out and in winter it may take 2-3 days.  So allow plenty of time for this.

And remember – the juices that flow from frozen meat contain important vitamins and minerals that the dog should have.  The chore of catching the juice and returning it to the meat just shows impractical all-meat feeding is.

Cooking sheep and goat meat for dogs  

Do NOT feed any fresh sheep or goat meats to dogs, to prevent the spread of sheep measles.  Cooked meat must be brought to the boil and then left for a minimum of 30 minutes, and probably more like an hour.  If there is still blood showing at the end of the cooking time, then boil it a little longer.

Cooking offal and sheep and goat meat

This is a messy time-consuming business, even when proper facilities with modern electric cookers and time switches are available.  Although the law allows the feeding of correctly cooked offal, you would be wise to forget the idea.  

With so many good dog feeds available these days, it’s unwise to feed cooked offal to dogs.   If you think that feeding cooked offal produces a cheap dog feed, then you should do your sums again.  The true costs and the risks make it a poor alternative feed for dogs.

The risks of inadequate cooking are high because cooking time can vary depending on many things.  As a general rule, 1.5 to 2 hours is needed.  If there is still blood showing at the end of cooking time, then the meat needs some more treatment.

Feeding other meats

Meat from cattle, horses, deer, rabbits, pigs and possums can be fed raw to dogs without risk of infection from sheep measles.  However, it would be unwise to feed raw possum in areas where there is a risk of Tb which dogs could pick up.

Other dietary problems

There are a few problems such as bad breath, anal gland infection and bad teeth which can all arise as a result of feeding.  Check them out with your veterinarian. 

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How to Teach your Puppy not to Bite Part 5

By Joan Orr M.Sc.

This is the fifth in our series about how to stop your puppy from biting. Please read the previous installments, since we wont be repeating information and you will want to know why it is important to teach your puppy how to bite softly and then not at all. All the strategies we offer are important and you should use them all. Click here to see all the parts in this series. Some of this article is excerpted from an article published at clickertraining.com. Click here to view the entire article if you want more details and more advanced steps once your puppy has the basic idea.

Teach the Puppy to Leave It

An important strategy in helping the puppy to learn what he can and cannot bite and whether he is biting too hard is to teach a cue that tells the puppy to leave it. Some people use the cue "leave it" or "out" or "off". In our example we will use the word "off". You can use whatever you want, just be sure that this word is unique for the purpose. For example, you would not use this to tell the puppy to get off the couch or to take his paws off you. Choose a word that is going to be easy for you to remember to use in a consistent context.

Command vs Cue

Many people train "off" as a command with its associated threat: "Leave it or else." The trouble is, once the dog has swallowed the light bulb (I am not making this up), or Grannys $3000 hearing aid, the ensuing "or else" does not do much to remedy the situation. It is not as if you can dock the dogs allowance or extract an IOU to pay for the costs of his transgression. Experienced clicker trainers, especially those whose training goals require an exceptional degree of reliability (those who work with guide dogs, service dogs, bomb detection dogs, etc.), know that training cues rather than commands produces a dog that can be counted on even in very difficult situations. Be sure to watch the video clips at the end of this article to see the results of training with cues using clicker training.

It is important to understand the difference between a cue and a command. A command implies a threat: "Do it or I will make you." A command is given before the behavior is learned, and it can be enforced if the dog does not comply. For example, a trainer may teach "sit" by pushing down on the dogs rump while saying sit, repeating the word and action over and over until the dog figures out that the word sit goes with the action of sitting, and that sitting fast enough will prevent the rump pushing. In the early stages of this kind of training, the dog associates the command "sit" with all kinds of stimuli and with actions that have nothing to do with the dog sitting on its own. Eventually after much frustration he figures it out.

