About Yorkie Terrier Dog Breed

The Yorkshire Terrier dog breed belongs to Toy Group breed and considered one of the most popular dog breed. Yorkies are small affecionate toy breed, they are well-known wonderful dogs along being brave, determined, investigaive and energetic dogs from their terrier nature. Yorkshire terrier was also well-known with their long, luxurious blue and tan coats.

Yorkies can be very small, usually weighing no more than 7 pounds (3.18 kg); the standard of this breed does not mention the minimum weight accepted nor does it specify a height. Yorkshire Terriers are a long-haired breed with no undercoat; unlike their short haired friends, they do not shed at all. They are very friendly and handle children well. Related to name of the breed, Yorkshire Terrier was originated in Yorkshire (and the adjoining Lancashire), a rugged region in northern England. In the mid-nineteenth century, at the peak of England's Industrial Revolution, miners and mill workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several different varieties of small long-coated terriers, generally known as Broken Haired Scotch terriers. The specific breeds that make up the Yorkshire Terrier's ancestry are not known, since the breeders at that time did not keep records of the bloodlines. Certain breeds, however, are commonly thought to be the main forebears. The likely source of the Yorkie's small stature, long-haired coat, and blue color are Clydesdale, Paisley, and Skye terriers, all Scottish terriers transported to England at various times, and Waterside terriers. The Yorkshire Terrier was introduced in the United States in 1872 and the first Yorkie was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1878.

Yorkies are intelligent, Yorkshire Terrier is an above average working dog, ranking 27th (32nd including ties) out of the 132 breeds tested. Some Yorkshire Terriers may be timid or nervous, rather than bold, but the vast majority do seem to meet the breed standard for a confident, vigorous, and self-important personality. The following distinctive qualities are likely to be present in a Yorkshire Terrier: oblivious of its small size, it is eager for adventure. It is highly energetic, brave, loyal, and clever. Affectionate with its master, it can become suspicious of strangers and aggressive to strange dogs, if not properly socialized.

More often health issue of Yorkie Terrier include bronchitis, lymphangiectasia, Portosystemic shunt, cataracts, and keratitis sicca. Another common health condition in some Yorkies is their sensitive skin. The most common type of skin conditions Yorkies face are brought on by allergic reactions to seasonal pollen, pollution, food, and sometimes the air itself. Yorkies can have a delicate digestive system, with vomiting or diarrhea resulting from consumption of foods outside of a regular diet. These particular dogs are usually picky with which foods they eat. Due to their small size, Yorkies may be endangered if kept in the house with an undiscerning or abusive person, especially a child. Many breeders and rescue organizations will not allow their Yorkies to go to families with young children, because of the risk it poses to the dog. The life span of a healthy Yorkie is 10-15 years.

About Adorable Shit Tzu Dog Breed

About Shit Tzu Dog Breed

Shih Tzu ("sheet-sue" or "sure-ds" original Chinese translation) small sturdy dog, like the Lhasa Apso, is covered over with an abundant double coat of long hair lined with a woolly undercoat. The Shih Tzu is a sturdy, lively, alert toy dog with long flowing double coat. Befitting his noble Chinese ancestry as a highly valued, prized companion and palace pet, the Shih Tzu is proud of bearing, has a distinctively arrogant carriage with head well up and tail curved over the back. Although there has always been considerable size variation, the Shih Tzu must be compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance. Even though a toy dog, the Shih Tzu must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation.

Sizes ideally, height at withers is 9 to 101/2 inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dogs, 9 to 16 pounds. Length between withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good weight and substance.


Shih Tzu are active and alert, qualities that make them good watchdogs. However, poorly bred dogs of the breed can be excitable, noisy, and snappy. Although he is generally outgoing and friendly, the Shih Tzu definitely has an attitude that cries to be spoiled. If you need help in realizing this fact, the dog will steer you in the right direction with his self-assurance that he should be treated like a king. Indeed, his strong sense of self makes him a poor choice in a household with babies or small children. He is often jealous of babies and toddlers and may snap if bothered by rambunctious children. However, he is a fine companion for older children, particularly those who enjoy combing his hair.

Basically healthy, the Shih Tzu is subject to a kidney disease called renal dysplasia and to slipped stifles or kneecaps. His slightly protruding eyes are prone to injury, and his short muzzle often produces slight wheezing problems. Shih Tzu greatest problems are connected to his profuse coat, or rather to neglect of that coat. A well-groomed Shih Tzu has few if any skin problems; a poorly-groomed Shih Tzu can develop tangles, painful mats, hot spots, skin infections, even maggot infestations. If you do not have time to groom a Shih Tzu at least every other day, select another breed. Shih Tzu need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs, however, as with all breeds, play will not fulfill their primal instinct to walk.

About Maltese

About Maltese

One of the most adorable pet around, Maltese are well known to their luxurious silky white coat hanging straight to the ground on each side of a center part line. Maltese is a small breed of white dog belonging to the toy group. The Maltese does not shed and is covered from head to foot with a mantle of long, silky, white fur. Their fur is compared to carpet.

