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Toy Dogs

Was it Paris Hilton’s Chihuahua ‘Tinkerbelle’ that rode the Hollywood magic carpet to doggy stardom and made a name for all the little pups out there? Or perhaps it was Bit Bit and Lucky or Lacy Loo, the three toy doggy family members of pop star Britney Spears who popularized the toy dog as a pet and sparked a surge in the demand for dogs of a much smaller nature. While it seems every Celebrity, would be super model and star struck teen is getting a toy dog to neatly tuck away in their purse, the reality is toy dogs have been given the nick name ‘toy’ dogs for a reason. They are extremely tiny and require special handling. Any sort of physical trauma can paralyze or kill them. Consider them as fragile as a premature newborn. If you wouldn’t bring your newborn out without a hat in the winter then you should have the same considerations with a toy dog. Unlike stronger, larger breeds, toy dogs are ultra sensitive to the cold and shiver quickly. Thank God for the invention of the toy dog jacket and paw mitts. But looking cute can only go so far. It certainly can’t save the life of a tiny dog that is about to be mauled by a growling Rotweiler. Of all the dogs in the world, the toy dog is the most preyed upon critter for many of them resemble a small rodent and in the eyes of a larger land animal or flock of birds, it’s all the same.

Toy dogs are probably the gutsiest pups in the canine family with their big yet little voices barking at the mere site of other dogs and passers by. Sometimes this can be a problem for them however, when they don’t back down against a larger animal they are sure to get the short end of the stick. Unfortunately for them, tiny dogs run the risk of various health problems. The Shih Tzus for example are more apt to having kidney problems and Yorkies are known to be prone to liver shunts. Of course all animals and humans alike regardless of size have the possibility to get some sort of ailment but given the small nature of the toy dog, its like taking care of a newly born baby for the rest of your life where the newborn never grows out of the premature stage. Their body can never fully become an adult and therefore has more potential to become ill.

Perhaps the best way to care for these little critters is to realize they are not a fashion accessory but rather, a tiny little dog that literally and figuratively looks up to it’s owner for lots of love and dog treats.