"Off" is commonly trained as a command by placing a temptation near the dog and holding him back, or tugging on his leash and saying "off" in a stern tone of voice. If the dog does manage to grab the prohibited item, the command is repeated while the item is forcibly removed from the dogs mouth. This method is stressful for the dog, and he may not learn much. In many cases, the command approach may place the trainer at risk of being bitten, too.

A cue is completely different from a command. There is no threat implied with a cue. A cue is like a green light that tells the dog that now is the time to execute a behavior for the chance of reinforcement.

A cue is attached to a specific behavior only after the dog is offering the behavior on his own. The "sit" cue, for example, is only given once the dog has learned to sit, and, therefore, the cue is not associated with anything other than the act of sitting. If the dog does not respond to a cue, a trainer knows that further training is required. The trainer does not assume that the dog is intentionally misbehaving and must be forced or helped to do the behavior.

Getting the Behavior 

A common and very reasonable question about teaching cues is, "How do you get the dog to sit or demonstrate the goal behavior in the first place, so that you can click/treat and eventually add a cue?"

An easy way to get the puppy to take his mouth off your hand so that you can then click (or say yes) and reinforce was described by Carolyn Clark (click here for the original article) and summarized here.

A popular method is to hold a treat in your closed fist and allow the dog to sniff, lick, paw it—whatever he wants to do to try to get the treat. Keep your fist closed until he backs off for just a fraction of a second, then click and open your hand to give him the treat. Alternatively, you can click when he backs off, and give him a better treat from your other hand. Avoid the temptation to say anything—no scolding or otherwise telling him not to pester your hand. The dog learns best if he figures it out for himself without fear of reprisal.

If the dog is too frantic to get at the treat, use something less tantalizing to start. If the dog loses interest and does not try to get the treat, use something more tantalizing.

Raise criteria gradually so that the click/treat comes only when the dog is deliberately moving his head back several inches from your hand. Raise criteria again so that the click/treat comes only when the dog makes eye contact with you after moving away from your hand. Gradually require longer periods of eye contact, until the dog backs off from your hand and maintains eye contact for three seconds. Now is the time to add the cue "off."

Show the dog your fist containing the treat. When he looks away from it and toward you, say "off," click, offer the treat, and say "take it." Teaching opposite cues in pairs like this is a really effective approach. From now on, always say "take it" when you give a treat after the dog responds to the "off" cue.

Video Demonstration

Here is a video demonstrating the method by super trainer Emily Larlham. Emily uses the cue "leave it". Notice the tone of voice; there is no threat. Note the extreme reliability of the behavior. Emily puts a plate of food down, asks the dogs to leave it and leaves the room. We recommend that you watch all of Emilys training videos!




Here is another video that demonstrates the extraordinary power of this type of training. See a dog retreiving a hot dog and another willingly relinquishing a raw steak.



More details in an article by Joan Orr

More details in an article by Carolyn Clark

Read the rest of the articles in this series:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

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Top 10 Poison Dangers for Dogs

By Langley Cornwell

It’s that time again. Spring is upon us, and my neighbors are fertilizing their lawns and spraying all kinds of insecticides to kill bugs. It always makes me nervous when they’re poisoning up their adjacent yard; I’m sure some of the toxic chemicals migrate over into our space. To educate myself, I consulted the Pet Poison Helpline and saw that they have an updated list of potential poisons in our homes and yards.

The Pet Poison Helpline is a valuable resource for pet people. They log every call they get, and each year they examine their records to determine what type of poisons garnered the most calls. So even though we’ve written other articles here on the CANIDAE RPO blog about the plants, foods or chemicals that can be hazardous to your pet, as a responsible pet owner it’s good to stay updated on the subject. With that in mind, here are the most common dangers for dogs, listed in order of the frequency of calls into the helpline. Interestingly, the list starts with food items because food accounted for the highest number of poisoning calls.

