Post 4

Abby Gomez

Professor Jolly

Eng. 102

October 25, 2009

The Perfect Family Pet

A toy breed is considered to be small to tiny size. Generally a small dog is considered small if it weighs less than 25 pounds or be shorter than 16 inches. “They make ideal apartment dogs and terrific lap warmers.” Three breeds that make a good family pet are the Parson Russell Terrier, the Havanese, and the Dachshund.

The Parson Russell Terrier also known as the Jack Russell Terrier is considered a small breed and, is part of the Terrier group. Weighing around 13 to 17 pounds and their height is proximally 12 to 15 inches. The appearance of the Parson Russell Terrier is a smooth or broken short coat. Its ears are a v shape and drop down toward its eyes. . “The Parson is a clean breed and does not need frequent bathing, but the broken coat may need to be hand stripped.” If you are looking for a tough and high-energy dog, this is the breed for you. The Parson Russell Terrier is an athletic dog with a friendly personality. Although the Parson Russell Terrier is a friendly dog, he does not do well with small children, and should only go home with older children and adults.

The Havanese is also known, as “circus dog” is part of the toy group. Weighing around 7 to 13 pounds and its a height of 8 ½ to 11 ½ inches. The Havanese has a long silky coat with a medium sized ears flopped downward and tail curled over its rump. The Havanese has hair not fur, so for those allergies sufferers, you may want to consider the Havanese. If are looking for a child pet and a great watchdog. This is the dog for you. “His duties traditionally have been those of companion, watchdog, child’s playmate and herder of the family poultry flock.” The Havanese loves to learn new tricks and will do them happily for their owners and friends to see.

The Dachshund is part of the hound group and come in two different sizes, standard and miniature. They weigh around 11 to 32 pounds. The Dachshund has a long body with short little legs. Their ears are rounded, pointed, and folded. The Dachshund has three types of coats, smooth, wirehaired, or longhaired. Depending on one of the three varieties of coats, the Dachshund may need regularly grooming. “The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above- and below-ground work, with all the senses well-developed.” With appropriate supervision of small children, Dachshunds do well with all people and can adapt to all environments.

Before choosing a dog, there should be some considerations. Owning a dog can become stressful the first few days, and can become worst if you do not train it right. A dog need patience and if you don’t train it right from wrong, it can become dominate. When selecting a dog you should first find out more about the breed or breeds if it is mix. If you have children, find out if the dog can live with children. If you live in a small apartment, find out if the dog can adapt to the environment. If you want your dog to be gentle or tough learn about different breeds and select a couple breeds to see which one fits you best. Owing a dog is a big responsibility but, with the right training and obedience, a dog can become part of your family.

Small or Toy Dogs have been pampered and babied throughout years. Some assumptions that people made are, because of their small size, they cannot be a good watchdog or be tough. Like the American Kennel Clubs says “Don't let their tiny stature fool you, though - - many Toys are tough as nails.” Some of the large breeds were bred down to a small breed but still have the same characteristics of their ancestors. For example, the miniature Pincher came from a larger breed, the Doberman Pincher. The Miniature pincher have the same characteristics, although this breed is very small he thinks he is a standard size breed and like to be treated like one. Another example, the toy poodle, was breed down from a standard size poodle. When you look at a small dog, don’t expect that it can’t hurt you, those little teeth can leave a mark for life.

When I decided to get a dog, I wasn’t sure what breed. I went to the pet store and saw that I liked the little fluffy dogs. My family and I saw a little white Havanese puppy and fell in love. We went back home to research over the breed, and we saw that it was a great breed. My little brother has asthma, and we wanted a dog that did not affect that. Since Havanese had hair and not fur, people with asthma or allergies will not be affected. We went back to the pet store and brought home the cute little Havanese. After almost a year we decided that our well-behaved Havanese would need a playmate and decided to get a second Havanese. We found a Havanese owner that was selling Havanese puppies, and we bought a black little Havanese. When we brought her home our white Havanese got along just swell. In my opinion, a Havanese is the perfect companion for a family with young or older kids.

When picking a small pet, people always look at the prices. As I read a Havanese Forum on the Havanese pricing, I saw that a Havanese puppy could range from $900 to $2,500. Many of us love those cute little fur balls, but do not have the money to afford one. Well, there is a couple of options to be able to purchase your perfect Havanese. The Havanese Rescue Inc. is one of the best places to meet a great mix or purebred Havanese. The Havanese Rescue Inc, carry adoptable Havanese puppies and adults. With a small re-homing fee or donation you can have the Havanese you’ve been looking for. Many shelters across the U.S also carry mix Havanese and many other breeds your family can enjoy. Another option can also be from a home raise puppy, waiting for a perfect home. Remember, a small pet does not have to cost you $900 dollars to have the fluffy pet you’ve wanted, you can get the same breed at a shelter for only a small fee.

Choosing a breed is very difficult but learning about different breeds and their characteristics can help you pick the right one. Learning that the Parson Russell Terrier doesn’t get along with small children, but can a perfect pet for a family with older children. Learning that the Havanese has hair and not fur, can fit in best with a family with allergy sufferers. Learning that the dachshund does above and belowground work, this little dog might fit in best with a family that has hunters. Considerations should be made before owning a dog and teaching it right from wrong when owning it. Making assumptions of a small breed might be the wrong idea; some large dogs were bred down to small breeds and have the same characteristics. So, chose the right breed that fits your family.

Bibliography

"AKC Breeds by Group - Toy Group." American Kennel Club - akc.org. Web. 18 Oct.

2009. .

Complete dog book. New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Print.

Mifflin, Krista. About.com guide to owning a dog. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2007.

Print.

eblog post. Ask a Breeder: Prices. July-Aug. 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2009.

.

Havanese Rescue Inc. Web. 25 Oct. 2009.

.