Читать книгу Doodle Dogs For Dummies - Miriam Fields-Babineau - Страница 14

Toy-size Doodles weigh less than 30 pounds and are typically created by crossing a Toy Poodle with a Toy purebred dog. Examples of a Toy-size Doodle are Pekapoos (Pekingese x Toy Poodle), Maltipoos (Maltese x Toy Poodle), Shipoos (Shih Tzu x Toy Poodle), and Yorkipoos (Yorkshire Terrier x Toy Poodle).

Some of these Toy purebreds have straight coats, brachycephalic (broad and short) skulls, or bulging eyes, but mixing them with Toy Poodles creates offspring with curlier, lower-shedding coats; longer noses for easier respiration; and healthier eye placement. It can also serve to reduce the dog’s overall tendencies for behavioral reactivity. An example can be the Pekingese or Maltese breed’s tendency to resource-guard (using assertive behavior to guard an object or person). Toy Poodles rarely have the resource-guarding tendency, and they can pass this trait on to their Doodle offspring.

Regardless of the size of your dog, be sure to go through training. A little dog may not be able to do a lot of damage, but a bite is a bite, and the barking of little dogs can be even more annoying than the excessive barking of big dogs.

Toy-size Doodles make greats lap dogs, happy to play fetch in your home and relax with you on the couch. They enjoy outdoor play, too, but they don’t require as much activity as larger dogs do. A Toy-size Doodle is more likely to tire of activity within 30 minutes, whereas a larger dog typically requires several hours of activity every day.

Toy-size Doodles are great in homes with very young children, elderly residents, or family members who aren’t highly mobile. Because they’re small, teaching them to do their business on a pad may be more convenient than if the dog were a larger size. This makes them ideal in urban areas, where going outside to potty isn’t always possible.

If you live in a suburban area, a Toy-size Doodle can still be easier to care for than a larger dog, especially if you’re very busy. A smaller Doodle may be easier to take with you to work. If you work from home, a Toy-size Doodle can warm your lap as you type or attend Zoom meetings.

Toy-size Doodles also make great therapy dogs. They can easily sit on laps, beds, or chairs and soothe the soul just by being there. And traveling with a small dog can be easier than it is with a larger one. Toy-size Doodles fit under the seat on airplanes or in over-the-shoulder carrying cases. For those in urban areas who use public transportation where dogs must be held, small dogs make this a breeze — they’re lightweight and fit into a backpack, happy to look over your shoulder and watch the world go by!