Rules for the care and maintenance of toy terrier

Each dog is unique in its own way, so the owner can purchase the breed that he likes. Since the life of a modern person is very intense, and there is very little free time, more and more often small dogs are brought in with whom it is convenient to walk, and if necessary they can be left at home for the whole day. Toy terriers belong to such breeds. For those who want to make such a four-legged friend, you need to learn as much as possible about the character traits, care and upbringing of this dog

The toy terrier belongs to the representatives of the smallest dog breeds, which is an important factor in choosing a pet for keeping in the apartment. This variety is known since ancient times and is still popular due to interesting external features, a friendly character and good health. The characteristics of the toy terrier are as follows:

• small dimensions and body weight not exceeding 3 kg, miniature varieties weigh from 1.5 to 2 kg;
• height - from 18 to 15 cm;
• live about 10 years;
• the behavior of individuals of different sexes is very different;
• the nature of the breed is good, friendly to people and other pets;
• cost from 200 to 700 dollars.

The most popular breed is the Russian Toy Terrier. It is often started in families with children or those who wish to go with their pet everywhere, including shops and other public places.

The house must have the following accessories:

• a house for a toy terrier, selected for the dimensions of the future pet; it is best to buy a folding model or one that can be transformed if necessary;
• cotton pillowcase for a comfortable rest and sleep;
• a bowl for food, preferably made of ceramics; in addition, it is worth buying a rug under the food zone;
• scallops: one should have long teeth and a high handle, the second should be metal;
• massage brush and blunt ends scissors;
• ear hair tweezers;
• shampoo for hair care of a toy terrier;
• ear cleaning fluid;
• hair dryer for pet care in cool weather and after water procedures;
• set of rubber toys;
• small tray;
• latex toothbrush and mint paste, as well as bones that prevent plaque;
• dry food;
• clothes for cool and cold seasons made from natural fabrics;
• collar of the desired length and width, it is desirable that it is antibacterial;
• parasite medications.

When planning to buy one puppy, you need to have all these things at home, which will last about 2 months. Further care will vary slightly, but additional fixtures may be required. Reflecting on which individual is worth acquiring, it is necessary to know the features characteristic of the boy and the girl in order to make her choice consciously. The description of the male is as follows:

• taller and larger dog;
• very active and perky;
• loves long walks.

The hallmarks of the girl will be as follows:

• most often bought to breed this breed;
• more faithful, faithful and obedient;
• communicates well, gets along well with children;
• during gestation puppies and estrus can not participate in exhibitions.

Buying boys is more profitable, as they are slightly cheaper, they don’t have to look for a couple at all, they can stand up for themselves. Of the minuses, it is worth noting a pugnacious character, a weakness for estrus of the opposite sex and poor contact with children. Girls of the toy terrier breed are purchased for families with children or in the case when you want to have a faithful, loyal and obedient dog.

To properly care for a puppy, you must be able to carry out all of the following activities:

• eye cleansing with cotton pads in case of discharge;
• ear cleaning, for which it is also better to use discs instead of sticks;
• manicure if the claws have grown or started to wrap;
• cleansing the anal glands.

To make the toy terrier comfortable in the apartment, it is worth allocating a place for him for games, as well as a zone for rest and eating. Since these pets are very active, they will run and frolic a lot, which must be taken into account. It is important to walk with a toy on the street, as this is good for his health. It is best to come to a quiet and spacious area where the pet can run without fear of anything around. Walking on a leash with this breed is impossible, as terriers love freedom.

To promote health it is important to spend time with the dog actively, throw a stick, a ball, ask all kinds of tasks. Cross-country cycling is a good workout. The speed should be moderate, and the distance should begin to 1–2 km and gradually increase to 5–7 km. It is best to divide the walk into parts, with mandatory respite and a change of activity.

A special feature of caring for a toy terrier is its care. This breed has fragile bones, so it is important to play carefully with it, prohibit jumping from hills, climb onto a sofa and other tall objects. Care for this breed will consist in swimming, which is often done twice a week, if the breed is short-haired.For individuals who participate in exhibitions and undergo cosmetic procedures, bathing becomes a daily procedure. Unnecessarily, you should not get carried away with water procedures, as this negatively affects the quality and condition of the coat, which becomes brittle, faded and eczema can occur.

