Not all dogs are created equal and the small breed dogs are no exception. Small breed dogs, or Toy Breeds are the miniature version of their larger counterparts. This has been achieved through years of selective breeding. Diminutive dogs make great loving companions, the European royalty also kept these lap dogs for companions. Small breed dogs make excellent pets for smaller spaces like apartments and condos. These breeds make excellent first time pets for inexperienced dog owners, but their fragility means that families with small children have to be careful with interactions between the dog and children.

Some toy breeds are noisy, but all of them love attention from their owners and strangers. These small dogs are loyal, intelligent and can learn to do tricks, which makes them great competitors in obedience competitions. But before you go and pick out the cutest pup from a breeder, here are tips on how to choose a small breed dog that is right for you.

First consider the size of dog you want, even some small breeds are close to being a medium sized dog. Generally the main difference is in the weight. Smaller dogs are easier to pick up and carry around, but that can have problems of its own. When training your dog you have to remember to let your dog do things on his own. For example don’t carry him to his litter, let him walk there. If you constantly carry him/her around they will not know what to do when you aren’t around and make messes on the floor.

On the other hand these dogs are intelligent and learn really fast making the training time shorter than a slower learning breed dog who will require more patients and time. So if you want an easily trained dog you will need to do your homework into which breed is more easily trained.

Most small breeds don’t require a lot of maintenance, small dogs tend to shed less, which makes them more allergy friendly, but they will still cause allergic reactions because of their dander and saliva. But some small breeds shed more than others and then there are the sheds a lot more than others. Again research into the type of dog you want will eliminate any stress about allergies or unwanted shedding.

As mentioned above you will want to be careful with your toy dog around children, excessive ear pulling, teasing, smothering and generally unwanted behavior can result in nips, barking and biting. So always supervise the interactions between your dog and children. Otherwise your dog will love the children and visa versa.

Lap dogs also make great guard dogs. They’re very protective of their home and will bark when strangers come to the door. Some breeds are better at guard duty than others though, another consideration if you live in an apartment or condo.

We hope these tips were helpful, but the de ion and research are still left to do to decide which breed is right for you.