1.  Foods, especially xylitol, chocolate and grapes/raisins

Xylitol is getting a lot of attention lately because of claims that tout its health benefits, including reducing the risk of tooth decay. Many sugarless gums and candies now contain xylitol, and this sweetener is dangerous to dogs. Even a small amount ingested by your pup can result in a potentially fatal drop in blood sugar or even liver failure.

Most of us know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. The chemical in chocolate that makes it dangerous for dogs is theobromine, which is a relative of caffeine. The darker, bitter chocolates are the most dangerous. The fact that raisins and grapes are toxic foods for dogs isn’t as widely known. Be cautious; if a dog eats raisins or grapes it can result in kidney failure.

2.  Insecticides 

If it can kill insects, it can kill other things. Ingestion of insecticides and pesticides were the second most common call to the helpline. What I didn’t know is that one of the most dangerous ingredients is organophosphate (e.g., disulfoton) which is often found in rose-care products. This toxic chemical can be fatal to dogs, even when ingested in small amounts, so rose gardeners please take note.

Even though spot-applied flea and tick treatments work well for dogs, you have to be extremely careful if you are a mixed-species household because they can be very toxic to cats. Read the labels carefully and look out for products that contain pyrethrins or pyrethroids, which are a derivative of the Chrysanthemum flower. These chemicals are severely toxic if directly applied or ingested by cats.

3.  Mouse and rat poisons

Another case of the obvious; if it kills rodents it can kill other things. There are a variety of chemicals in mouse and rat poisons, all with diverse active ingredients and different types of action. Therefore all of them, regardless of what the packaging claims, are potentially poisonous to dogs. They can cause severe vomiting, internal bleeding, brain swelling or kidney failure. Furthermore, if your pets eat a mouse or rat that was poisoned by rodenticides, it can cause what’s called relay toxicity, meaning they can be poisoned via the dead animal.

4.  Human ibuprofen and naproxen pain relief drugs

Common NSAID pain relief drugs, which include Advil, Aleve and Motrin, can cause severe problems to dogs when ingested. These pain relievers can cause your pet stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as potential kidney failure. You should never treat your pet with human drugs of any sort without consulting your veterinarian.

5.  Common household cleaners 

Powerful cleaning products carry the highest risk to animals due to their corrosive properties. These household cleaners include rust removers, toilet bowel cleaners, calcium/lime removers and drain cleaners. And remember, just because a cleaner claims to be “natural,” it’s not necessarily safe. With all household cleaners, it’s better to err on the side of caution and keep them all out of your pet’s reach.

6.  Human antidepressant drugs

Of all the prescription drugs, antidepressants account for the highest number of emergency calls into the helpline. When ingested, these drugs can cause neurological problems in dogs like high levels of agitation, sedation, tremors and seizures. Please keep all human medications away from your pets.

7.  Fertilizers

The Pet Poison Helpline says that some fertilizers are fairly safe, but I still keep my dogs away from them. Apparently, certain organic fertilizers that contain iron, blood meal, bone meal and feather meal may be especially appealing to dogs. Consuming large quantities can cause severe pancreatitis or even bind together in the stomach and obstruct the gastrointestinal tract.

8.  Human acetaminophen drugs and cough/cold medications

Considerable amounts of acetaminophen (Tylenol) can lead to severe liver failure in dogs. Cat people should be doubly cautions about acetaminophen because it poses a more significant threat – one Tylenol can be fatal to felines.

9.  Human amphetamine drugs 

Drugs that are used to treat ADD and ADHD, like Adderall and Concerta, contain strong stimulants. The smallest amount ingested by a dog can cause life-threatening heart problems, tremors, seizures and elevated body temperatures and heart problems.

10.  Veterinary pain relievers 

Rimadyl is a veterinary-specific, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is often prescribed by veterinarians for inflammation, osteoarthritis and pain management for dogs. Be careful, though. Over ingestion can result in severe gastric ulceration and acute kidney failure in dogs.

Top photo by Crystal Rolfe
Bottom photo by Tony Alter

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