PTertacks
SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF
with Jan Jaeger
It's got to be tough to be short. I don't mean just a little bit short. What I mean is viewing life about 6" from the ground. From that perspective, common household items that look normal to us are monstrous to the petite, but popular, companion animals about the size of one of my shoes.

Steps, for instance. If you think about it, even the most commonplace daily activity, such as climbing up the stairs, is the equivalent to scaling a mountain to a very tiny dog. When you consider that a typical home staircase has at least 12 steps, and our pets most likely make a dozen trips each day, baby dogs are clamoring up and down around 300 steps each day. At each stair step, the little dog has to climb up a height equal to its own. Then there's the furniture. Little dogs often jump into your lap or jump up and down from a bed or favorite chair. Hopping off the sofa is the equivalent of a human leaping off the roof of a one story house. If you take into account the number of times a day the dog jumps up and down and multiply it over its lifetime, then you're looking at some pretty hefty numbers.

Because of the way dogs are built, the body weight force is absorbed first through the front legs and then by the back. When the back legs make contact, the impact of this weight sends another shock to the back. Some of the common injuries that occur from jumping include broken toenails, sprains to the legs, wrists, shoulders and elbows and more serious trauma to the knees and discs.

Behavior modification is probably the most effective way to eliminate some of the risks involved in jumping activities. Try teaching your little dog to come down the steps sedately, pausing at the lower steps, rather than launching off a higher tread. Or, train your dog to sit on the last stair before proceeding downward.

Dealing with jumping onto the furniture can be somewhat more problematic, because it is kind of hard to have a lap dog if the lap can't be sat upon. You can try to train your dog that furniture is off limits, and if you are consistent in your corrections or positive reinforcement, you could achieve success. But since it is the nature of a small dog to be as close to its owner as possible, rather than trying to eliminate jumping behavior, a set of steps or a ramp might be used to access favored furniture.

Steps are available in various configurations and are made from a variety of materials, such as covered foam blocks or wood. Ramps should be lightweight, collapsible and easily portable for use both inside and outside the house. Either aid should have a surface with good traction, be easy to clean and easy to accommodate in existing spaces without creating a hazard.

Being vertically challenged is just one of the issues a prospective owner should consider when thinking about getting a petite pet. Breeds in the American Kennel Club's Toy Group, typically weighing less than 15 pounds, were specifically bred to be companion animals, which mean they crave the personal attention and physical closeness of their owner, and don't do well if left on their own for long periods of time.

Small dogs can also be difficult in terms of feeding and housebreaking. Based on my personal observations, many small dogs become food tyrants, driving their owners into despair and panic trying to find something their pooch will eat. Owners of large dogs tend to take food fetishes in stride; they know their dogs will not starve by missing a meal or two, so, unlike the small dog owner, they stalwartly refuse to share their filet mignon.

Regarding housebreaking, perhaps because a small dog mess in the house is insignificant and a large dog mess is impossible to overlook, small dog owners seem to have a much more relaxed attitude. Too, cold weather, rain or snow can add a level of difficulty to taking the small dog outside, where it might feel more vulnerable anyway. Treated disposable leak proof pads for indoor bathroom needs are a wonderful invention and have become an indispensable item for many small dog owners.

That small dogs equal small expense is a false assumption. Many purebred toy breeds are quite expensive to acquire because the litters are small, thereby limiting the supply. The petite pooches don't eat as much as their larger-sized brethren, it's true, but they usually live much longer. Veterinary care is necessary regardless of size. Many small dogs have grooming needs that mean monthly, or more frequent, appointments with a groomer. And it is difficult to pass up the ongoing parade of stellar accessories and toys created just for the smaller companion animal.

Are they worth it? Can they tolerate the risks? Just ask any small dog owner how they feel about

their pet. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.