The Maltese descended from a Spitz-like dog which was then bred for hunting in the marsh and wooded areas of Southern Europe. Historical evidence leads one to believe that the Maltese may well have been introduced into the gene pools of the Lhasa Apso, the Tibetan Terrier, the Tibetan Spaniel, and even the Pekingese. Hard acheological evidence places the Maltese in a prominent place in Egyptian culture around 300 to 600 B.C. where they were virtually worshipped as members of the royal families. Maltese images were found on Greek vases dated around 500 B.C. and the first known written history of the breed was actually authored by the Greek philosopher Aristotle around 350 B.C., where he attributed the origin of the breed to the Island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea - hence the name "Maltese". The origin of the Maltese has also been attributed by other historians to the Italian town of "Melitae", which could have also given rise to "Maltese" for a breed name. Through time the Maltese has been labeled with many names - as the "Melitae Dog"; as "Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta"; as "The Roman Ladies' Dog"; as well as being called the "Comforter"; the "Spaniel Gentle"; and the "Bichon".

The Maltese is spirited, lively and playful. Gentle, loving, trusting and devoted to its master. Highly intelligent. Good at learning tricks if he feels sufficiently rewarded. Bold and quick to sound the alarm in case of suspicious noises. It is a classical companion dog; graceful and lovable. Maltese love to play outdoors but have a penchant for jumping in puddles. A bath must follow! These dogs can be snappish with inconsiderate children and may be difficult to housebreak. Maltese need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs. Dogs who do not get to go on daily walks are more likely to display behavior problems. They will also enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off lead, such as a large fenced in yard.

Maltese have no undercoat, and have little to no shedding if cared for properly. Like their relatives Poodles and Bichon Frisé, they are considered to be largely hypoallergenic and many people who are allergic to dogs may not be allergic to the Maltese. Daily cleaning is required to prevent the risk of tear-staining. Regular grooming is also required, to prevent the coats of non-shedding dogs from matting. Many owners will keep their Maltese clipped in a "puppy cut," a 1 - 2" all over trim that makes the dog resemble a puppy. Maltese are prone to sunburn along the hair parting; skin, respiratory, eye and tooth problems, and slipped stifle. Some may be difficult to feed with weak, upset digestion. They may get the chills, and they experience discomfort in hot weather. Maltese should be kept out of damp areas. It is a good idea to paper-train this breed - to avoid going out in weather extremes.

Chinese Crested Breed

Chinese Crested Breed

The most popular of the hairless breed, the Chinese Crested are still very rare, they originated in Africa where they were called "African Hairless Terriers. It is commonly believed, that the Chinese trading ships stopped along Africa on their routes, and it was there that they picked up these dogs because they were excellent ratters for aboard their ships. The Chinese Crested are toy dogs, fine-boned and are so elegant and graceful.

These dogs are sweet, lively, playful and cuddly. The Chinese Crested Dog is a smaller (10-13 lbs) breed of dog known for its unusual appearance and entertaining personality. It is a member of the toy dog group. Two types can be born in the same litter; the Hairless and the Powderpuff. At first glance, the "Hairless" and "Powderpuff" varieties of Chinese Crested Dogs appear to be two different breeds, but hairlessness is a dominant trait within a single breed. The Hairless has soft, human-like skin, as well as tufts of fur on its paws ("socks") and tail ("plume") and long, flowing hair on its head ("crest"). In addition to being a dominant gene, the "hairless" gene is lethal when homozygous. All living hairless Cresteds are therefore heterozygous for this trait. The Chinese Crested is further distinguished by its "hare foot," (having more elongated toes) as opposed to the "cat foot" common to most other dogs.

Chinese Cresteds tend to be affectionate, energetic and playful. They are considered great family pets, with endearing personalities. They are exceptionally loving and likes to hug and smile. Affectionate with children. Some are known "singers" or "screechers" while others are known to "smile." They are generally happy lap-dogs with candid personalities and usually aren't the grumpy type but some males can become slightly aggressive as they age.

Grooming of the Crested is work for both varieties. The Puffs have a very soft and fine double-coat that requires full brushing every other day to avoid matting. Although a Puff's coat does not continuously grow like that of some other breeds, it can be quite long at full length and some owners choose to put their Puffs into a "pony cut." This lower-maintenance option keeps the body hair and facial hair short, leaving the crest, feathers, and tail plume at full length. Maintenance of the Hairless variety's skin is similar to maintaining human skin - and as such it can be susceptible to acne, dryness, and sunburn. A Hairless should be bathed at least once per week to avoid acne and other skin conditions(some dogs shower with their owners every day). Hypoallergenic or oil-free moisturizing cream can keep the skin from becoming too dry when applied every other day or after bathing.

Cresteds have what is called a "primitive mouth." This means that most of their teeth are pointy like their canines. Hairless varieties of the Cresteds can be prone to poor dentition. Poor dentition may include missing or crowded teeth and teeth prone to decay when not properly cared for. Most dogs of the Puff variety have few, if any, dental defects. Allergy and autoimmune diseases has been observed in the breed. The severity of these ailments, often leading to the premature death of the dog means this is something breeders need to take seriously, in order to avoid this becoming a problem for the breed. The lifespan of a Chinese Crested Dog can be quite impressive. Many well-cared-for Cresteds live to see 15 years or more.

The Hairless allele (the wild type) is a dominant (and homozygous lethal) trait, while the Powderpuff allele acts as a simple recessive trait in its presence. Embryos that receive two copies of the Hairless allele will never develop into puppies. Thus all Chinese Cresteds carry at least one copy of the Powderpuff allele. The Powderpuff trait cannot be bred out because it is carried by all Chinese Cresteds (even the hairless ones). All Hairless Chinese Crested have the ability to produce Powderpuff puppies, even when they are bred to another Hairless. It is believed in some breeder circles that it is necessary to include Puff to Hairless breedings in order to reduce the number of health problems (most notably deafness and poor dentition) that can occur from repeated Hairless to Hairless pairings down the generations