It is very important to take care of the health of the pet, protecting it with vaccinations. Adult dogs are vaccinated once a year, puppies need more frequent prophylaxis. The first vaccination takes place in 2 months, the next in 7 months, and the last in a year. If the pet is very weak by nature and often sick, he can be given a special serum that increases the body's resistance and helps fight any infections and dangerous situations that threaten health. Do not vaccinate only pregnant or sick individuals, in other cases it is only beneficial.

Caring for a toy terrier is simple, but it takes time, since it is worth taking care of the condition of the coat, if it is a long-haired breed, checking the condition of nails and ears. After each walk, it is necessary to wipe the animal’s hair in order to remove dust and microorganisms from it that can damage it. Quickly and efficiently, this task can be dealt with using wet wipes that will clean the dog's coat. To prevent the dog from gathering fleas, when bathing, it is worth using anti-flea shampoos, and wear an anti-parasitic collar on the street.

Caring for a toy terrier is to take care of the dog’s eyes, which can sometimes begin to water. This problem occurs due to a disease: conjunctivitis, problems with eyelash growth, eye contamination, injuries. You can help your pet in a similar situation with the help of a specialized product that is sold in veterinary pharmacies, or with the help of strong tea, if the right product is not at hand. In case of eye contamination with dust or debris, rinse with plain water. In case of frequent inflammatory processes, you should consult a doctor.

Caring for a four-legged friend will be incomplete if his ears remain dirty. The toy terrier needs to remove all excess sulfur and monitor the hygiene of the ear canals. The best option would be cotton pads, which will make it possible to carry out all the necessary procedures and will not cause injury to the ears of the animal. Specialists can also use cotton swabs, but in the hands of an inexperienced dog breeder this is not suitable equipment, as it can damage the pet’s auricle. Another important point is massage, which makes from the base of the ears to their upper part, which helps to maintain the correct shape and protects from breaking.

The pet's nose also deserves attention, it is worth checking into it several times a day to make sure that it is clean. If this is not done, small pile and litter will pass through the nose into the respiratory tract, which will significantly worsen the health of the pet. Even more important is dental care, which should be done all the time. In an adult dog, plaque must be removed, which only a veterinarian can cope with, while puppies need help in breaking off milk teeth, since they themselves do not drop out.

Eating a toy terrier is a special topic, because, despite the modest dimensions of this dog, food is its weakness. In order not to harm the health of the dog, it is important to be able to properly compose a diet and feed it a strictly defined number of times. It is recommended to feed a puppy up to two months of age no more than 6 times a day. The process of growing up requires a reduction in the number of feeds, so by four months only three meals are left, and a pet eats only twice a day per year. After a year, you can go on a one-time feeding, if the dog is able to withstand such a schedule.

It is worth giving the feed as food for this breed, and not cooking it yourself, since it’s extremely difficult to choose the best products, balance proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the right proportion and quantity. For feeding, it is best to buy high-quality premium food, which is prepared from natural raw materials and enriched with all the necessary elements for the healthy and full development of the dog. Dry food can be given to both adults and puppies. If the puppy is purchased from a breeder or from another family, it is important to find out what exactly he was fed there to continue to give the same food.

If you want to please your pet, you can give him boiled vegetables, boiled fish or lean meat steamed. Specialized bones and sausages will be tasty and useful, which will help strengthen the teeth and delight the pet. You can’t overfeed the dog and give it food on demand as well, as it will lead to obesity and health problems. The basis of the diet should be protein, so that a small dog in size should actively grow and develop, not get sick and have no health problems. It is worth giving him meat, except for lamb and pork.

In order for cohabitation with a toy terrier to be pleasant and comfortable, it is very important to properly train him, otherwise a naughty dog ​​can become a real nightmare for his master. The training process should begin from the very first day, when the dog arrived in a new home. Initially, it is necessary to give her a nickname and, within a few weeks, or even months, to teach a pet to her. So that the process does not stop only on the name, gradually it is worth connecting such basic commands as:

• "To me";
• "Sit";
• "Vote";
• “Give me a paw”;
• "A place";
• "Sleep".

