Smallest Dog Breeds
Small dogs are often linked to famous women who like to walk around with them in their handbags, and so many people often look over them as a fashion accessory. However some of the most gorgeous dogs are from a smaller breed and can still be just as protective as you bigger breeds of dogs, so here are just a few of some of the smallest pooches you can get;
Also shorten to Pom originate from Germany and are seen by some as part of the breed of Spitz dogs, with them sometimes getting call Zwergspitz which means dwarf Spitz. They got their name Pomeranian from the region with the same name in Central Europe.
Many people call Pom’s toy dogs due to how tiny they are, they weigh in between 4 to 7lbs and on average reach the height of 24cm. Pom’s are instantly recognised from its gorgeous double coat, the underneath is very fluffy and soft with the top having a few harsher guard hairs. Pom female tend to be slightly bigger than Pom males, they are most commonly an orange/tan colour but some also have a white or brown coat.
Pom’s are a very friendly and active breed and love playing with their owner, who they love to be around as much as possible, they are also a breed that are very easy to train. Poms are a very fearless breed as they aren’t afraid to stand up to much larger dog’s; they are also very intelligent but have been known to bark in any situation. They are very easy going dog and can take to any living environment, though you will find that they tend to lie in cooler places, this is due to their thick coat.
A rather famous Pomeranian dog is Minnie Osbourne, whose owner is Sharon Osbourne. Minnie became famous through the reality TV show The Osbournes and has appear alongside her owner on shows like The X Factor and Sharon’s own chat show where she mixed with the likes of The Hoff. Minnie has also been snapped with a number of famous faces including Justin Timberlake, Patrick Swayze and Simon Cowell. Sadly it was announced that Minnie had died in 2007 after suffering from the illness pneumonia. Sharon was extremely upset at the loss of her best friend and even her co-host on American’s Got Talent Piers Morgan said that even though all she did was growl and attempt to bite him, he would miss the little pooch who he said ‘was no ordinary dog’.
Chihuahuas are probably one of the smallest breeds of dogs in the world and are named after the state of the same name in Mexico. It’s thought that Chihuahua’s are the ancestors of Techichi dogs who go back to the ninth century, their breeders were known as The Toltecs and they believed that the Techichi dogs had mystical powers, however Chihuahua’s are a lot smaller than their ancestors.
Chihuahua’s can vary in height with the general height of them being between 2 to 10 inches though some can grow up to 15 inches, their weight tends to be between 3.3 lbs to 6.6 lbs. However Chihuahuas who are kept only as pets and not as show dogs do tend to reach the weight on around 10lbs or maybe larger depending on their bone structure.
There are two types of Chihuahua coats these are long-haired or short-haired, they are both the same genetic breed though. The long-haired Chihuahua’s tend to have a softer coat that the short-haired Chihuahuas, they also shed less than the short haired Chihuahua’s. Unlike other long-haired breeds a long-haired Chihuahua requires a lot less trimming and grooming, their coat takes around 2 years or more to fully develop. Chihuahua’s can come in a variety to colours from black, white, fawn and brown and their coat can also have splashes or freckles of another colour.
Chihuahua’s are known for their attention seeking behaviour as they love to be the centre of the affection; this means that they aren’t a breed that mixes well with young children. They have a tendency to lose their temper due to them being naturally protective and territorial, they get very attached to their owner and this can make them prone to being provoked easily if someone is near their owner, this was shown when 3 Chihuahua’s protected their 3 year old owner from a mountain lion in Southern California in 2009. They are a very playful and energetic breed and tend to prefer to socialise with other Chihuahuas over another breed of dog. Long-haired Chihuahua’s have a mellower temperament than short-haired Chihuahua’s.
A number of celebrities are often spotted out with their pet Chihuahua’s, often spotting several different outfits and instead the latest designer handbags, these celebrities include Paris Hilton, Hillary Duff and Reese Witherspoon.
Yorkshire Terriers were first bred in the 1800s in Yorkshire; hence the name, and are part of the toy terrier section of the larger terrier breed. They are well known for their small size and have lead to the development of a number of other dogs, like the Australian Silky Terrier.
Yorkie’s are known for having a gorgeous coat which is normal glossy and silky, their fur also tends to be long and have a parting down the middle of their back. Yorkie’s tend to come under two types of fur types; these are soft or silky, silky coats tend to be long and are mainly show dog terriers whereas soft haired terriers hair is a lot shorter. With either of the fur types Yorkie’s are known for having a patches on their chest, head and legs of tan coloured fur with the rest a darker colour; normal grey or a dark blue. It’s been found that Yorkie’s who don’t have the traditional characteristic’s of the general Yorkie breed; for example with overly fine fur shouldn’t be used to breed as they tend to be ‘off coloured’ and this has been linked to health problems.
