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The ones you actually see here, and what each needs day to day.
De Pet Valley · · 4 min read
If your dog has overheated — panting hard and unable to settle, unsteady, or with very red gums — phone your vet immediately rather than trying to work out at home whether it can wait.
Most of the small dogs in South African homes come off a short list: Jack Russells, dachshunds, Maltese and Maltese crosses, Yorkies, miniature schnauzers, chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, pugs and French bulldogs. Choosing between them comes down to four practical things — how the dog copes with our heat, how much walking it needs, how much coat you are taking on, and how long you will have it.
They group roughly into terriers, toys, the short-nosed breeds and the odd ones out. The terriers are the Jack Russell, the Yorkie and the fox terrier. The toys are the Maltese, the chihuahua, the Pomeranian and the Shih Tzu. The short-nosed group is the pug, the French bulldog and the Boston terrier. Then there is the dachshund, the miniature schnauzer, and the miniature poodle and its crosses, which have become very common in the last few years.
Mixed small dogs from the SPCA and from breed rescues belong on the list too, and they are often the easier choice. With an adult rescue you can see the size, the coat and the temperament in front of you instead of guessing from a puppy.
If a dog has overheated, that is a vet call and not a home one. A dog that is panting hard and cannot settle, is unsteady on its feet, or has very red gums after time in the sun needs a vet immediately — phone on the way there.
Planning around it is straightforward. Dogs lose heat mainly by panting, and the short-nosed breeds do that less efficiently, so pugs, French bulldogs, Boston terriers and Shih Tzus need shade, water and a quiet indoor spot on a hot day more than the others do. Walk early or late, not at midday, and keep it short when the wind drops.
Every small dog walks closer to the ground than you do. Press the back of your hand to the tar before you set off; if you cannot hold it there, the walk waits. And no dog goes into a parked car, not in shade, not with a window down, not for five minutes.
A garden is a toilet and a place to lie in the sun. It is not exercise. A Jack Russell with a big garden and nothing to do will find something to do, usually the flowerbed or the gap under the fence.
Terriers and dachshunds were bred to work and need a daily walk plus something to think about. The toy breeds need less distance but still need to get out of the yard. A flat or a complex suits most small breeds well enough if you do the walking — check the body corporate rules first, and walk your fence line and gate for gaps. A determined small dog needs a smaller hole than you would think.
Smooth coats — the smooth dachshund, the Jack Russell, the pug, the French bulldog — need a weekly brush and little else. They do shed, and a pale coat colour shows on dark furniture.
Long silky coats are the bigger commitment. Maltese, Yorkies and Shih Tzus mat quickly behind the ears, under the legs and around the collar, so they need brushing out properly every few days. Most owners settle on a short clip every six to eight weeks instead. Poodles and poodle crosses drop very little hair, but the coat keeps growing, so clipping is not optional with them. Double coats like the Pomeranian shed heavily twice a year and need brushing through it.
Whatever the coat, nails, ears and teeth are part of the job. Small mouths crowd their teeth, so tooth brushing and dental chews are worth starting while the dog is young enough to accept them. Grooming availability and areas are on our grooming page.
The trap with a small breed is that you can pick it up and carry it past a problem instead of working through it. A dog that has only ever met other dogs from your arms will bark at all of them. Socialise early, teach lead manners, and hold to the same rules you would set for a big dog.
Weight is the other one. On a four kilogram dog a couple of hundred grams shows, and it comes off slowly. Measure meals with a cup or a scale rather than by eye, and count the treats into the day's food rather than on top of it. Small-breed ranges use a smaller pellet, which is easier on a small jaw.
Most small breeds live into their teens. That is well over a decade of food, vet visits, grooming and finding someone to take the dog when you travel. The buying is the cheap part.
If you are going to a breeder, see the mother, see where the litter is kept, and ask what health problems run in the line. If you are adopting, the SPCA and the breed rescues have small dogs regularly. Either way, book the first vet visit before the dog arrives — vaccinations, sterilisation and microchipping are conversations for your vet, not for a shop counter or a Facebook group.