Pomeranians

So since my friend asked me write about either Pugs or Pomeranians, and I''ve already written about Pugs, I thought I would write about Pomeranians. I've known only one Pomeranian in my life, and she hasn't left the best impression of them on me.  Her name is Patty, and she is my aunt and uncle's dog.  Patty is a yipper.  She doesn't bark; she yips.  And it can completely drive me crazy when I go to visit my aunt and uncle.  She's also a little standoffish until you've been there awhile and she really knows you, so playing with her is hard.  And that's what I want from a dog!  One that will let me pet it and hold onto it.  Perhaps she's the reason I don't hold a special place in my heart for Pomeranians.  But, let's look more into them.

Patty on Christmas 2009

General Information:

• Survived the Titantic
• Small, yappy, and energetic (definitely Patty)
• Independent and Inquisitive
• Short, triangular ears
• Athletic dog
• Can bark excessively
• Great lap dog
• Stubborn
• Average Height: 7-11 inches
• Average Weight: 4-6 pounds

Health:

• Even though it's small, it still needs exercise!
• Prone to early tooth loss (Feed dry food)
• Slipping knee caps
• Heart problems
• Average Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Grooming:

•  Double coated fur
• Heavy, constant shedders, so must brush daily
• Must trim nails, check ears, and go to groomer every 4-6 weeks

Environment:

• Can live about anywhere with exercise

Type of Owner:

• Great for most, but not for families with young kids because of how small they are
• Train early and consistently

Well it seems that I judged Patty prematurely.  She was never taught not to bark, so she does it constantly.  And perhaps she only seems stand-offish because she is so hyper and ready to play.  I may be a little more willing to play with Pomeranians now, but if they haven't been trained not to bark so much, I hold the right to stay away!

(Not Patty)

(Thanks to Dogs101 and DogBreedInfo!)

Pugs

Be warned; I'm about to talk about another dog that I don't particularly love.  I just can't love its face as much as I do the bulldogs.  But I'm going to talk about it because, well one of my friends asked me to, and, I hate to admit it, I did fall for one of these. What dog am I talking about? The pug. Friday night I was at a friend's house, and this friend has a little dog named Skittles. Now Skittles is one crazy dog, kinda like Nub the Mountain Feist, but she sure did love being rubbed. I don't particularly love Pugs because they've never seemed that cute to me, but this little dog won me over. I didn't think about using it as one of my posts until a friend asked me to write about Pugs or Pomeranians. Well guess what? Skittles is a mix of those two breeds. I guess it was fate. So, I decided to write about Pugs.

(Not Skittles)

General Information:

• "Smushed in face"
• Have short noses 
• Face wrinkles
• Aims to please
• Curly tail
• Typically a lazy dog, but will become active if owner is
• Playful and charming
• Weight: 14 to 18 pounds
• Height: 10-14 inches

Health:

• May have trouble breathing, especially in warm weather
• Eyes may pop out, especially if collar/ leash is too tight
• Be careful not overfeed
• Exercise every day, but don't let them overheat!
• Life expectancy: 12-15 years

Grooming:

• Minimal, but do shed some
• Must clean wrinkles on face

Environment:

• Good for apartments because of its small size

Type of Owner:

• Great for families
• Get along with other pets and with visitors

Now after reading a little bit more about Pugs, watching a video, and meeting Skittles, I think I have to rethink my opinion about this dog.  They may not look the cutest in pictures, but their personalities more than make up for it.  But it scares me a little that its eyes may pop out!  That's something I'll have to consider...

(Thanks to Dogs101, AKC, and DogBreedInfo!)

West Highland White Terrier

Most people know this dog as a Westie, and I know it as the Cesar dog. The other night, the Cesar dog food commercial came one the T.V. and my roommate and suitemate both just went crazy. My suitemate is a dog lover, and my roommate, though she's generally is a cat lover, just loves these little dogs.  She plans to have one one day and name it Oswald.  She probably loves it because it is so small, but let me tell you some more of its characteristics.

General Information:

• Happy, curious, affectionate, and stubborn dog
• Dislikes smaller dogs or other animals
• Undocked tail
• Double coat
• Love to dig and bark
• Height: 10-12 inches
• Weight: 15-21 pounds

 Health:

•  Globoid cell Leukodystrophy, Legg- Perthes
• Copper toxicosis,  cataracts, patellar luxation
• Sometimes deafness
• Skin problems
• Life expectancy: 12-14 years

Grooming:

• Coat combed two or three times a week
• Shape the coat every three months
• Bathe when necessary
• Sheds little hair 

Environment:

• Okay for apartment life or for life with a large area to roam
• However, if living in apartment, needs daily walk and area to play outside

Type of Owner:

• Someone that can keep up with this dogs energy and put in the time to discipline 

Westies are the epitome of cuteness and are definitely in the running for my future pet. I just wish I had a choice of color other than white! I think this dog would definitely find a way to get dirty.

(Thanks to Dogs 101 and DogBreedInfo for their information!)

