The pros and cons of owning a toy breed dog
A few weeks ago, I did a version of this post based on my Great Pyrenees. Check out "The pros and cons of owning a giant breed dog"!
For reference, this is my Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. She's about twelve years old and still just as feisty as ever. She weighs in at about six pounds (so about 6 percent of my Great Pyrenees' weight). She is small enough to cradle like a baby (but she hates it), she loves dressing up in doggy clothes, and she likes to pretend to be human by, for example, sleeping under the covers with her head laying on my pillow.
Toy breeds get a bad rap for being "prissy" and "yappy." Most of my friends consider themselves big dog people; they wouldn't dare cross below the 25 pound mark and find the idea of a Papillon, Chihuahua, or Pomeranian downright miserable. However, Tinkerbell has taught me that there is much to be valued in having a toy breed—even some things that are, dare I say, better than in a large breed dog.
PRO: Toy breeds are portable.
It is extremely convenient to have a dog that you can just pick up and tote around with you whenever you need to. When Tinkerbell is being bad at the dog park, I can just carry her in one arm while corralling the Pyrs with the other. If it starts raining while out on a walk, I can just scoop her up and run inside instead of having to chase after her or drag her on a leash in the downpour. We've all seen the infamous movie characters toting adorable pink-collared Chihuahuas in purses, and I'm here to tell you that it's much more useful than Paris Hilton makes it look.
CON: They are breakable.
Because toy breeds are so small and portable, they are very fragile. Around roughhousing kids or giant breed dogs (without supervision), this susceptibility to harm could create problems. When we first got our Pyrs, Tinkerbell was not very happy, and, thinking she was much bigger than she is, she used to pick fights with them. While Luna and Argos don't hurt each other when they fight, one snap in their jaws, and Tinkerbell could be seriously injured.
PRO: Toy breeds can be great lapdogs.
Not that I don't enjoy Luna and Argos crushing me with their 100-pound fluffy butts, but there is something exceedingly nice about Tinkerbell snoozing on my legs and not breaking them. Toy breeds are often bought for this very trait, marketed as docile puppies who will curl up in your lap and sleep the day away. However, I can tell you that this is not always the case. Tinkerbell, in her old age, has become the epitome of a perfect lapdog. She follows me everywhere I go and unobtrusively (usually) snuggles up against or on me to sleep for most of the day. But when she was younger—in fact, until the past two years—she hated being held and was very independent. Now that she has grown into this trait, I can confirm that it is all it's cracked up to be.
CON: They can be needy.
This can depend on the individual dog, but in my experience, toy breeds are more likely to carry the puppy-like trait of crying until given attention into adulthood. While my Pyrs will stop begging for cuddles and go sleep in the other room if I'm busy, Tinkerbell will yelp at my door until I let her inside and onto the bed to nap. Tinkerbell has been known to cry and bark and howl for hours (and yes, I mean hours) on end because of a change in sleeping situation or if she knows you're in the other room and she can't get to you.
PRO: Toy breeds make good alert dogs.
Now, a toy breed is not going to be able to scare off intruders like a Great Pyrenees can, but they can let you know that someone is there. Toy breeds tend to be the ones to bark whenever anyone gets home, including the people who live there and see your dog every single day. If a person walks through that door, your toy dog will be sure to let you know.
CON: They are yappy.
This stereotype is 100% true. Toy dogs have higher pitched barks that tend to repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat. . .You get the idea. They bark frequently, and sometimes it's difficult to get them to stop. (However, Tinkerbell is way better to listen to bark than Luna and Argos, just saying.)
PRO: Toy dogs are great sleeping buddies.
Tinkerbell is the only dog I have ever had that does not annoy me to sleep with. She will climb up in my bed, curl against my side, and stay asleep until I wake up. She's the perfect little heater when I'm cold, and she usually puts only her paws against me if it's hot in the house, preventing both of us from overheating.
CON: They can be lazy.
If you're a really outdoorsy type of person who wants to take your dog hiking and kayaking, then a toy breed may not be the right choice. These little guys often want to take a good couple of jaunts around the block, then sleep the rest of the day. Unlike a Husky or a Golden Retriever, they aren't always built with muscles capable of exercising for long periods of time. Tinkerbell would much rather nap than come hike the Gorge with me.
PRO: Everything they do is smaller.
Toy dog = less* shedding
Toy dog = toy-sized poop
Toy dog = pay less for food
*less, as in, you can't create another dog out of the hair they shed
CON: There's less of them to love.
Do you have a toy breed dog? What do you love about them? What annoys you? Tell me in the comments!