My Lu is a yorkie/maltese and she is just under 3.5 lbs, her brother is just under 5.5 lbs. Genetics is a funny thing and two dogs from the very same litter working with the same genic mix can turn out to be different sizes. There is more size difference between a 3 lb dog and a 5 lb dog than one might initially think.
Lu is very healthy but I do think as others have mentioned that the reason behind the small size is a bigger issue than just the size. Lu is loads of fun and has all the personality and spunk of a larger dog but I will say that tiny dogs have their challenges and risks. Lu went through a faze a little while ago where she figured she could fly. Sometimes you have to be prepared to protect them from themselves! While that can certainly happen with an average sized dog, what could cause injuries like a broken leg to a little bit larger dog can result in life threatening injuries to a tiny dog. Tiny dogs do not understand they are tiny and why they can't do whatever pops into their little minds or follow a larger dog's example.
Lu is pretty sturdy considering her size. She jumps on and off the couch without any problems and yet she is tiny enough to crawl under our entertainment center and get a toy she rolled under there.
I think it is important to take into consideration that tiny dogs do not fit into everyone's lifestyle, so my counsel is not to fall for the cute factor and make sure that you realize some of the issues involved in having a tiny dog versus an average sized dog. |