Mountain Feist

My boyfriend's cousin has a Mountain Feist.  For those of you who have no idea what kind of dog this is, I didn't either before I met Nub.  Nub is one insane dog.  He gets so excited when people come to visit, and because he's such a small dog, he's bouncing off of everything.  When the dog jumps, he's seriously jumping to about the height of my upper arm.  When I sit down, he jumps on the couch, and runs back and forth from person to person.  And then he runs back and forth over all of the people sitting on the couch.  When I was there to see the puppy of a different dog they got, he was running across my lap to get to the puppy.  At one point, as I was leaning back, he ran across my chest.  I'm just glad it wasn't my face.  Now, I'm going to find out if all Mountain Feists have this much energy.  If they do, you certainly need to have a patient, loving, and energetic family for this little dog!

General Information

• Great squirrel hunter
• Also good for hunting raccoon and opossum
• Strong hind legs
• Docked tail
• Very energetic
• Love to play
• Protective
• Curious
• Short coat
• Height: 10-22 inches
• Weight: 10-30 pounds

Health

• No major health problems to be noted
• Needs lots of exercise, either a long walk or jog everyday
• Recommended that the dog be given a large area to play 

Grooming

• Only requires an occasional brushing to get rid of stray hairs

Environment

• Okay indoors
• But best to give this dog some room to play 

Type of Owner

• Firm but gentle, and these dogs are easy to train, even with all of their energy
• Good for energetic families
• When it's time to sleep, is a total lap dog

Now, just to prove how much of a handful these dogs can be, here's a picture of Nub chewing on a new toy...

So if you're looking for a small, energetic dog, Nub is for you. But I think he's just a little too excitable for my taste. Not to mention he peed on my pants one time I came over...

(Thanks to DogBreedInfo, GreatDogSite, and Wikipedia for their info!)

Chihuahuas

My boyfriend's cousin's dog (I know that's a lot), Pumpkin, is a Chihuahua/Greyhound mix.  I know that sounds odd, but she mostly looks like a Chihuahua.  Now, this dog breed is probably my least favorite.  Not because I don't think Chihuahuas have a cute side, but because they just look so darn puny!  It's too small of a dog for me, but I thought I'd look into why everyone goes crazy over this little dog.

General Information:

• They like to be carried around and pampered
• Smallest breed of dog in the world
• Protective, Sweet, and Loving for their owner (Like to cling to one person)
• Radar ears (folded down when they're puppies)
• Think they're quite tough
• Height: 6-9 inches
• Weight: 2-6 pounds

Health:

• Risk of Obesity, leading to Diabetes and Dislocation of Kneecaps
• Generally healthy
• Daily walks, including playtime
• Life span: 15+ years

Grooming:

• Little shedding
• Short coat only needs occasional brushing; long coat needs it daily

Environment:

• Best to keep these tiny doggies inside
• Do not leave outside unattended (Look like prey to birds)
• Best in warmer climates

Type of Owner:

• Not very good for families
• Children may drop them
• Chihuahua may be overly babied because of its size
• Needs an owner that doesn't feed it too much and balances babying with discipline

So, maybe Chihuahuas aren't as puny as I thought; they're just a small breed!  Maybe part of the reason I dislike them is their tendency to become "divas" after being constantly babied.  Make sure not to let this happen to your Chihuahua!  You need to be the pack leader. =]

(Thanks to Dogs 101 and Dog Breed Info Center for the information!)

Yorkshire Terriers

Over Thanksgiving this past year, my aunt and uncle purchased a new puppy for my ten and twelve-year old cousins. Their dog, Jojo, a two-year old Yorkshire Terrier, had been hit by a car a couple of months earlier. They'd only had him since Christmas. My cousins, not to mention my aunt, were devastated, and wanted another little dog around the house. Of course they loved Yorkies, and since my aunt and uncle's oldest son, a sixteen-year old, has had problems with dog allergies in the past, a Yorkie was a best choice. So, they bought this new little puppy, which they named Bear, and he is the cutest, most energetic little puppy you could imagine.

In honor of Bear, and Jojo, I thought I would give you guys some information on Yorkies.

General Information:

•  Adventuresome, Energetic, Very Loyal, Clever
•  Small dog
•  6-7 inches tall
• Weigh about 7 pounds full grown
•  Docked tail
•  Glossy, silky, long-haired coat
• Protective of their family

Health:

•  Life Expectancy: 12-15 years
•  Possibilities of:
•  Bronchitis
•  Eye infections
• Hypoglycemia
• Tracheal collapse (Use harness leash to help prevent this)
• Take the dog on daily walks, but play is a better way of exercising this little dog

Grooming:

• Daily Brushing
• Monthly bath
• Little to No shedding
• Regular grooming for short coat
• Long coat requires high maintenance (Wrapping coat in tissue paper with oil)

Environment:

• These little dogs are best indoors
• Can be helpful for people with allergies, since it does not shed much, but allergies come from dander and saliva of dogs. Depends on person and dog for allergies to flare.

Type of Owner:

• Strong leader
• May be aggressive with strangers and other animals if not properly trained
• Good for families as long as the dog is not allowed to take over

Yorkies are perfect pets for people searching for an indoor pet that doesn't shed or take up much space. With that said, the dog can also take over. Make sure to train it well and establish yourself as the leader. Yorkies will be the most lovable and fitting dog for families in apartments, or for a family wishing for an indoor dog, but be sure to train it well!

(Thanks to Wikipedia and Dog Breed Info Center for their help!)