If you decide to have a small dog, remember that caring for dwarf species is different from the usual rules for keeping animals of larger breeds. Small dogs have a faster metabolism, they develop faster, so these "kids" need food with a predominance of proteins. Particularly caloric must be evening feeding. Small dogs can not wait for a long walk, so you'll have to put a tray in the house.
Small dogs quickly freeze, easily catch cold, so that in advance to provide for them special elements of clothing for walking. There are no training courses for dogs of small breeds, but obedience course they need to pass the same way as to larger dogs.
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If you have a dog of the indoor breed, you need to remember that it's still not a toy or an artificial decoration of the room, but a living being! Do not forget that your pet is very small - always be careful and look under your feet, so as not to injure the baby. It is also important to know that small dogs are not afraid of heights. They can absolutely not be afraid, make a jump, doing harm to themselves. When you take a dog in his arms, keep it tight so that it does not fall. It is better not to give guests a dog.
In cold and wet weather, taking a small pet for a walk, especially a short-haired one, will have to warm it. Some dwarf dog breeds are very cold even on a summer evening and can quickly catch a cold. Nowadays there are a lot of clothes for small dogs on sale. Here there is where to go fancy and express your concern for the pet.
Long-haired small dogs (for example, Maltese bolonok) should be well cleaned of street dust, check for different skin parasites, often bathe and comb. The muzzle after meal needs to be cleaned of the rests of nutrition. Dogs, unlike cats, do not know how to wash themselves. Such breeds as the Pekingese, in addition to carry out hygienic treatment of the eyes - they are often teary.
Feeding small dogs
This issue requires special attention, since small dogs have a very special metabolism. It is best to feed them specially formulated food professionals. It contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals for your pet. The usual mode of feeding begins six times a day at 1-2 months of age, and then every subsequent month the frequency of feeding is reduced by 1 times a day. After reaching the dog for 10 months or more, you can start feeding it twice a day.
Feeding should be at the same time. It is necessary to clean the bowl immediately after eating. If your dog is absolutely healthy, but refuses to eat - try to remove the bowl until the next feeding. So a small tailed pet will quickly get used to his special regime. But we must remember that this rule does not apply to water - the dog should always have the opportunity to quench his thirst.
The diet for small dogs should be selected according to the needs of their body. They, unlike large breeds, are not able to eat large portions of food, and in their diet must necessarily prevail easily digestible protein. Fatty, sweet, spicy and salty foods for dwarfish species are extremely harmful. These pets with a high caloric content of the daily diet are constantly prone to excess weight, and salty food delays the fluid in the body, disrupts metabolism, and sweet foods severely destroy the teeth.
In general, problems with teeth in small dogs are quite relevant. Often, they suffer from a "multi-tooth" bite due to non-retention of milk teeth. As a result, a dangerous dental plaque is formed intensively. When feeding with an abundance of sweet and without care for the dog's mouth, she develops gum disease, destruction and early tooth loss. And of course, we must not forget about regular visits to the vet. Preventive visits to a specialist will help keep your pet's long health and prevent disease in time.