Kinds of Puppies That Can't Grow Up

All puppies grow and become dogs, but toy and miniature breeds maintain puppy size and appearance into adulthood. The benefits of toy breed dogs are many. Miniature dogs are small and require less space than larger breeds, so they adapt well to big city and apartment living. They are easy to transport since many little dogs fit into bags. If kept in a carrier, many airlines allow small dogs to ride in the plane's cabin. Toy breeds also eat less, require less work to groom and are easier to clean up after.

  1. Types of Toy and Miniature Dogs

    • Toy and miniature dog breeds are plentiful. According to Dog Time.com, the top 10 smallest dog breeds are the bichon frise, Boston terrier, French bulldog, papillon, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, shih tzu, pug, toy poodle and Yorkshire terrier. Other very small toy dog breeds are the affenpinscher, Brussels griffon, Chinese crested, miniature dachshund, miniature pinscher, Norwich terrier, Pekingese, silky terrier, West Highland white terrier and Italian greyhound. Go Pets America.com and Toy Breeds.com offer online guides to toy breeds, complete with descriptions and characteristics of each.

    Research Breeds

    • If a tiny pooch is what you're after, don't choose your pet solely on looks. Research breeds for behavioral tendencies to identify the one best suited to your lifestyle, family and personality. All toy dog breeds are not created equal. Some are naturally more aggressive, some shed and require more grooming than others, some are more susceptible to physical ailments, some are not as good with children, some are stubborn and more difficult to train, and some are more energetic and require more exercise. The American Kennel Club has information on every toy breed including estimated longevity, general breed personality traits, grooming requirements, congenital issues, trainability and breed standards for looks and size.

    Training is Mandatory

    • Although they may look like puppies for their entire life, toy breeds are dogs often require as much obedience training as other breeds to ensure they are social, happy and safe pets. Many owners of toy dog breeds have a tendency to spoil and baby them. They sometimes are under the false assumption that a tiny dog doesn't require obedience training. The contrary is true. Smaller breeds are usually counterparts to larger breeds and have inherited the same personalities and behavioral traits. An untrained toy pup can grow into an aggressive, possessive and difficult companion. Without training, many become biters and unsafe around children and visitors.

    The Tea Cup Controversy

    • Some extremely tiny dogs are sold as "tea cup" breeds. These tiny puppies derived their name from the attempt to breed dogs that would fit into a tea cup when full grown. These dogs are not recognized breeds and usually come from disreputable miniature dog breeders who inbreed dogs for size and manipulate breeding practices to produce premature puppies. These pups are smaller, but often suffer from more health problems than regular-sized toy dogs. Many dog breeders charge that dubbing puppies as "tea cups" is really just a marketing ploy to drive up prices by unscrupulous breeders.