This week: Small dogs for small homes
I often wonder about the relative uniformity of dog breeds in Hong Kong. In Australia, where I used to practise, every day held delightful surprises in what breeds came through the clinic door. There are close to 400 different recognised breeds of dog, but our clinic database shows that by far the most common breeds are shih tzu, Pomeranian, Yorkshire terrier, Pekingese, toy poodle, Maltese and miniature schnauzer.
These breeds make up almost 60 per cent of all dogs at my clinic, and there is a definite pattern to what Hong Kong people like. I don't have to look further than the floor around me while typing this article - I am surrounded by my shih tzu cross, schnauzer cross terrier, and two Pomeranians and, oddly, in the centre are my two Afghan hounds. It would seem that I have been assimilated into the shoe-box apartment culture of Hong Kong.
It is no surprise that small dogs are so common, as they do not need as much space for exercise and rather enjoy the close company of loving owners. Also, the animals' size makes toilet training indoors an option and often more suitable and convenient to a typical urban lifestyle.
But even small dogs have vast varieties of differences and needs. Take, for example, a Jack Russell terrier. It weights about 12kg and can't be categorised as anything but small, yet it requires as much, if not more, exercise as a much larger doberman. For Jack Russell and fox terriers, I warn owners they have brought a large dog squished into a small-dog package, so be prepared to treat it as a large dog.
Other problem examples include the Welsh corgi, a classic breed made popular by Queen Elizabeth. It is cute as a button as a puppy and a fiercely loyal, playful and affectionate adult. Their cuteness, especially when they are young, lays a serious trap for inexperienced owners. They are often spoiled when puppies, but if you examine an adult closely, you will realise that even though corgis have a small stature with little short legs, you don't want to get bitten by one. Badly trained dogs often have a tendency to bite and therein lies the problem with this breed.
So for new Welsh corgi owners, I often spend more time giving tips on basic training and avoiding dominant and aggressive behaviour than I would with new owners of other breeds.