Even though they are a very small breed Yorkie’s aren’t at all afraid of larger dogs and tend t be quite hostile towards them, they are a very bold and active breed and are known for their intelligence and strong willed personality. Yorkie’s are also very loving and caring, particular during their younger years, and they love attention.
Yorkie’s are another small breed that are extremely popular with the rich and famous with a number of celebrities being spotted out with their own little terries, some of this include; Paris Hilton, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Donnie Osmond, Orlando Bloom and Elizabeth Taylor.
Pugs are tiny dogs, which are noticeable as soon as you see them due to their short wrinkly and muzzled face. The name pug is believed to have come from an old English work pugg, which was known as an affectionate way of saying a ‘playful little monkey’.
Pugs have a square body with noticeably strong muscular legs and laid back shoulders. They have a very glossy coat that tends to be quite fine and normally fawn, sliver, black or apricot. The sliver pug has the nickname of ‘smutty’ Pugs; they are noticeable by having a very darkly coloured head and dark forelegs. Pugs are also noticeable by their small tight curled tail, all colour types of Pugs shed however due to fawn coloured Pugs having a double coat they are known for shredding a lot more
Pugs have one of the most gorgeous personality’s through-out the doggie world, they are known for being complete sweethearts due to their loving and fun ways. They are very rarely stubborn, they are playful and clever which is why they are so easy to train. They are known to be utterly charming and get along with both other dog breeds and other animals in general. They do require a lot of attention from their owner and love the company of people; they have often been described as ‘multum in parvo’ which means much in little, which couldn’t describe them better!
It’s not surprising that a number of famous faces have been seen with their own pet Pugs when they are one of the sweetest pooches to have, a few famous Pug owners are; Billy Joel, Denise Richards, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Kelly Osbourne, Gerard Butler and Paula Abdul.
Obvious from the name Corgis were first breed in Wales and are a small breed of herding dog. There are two types of Corgi’s; Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Either type of Corgi’s are known for being healthy and tend to make it into their middle teens.
Even though they are small dogs, Corgis were, and still are, used for herding, they sizes helps them not to get kicked during the herding process and their technique is to nip at the animals heels. Unlike a number of other herding dogs Corgi’s herd from behind the cattle, nipping at their feet in semi-circles, if any of the cattle start to fight with them, Corgi’s tend to bite them on the nose, making them turn round and join the herd.
Cardigan Corgi’s are one of the oldest breeds of dogs in the UK and are the larger form of Corgi, they are noticeable due to the fact they have a tail. Cardigan Corgi’s have a double coat with the outside layer being a slightly rougher texture and the undercoat being soft and thick. Cardigans can grow to around 12 inches tall and weigh in at around 30 pounds.
Pembroke Corgis have pointed ears and are smaller than Cardigan Corgi’s; however they are still just as practical. The head of a Pembroke is very similar to a fox; they have a very short tail which tends to be curly, in the past owners who’s Pembroke’s that have had longer tails have, have their tails docked (this means removing some of the tail to make it shorter), however this activity is now been banned in a number of countries, some owners may now chose to breed Pembroke’s by using dogs who will pass on the bob tail gene. They tend to stand from 10 to 12 inches and again weigh around 30 pounds.
Corgis are known for being one of the healthiest breeds of dogs that you can get, though like all dogs they can suffer from hereditary health problems but on the whole are very healthy and generally tend to live well into their teen years. Corgis are known as very alert, active, intelligent and tough breed however they are very loveable and caring which is why they are used to protect children and are a popular family pooch.
The most famous Corgis are probably those of Queen Elizabeth II, her love for the breed has always been well documented and she have often had portraits done of her with her Corgis, Queen Elizabeth tends to always have at least four Corgis, at the moment she has five Corgis and four Dorgis, these are a cross-breed of Corgis and Dachshunds. The Queen has have Corgis ever since her parents gave her one in 1944, ever since she was given her Corgi named Susan she has bred her own pooches using Susan until she passed away in 1959. Through her lifetime The Queen has had over 30 Corgis and has recently said after the death of two of her favourite pooches she will stop breeding. Another famous face with a Corgi as their little campaign is Jennifer Aniston.