Dog persons always have strong opinions about what type of breed that best suits them. Some choose big bulky breeds, some others may choose the smaller ones.
Some people who just about to start adopting a dog always ask “what is the best dog that suits me and my lifestyle?” The actual answers may not be 100% correct, because every dog has their own characters. But for a first-timer, the Russian toy terrier is just perfect. Here are eight reasons why Russian toy terrier is a perfect pet for you!
1. Appearance
Like other small dogs, The Russkiy toys are very cute and their playfulness could incite laughter in your house. They have an elegant appearance with long slim legs. Their body length from nose to tails could measure up to 20 to 28 centimeters and can weight up to 3 kilograms (healthy weight). Mainly, they have two varieties: Smooth-haired and long-haired.
The difference between the smooth-haired and the long-haired ones is the hairs in the back of their big ears. These long hairs make them looked like butterfly wings, and it is really cute. The drawback of the long hairs usually they will hinder them when they running around since it will keep growing as they age.
2. Temperament
The Russkiy toys are family-oriented dogs. They really enjoy a company of their owner and will suffer from anxiety if left alone for quite a long time. So if you are going on a vacation, it is best to take them along with you.
Despite their small size, they are not shy yet not aggressive. Once they spot something that is wrong, they will back off and warn you or another person in the house.
Russkiy toys really love to run around and chasing things. They do really like being around their family and will try to get your attention to play with them by trying to be involved in everything going on in the house.
Their active nature and playfulness also could get along with your children. They can help your child motoric development just by running along with them, or playing fetch. Just remember to watch them carefully when they’re around infants or toddlers.
3. Rat Control
Back on its early breeding, the Russian aristocrats have used the Russkiy toys to catch and kill rats and mice that lurks inside their houses. To this day, these dogs still retain their pest control ability.
Not only cats and ferrets, but Russkiy toys are also good at rat hunting. Their tendencies of chasing small critters make them perfect for catching pesky rodent pest in your house. Their small frames will help them to reach rats in small spaces.
One thing that could be a problem is when you have a pet cat in your house too. The lists of their hunted critters are not limited to cats. Since some cats can be very aggressive towards dogs, bringing them together without proper introductions will cause them to hurt each other.
4. Easy Grooming
If you own a Russkiy toy, you will realize that it doesn’t take much efforts to groom your pet. At least once a week is all its need to brush your Russkiy toy. Remember to check if there’s some ticks and fleas in their body, especially when it’s summer or other warmer seasons. Their back of the ears also needs to be cleaned because dirt, ticks, and fleas usually reside there.
To bathe a Russkiy toy is not different from any small dog breeds. A regular dog shampoo will be enough. They can go through a year without frequent bathing, but it is better to bathe them at least once a month. Don’t forget to rinse all the soap to prevent dirt from sticking back to its residue.
5. Eating Habits
Russkiy toy pups might need several small meals a day, from four to two meals depending on their age before they reached their first year.
The adult ones might only need one or two big meals a day, depending on their activeness. It is important to give them a wide variety of foods, not just meats. Aside from meat, you can give them poultry, eggs, fishes. Some extra small portion of veggies, grain, and nuts will give your dogs some good nutrition for their digestive system.
To make them even more healthier and resilient towards diseases, give them some supplements like probiotics, vitamins, and colostrum. Avoid giving them foods that may harm them like fish and poultry bones, onions, garlic, and other products with high salt contents.
6. General Health
In general, Russkiy toys’ health is good and resilient to most diseases like cancers. All you need to worry about is bone fractures due to their small size and fragile bones.
If you fed them with good and a wide variety of foods, as well as providing them with a clean bed and litter box, they could live up to 11 years old without having any serious diseases.
When your dog’s adult teeth are starting to grow, you should help them to pull off their pup teeth so it won’t overlap. And also when your dog has given birth (if female), it is best to spay them to prevent breast cancer. It is also highly recommended to spay male dogs to prevent prostate and testicular cancer.
7. Cute Watchdog
The Russkiy toys have a protective habit towards their loved ones, especially when they already feeling attached to their owners. These dogs can be very vocal and suspicious towards strangers and will alarm their owners when they feel something that is wrong.
This behavior could be useful if you wanted to have a less aggressive watchdog. Your friends will not be worried about being attacked by your dog since it will not dare to do so. It will only warn you while backing off. So, if you heard it barking and growling, you can still see who’s or what’s coming.
8. Easy Training
The Russkiy toys are rather easy to be trained in obedience and agility. It is due to their intelligence as well as their playful nature. They are also keen towards their surrounding, so they can learn things from their daily interactions with their environment. This could be good and bad at the same time because they are easy to pick up good behaviors as well as bad behaviors.
To counter it, praise their good behaviors by giving them treat and scold their bad behaviors mildly by giving them critics in a smooth tone.
Now you already know the reasons why the Russian toy terrier is perfect for you. It is recommended to buy a Russkiy toy since it was still a pup to help them learn about you and your lifestyle. The price may vary in every country, so you have to do research before you adopt one. May you have a great life together!