Life with a small dog

If you own a Toy Poodle — or any other very small dog, particularly one weighing under 2 kg and standing under about 24 cm — there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Living with such a tiny creature can actually require more care and attention than living with a larger dog.

There can be many reasons why a dog is exceptionally small. Some dogs are simply genetically tiny. In other cases, unusually small size can be associated with health problems, such as a congenital portosystemic shunt or heart disease. And sometimes a dog may remain very small because, for one reason or another, they did not receive enough calories or nutrients during an important period of growth.

So if a dog is significantly smaller than expected for its breed and family lines, it is always worth making sure there isn’t an underlying medical reason.

But even if your little “dwarf” is perfectly healthy, there are some practical things to remember simply because of their size.

1. Temperature matters

Very small dogs lose body heat more quickly than larger dogs. This is particularly important with puppies, very lean dogs and exceptionally tiny adults.

In our house, we keep the temperature between approximately 18–25°C throughout the year.

Warm bedding, clothing and safe heated mats can help during colder weather. But keeping a tiny dog cool is equally important — especially here in Australia.

Hot weather can significantly reduce a dog’s appetite. For an average-sized healthy adult dog, eating less for a short period may not be particularly concerning. For a dog weighing 1–2 kg, however, prolonged poor food intake can become a problem much more quickly because there simply isn’t much body reserve to fall back on.

This is one of the reasons I consider climate control particularly important for exceptionally small dogs. During hot weather they need access to a comfortably cool environment — not only to prevent overheating, but also to help them remain comfortable enough to eat normally.

2. Small meals, more often

Tiny dogs cannot comfortably eat a large amount of food at once, so smaller, more frequent meals usually work better.

For a very small adult dog, I prefer at least three meals a day. Puppies and exceptionally tiny dogs may need to be offered food more frequently depending on their age, size and individual needs.

This is particularly important in young puppies, because they have relatively small energy reserves and can be more vulnerable to hypoglycaemia.

Weakness, trembling, poor coordination, unusual sleepiness or suddenly becoming very quiet should never simply be dismissed as, “He’s tiny.”

3. Remember how enormous the world is from 20 cm off the ground

A person is enormous. A large dog is a giant. Something suddenly falling beside them can be genuinely frightening.

Not every tiny dog is timid — some of them have enough confidence for a dog ten times their size! — but many can be quite sensitive to overwhelming experiences.

That doesn’t mean keeping them wrapped in cotton wool. They still need socialisation, exercise, new experiences and the opportunity to be dogs.

It simply means introducing the world thoughtfully and not forcing a tiny dog to “get over” something that is genuinely terrifying to them.

4. They are physically fragile

This is probably one of the most important considerations.

A fall from a sofa, an awkward jump from a bed, a closing door, a human foot or rough play with a much larger dog can have very different consequences for a 1.5 kg dog than for a 15 kg dog.

Look at your home from the perspective of your tiny dog.

How high is the sofa? Can they get down safely? What about the bed? Are there stairs? Who are their playmates? Do they sleep under blankets where someone could accidentally sit or lie on them? Are they constantly appearing silently underneath people’s feet?

Tiny dogs shouldn’t spend their lives being carried around. They need to walk, run, play, develop muscle and live normal dog lives.

We simply need to make their environment appropriate for their size.

5. Consider pet insurance

With an exceptionally small dog, I strongly recommend considering good pet insurance.

Not necessarily because a tiny dog is unhealthy.

A perfectly healthy 1.5 kg dog is still physically more vulnerable to certain accidents and injuries, and emergency veterinary treatment, orthopaedic surgery, hospitalisation and diagnostic investigations can become very expensive very quickly.

And one final point:

Being exceptionally small is not, by itself, a disease.

There are perfectly healthy adult dogs weighing 1.5–2 kg who live long, active and happy lives.

But the smaller the dog, the more important it becomes to remember their scale.

Something that is a small jump, a chilly evening, a missed meal or a slightly too-rough game to us can be a much bigger event for a tiny body.

Don’t treat them like fragile ornaments.

Let them be dogs.

Just never forget how very little the dog beside you actually is.