Tiny dogs can create some titanic problems

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 2, 2005 by Matthew Margolis

Well, now tiny dogs seem to have taken over the celebrity crowd from New York and Palm Beach to Los Angeles and Palm Desert. And the craze is spreading to a community near you, all across the United States and beyond.

This fashionable trend has been emphasized by celebrity dogs like Tinkerbell, Paris Hilton's Chihuahua. And then remember Britney Spears' Bit Bit and Madonna's Chiquita. Shop in Manhattan or lunch in Beverly Hills, and you'll soon realize that stylish designer dog carriers have replaced purses.

Now there is nothing wrong with lunching with your companion dog or enjoying a shopping trip with "Bitsy." My questions are: "How many hours do some of these littlest canines spend inside the four walls of a confining and moving designer bag? Do they ever get to exercise -- walk around and sniff the flowers and watch the birds and bees? Or are they carried everywhere, from store to store and even from room to room?" And of course, if you carry your little dog everywhere, it isn't long before they expect it -- all the time!

I have also discovered that a lot of owners of little dogs believe that their four-legged treasures do not need training. After all, why train a toy or miniature breed when all you have to do is pick them up? Now that's an attitude that can compound problems quicker than you can say "Woof!" Some of the greatest destruction can be accomplished by some of our littlest best friends. Answering a number of emergency calls has led me into homes that have been devastated by little dogs. Shredded pillows, gnawed designer shoes, destroyed carpeting and, more often than I want to remember, carpeting that couldn't be saved. Why do some people think that when little dogs diddle, it's such a little amount that it won't matter? Do the math. A teaspoon full of tinkle multiplied by a couple of times a day, times 365 days equals disaster, not to mention the expense.

There is another issue that those considering a small dog should be aware of. Know the breeder you purchase from. Check him or her out thoroughly. Talk to other clients who have dogs from that breeder. There are normal-sized small dogs, and then there are "teacups" that usually weigh two to three pounds. These are not separate breeds but the tiniest dogs from a small dog litter. However, be aware that some breeders are creating teacups by inbreeding, and that usually leads to severe health problems and temperament trouble. Also note that the bite of a small dog can be just as infectious as a large dog bite, and in some cases, extremely dangerous. Remember the Los Angeles baby that was killed by a Pomeranian a couple of years ago?

Want a tiny dog? Then, by all means, get one. Just know the breeder, have your little dog well trained by a qualified professional and give that itty bitty delight a little freedom at home and outside the carrier.

Before I close, I'd like to call your attention (and your children's attention) to a non-commercial Web site called the RIF Reading Plant. Please visit this delightful Web site and enjoy a series of 15 "I Love My Pet" essays and poems that are winners in a summer reading contest sponsored by 20th Century Fox, Candlewick Press, Netwerk America and Walden Media. Our congratulations to all the winners including the two grand prize recipients, Malia Brooks of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Amanda Dickerson of Biloxi, Miss. You will find the winning submissions and photos of their pets at www.rif.org/ readingplanet/content/ilovemypet--contest.mspx.

Good luck, and WOOF!

--Uncle Matty

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Send your questions to dearuncle.gazetteunclematty.com or mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. Creators Syndicate Inc.