For each successful step in training, it is very important to praise and treat the toy terrier in order to reinforce his desire in acquiring new knowledge. It is better to conduct classes at home in a calm atmosphere, when the dog will not distract anything.

As soon as certain commands begin to be obtained, it is worthwhile to fix them by repeating them using such a technique as:

• move a short distance from the dog;
• give a command;
• during its implementation, praise the pet or treat it;
• if the problem is not solved, try again or return to training;
• a successful action should be fixed several times, and when learning each new team, you need to start and end the lesson with the familiar and learned action so that the dog leaves the training in a good mood.

The process of training a toy terrier consists also in explaining the dog the rules of behavior on the street, as well as places of going to the toilet within the apartment. This breed will refuse to go for a walk if it rains outside or gets colder, so they will be forced to relieve their need in the house. So that this process does not cause inconvenience, it is important to accustom the puppy to a tray or diaper, where he will empty the body. Work with the dog must be carried out constantly, since miniature varieties cannot take care of themselves, which means that it is important to prepare them for the world around them.

Large dogs often walk on the street, children run around, bicycles and cars ride, a lot of noise and fuss, an unprepared dog can be frightened and run away, which greatly excites the owner.To protect the pet, it is important to walk with him only on a leash, it is worth increasing the duration of exits gradually in order to psychologically prepare the animal for a new environment.

From time to time it is worth introducing your puppy to neighboring animals, making sure that they are healthy and have all the necessary vaccinations. Family members and relatives should actively communicate with the pet, play with it, hail, pet, which makes the dog understand that people are not dangerous and do not need to react aggressively to them.

If the puppy begins to bite, then this must be stopped immediately. For training, such commands are used as:

• "Shut your mouth";
• "It is impossible."

You need to train your pet on your hand, showing your fingers and giving a command. If the dog obeyed and closed its mouth, then it is necessary to note this and praise the animal. If the learning process is not very fast, then you should take a rubber toy with you, which is given to the dog together with his hands, to do without injuries. The team should speak clearly and loudly, so that the dog understands the seriousness of intonation and does not even try to do what was intended.

The next team that is best taught will be bark control. If the dog is noisy too much or often, then you need to command "Shut your mouth." If the pet coped, it is necessary to praise him, if not, to conduct training again. This breed can react violently to any trifle and bark for no reason. You can react differently to barking, but it’s best to control it. If you have a dog at home, there is a risk of scratched wallpaper and damaged furniture, therefore, the commands “No” and “Fu” should be next in the learning process. As soon as the pet tries to do what it is impossible for him, it is necessary to stop him loudly and clearly. For each correct reaction, reward the dog, and in case of an error, repeat the training process.

Another important factor in training a toy terrier is statement of authority of the owner. The dog must understand that there is only one owner in the house, and this is not him. Returning from a walk home, the owner first crosses the threshold, and then the dog enters. To get the respect and love of the pet, you need to try to feed it yourself. The same principle applies to training, the owner himself must establish contact with the dog and teach it all the necessary commands.

Toy terriers have little anthropometric data compared to other dogs, but the essence of their daily routine remains the same. This breed also needs daily walks, as they contribute to the following:

• regular loads, which allows the skeleton and muscles of the animal to develop correctly;
• emission of energy that has accumulated during the stay in the house;
• communication with representatives of other breeds and animals that may meet along the way;
• animal discharge at the emotional and mental levels;
• improving metabolism in the body of the dog;
• blood saturation with oxygen.

Good and long walks help your pet feel better, more alert and more comfortable. With this daily routine, animals learn better, and the training process is much faster than those dogs that are more likely to sit at home. Since toy terriers are small and do not like bad weather, you should buy the appropriate costumes for them and try to go out even in adverse conditions.

If the dog perceives the environment normally, then it makes no sense to keep him in the room. If the pet is clearly asking for home, then it is better to leave it there until the weather improves. After each walk, it is worth washing the dog's paws thoroughly, after which it is good to wipe them so that the animal does not catch a cold.

In the next video, you will find detailed rules for caring for a Russian toy terrier.