Benefits of Having a Small Dog

Sharing your life with a dog is always an experience full of satisfaction, whatever its size, characteristics, or age. But if the dog joining our home also belongs to a small breed, we'll have some added advantages.

Food, transportation, or even veterinary care are essential aspects of our dog's routine that'll be shaped by its size. Below, we explain why.

What Is a Small Breed?

As a general rule, we can refer to small dogs as those weighing under 10 kg. But the truth is, for many owners, small breeds are limited to those not exceeding around 5 kg, or even less, around 2-3. These would be, essentially, the typical dogs you can easily carry in your arms.

Some examples of small dog breeds include:

• French Bulldog
• Chihuahua
• Chinese Crested
• Toy Poodle

Why Is It Beneficial to Have a Small Dog?

Living with any dog brings us a whole series of benefits science continues to study. It's been proven that caring for a dog improves people's self-esteem, self-confidence, and even self-worth, meaning the image each individual builds of themselves. Physical benefits have also been shown.

For example, people living with dogs have lower blood pressure, which is linked to a reduced risk of a heart attack. In fact, just the act of petting a dog lowers that pressure. So, generally, living with a dog improves people's physical and psychological state.

Much of these benefits are tied to the lifestyle changes owning a dog requires, since it means going outside, exercising, interacting with other people, relaxing, and, very importantly, feeling loved and needed by someone. Below, we'll detail extra benefits of this dog being small-sized.

Small Dogs and Public Spaces

The first and most visible advantage of having a small-sized dog is how much easier it'll be to take it with you everywhere. Since it's possible to carry them in your arms, these dogs are usually well received in places like stores or cafes, which would be trickier for a large dog.

Their harmless appearance, and, we could say, eternal-puppy look, generally sparks affection from other people. This means greater general tolerance toward their presence anywhere, since they're not perceived as dangerous or aggressive.

Small Dogs at Home

At home, we'll benefit from a small-sized dog since we'll be able to house it in almost any space and adapt it to our lifestyle, if we happen to move relatively often. So, it's possible to live with one of these dogs even if our home is small or lacks a yard.

Also, all its accessories like leashes, collars, food bowls, or, if applicable, clothing, will be cheaper, since prices usually depend precisely on size. Products like shampoo will cost the same as for a large dog, but since they'll last longer, needing smaller amounts, they'll also end up being more economical.

Feeding Small Dogs

Following what we mentioned in the previous section, small-sized dogs will consume less food, since the daily portion is also calculated based on weight. Because of this, food expenses, whatever type we choose, will be lower. This lets us opt for higher-quality food.

At the Vet Clinic

Besides accessories or food, we'll also find advantages at vet clinics from living with a small-sized dog. This is because many veterinary products are classified based on the animal's weight, and their price depends on that weight, being lower the smaller the size.

And not just products like dewormers. Common, recommended procedures like sterilization are divided into price brackets based on weight for both males and females. Generally, these kinds of surgeries will be cheaper for animals weighing under 10 kg.

Traveling With Small Dogs

Lastly, if for our local trips it was very convenient for our dog to be small so we could always bring it along, this benefit also applies to longer trips.

Smaller dogs can travel in cars, trains, or planes inside a carrier, making them easier to handle. Although this depends on the company, the ability to use a carrier means these dogs are often allowed on buses or taxis, since they're not considered a nuisance or a risk of dirtying the vehicle.