About Our Breeds
Yorkshire Terriers
Beneath the dainty, glossy, floor-length coat of a Yorkshire Terrier beats the heart of a feisty, old-time terrier. Yorkies earned their living as ratters in mines and mills long before they became the beribboned lapdogs of Victorian ladies. The Yorkshire Terrier is a compact, toy-size terrier of no more than seven pounds whose crowning glory is a floor-length, silky coat of steel blue and a rich golden tan. Don’t let the Yorkie’s daintiness fool you. Tenacious, feisty, brave, and sometimes bossy, the Yorkie exhibits all the traits of a true terrier. Often named the most popular dog breed in various American cities, Yorkies pack lots of big-town attitude into a small but self-important package. They are favorites of urbanites the world over. Yorkies are long-lived and hypoallergenic (the coat is more like human hair than animal fur), and they make fine little watchdogs. This is a true ‘personality breed,’ providing years of laughs, love, and close companionship.
French Bulldogs (Frenchies)
The one-of-a-kind French Bulldog, with his large bat ears and even disposition, is one of the world’s most popular small-dog breeds, especially among city dwellers. The Frenchie is playful, alert, adaptable, and completely irresistible.
The French Bulldog resembles a Bulldog in miniature, except for the large, erect ‘bat ears’ that are the breed’s trademark feature. The head is large and square, with heavy wrinkles rolled above the extremely short nose. The body beneath the smooth, brilliant coat is compact and muscular. The bright, affectionate Frenchie is a charmer. Dogs of few words, Frenchies don’t bark much, but their alertness makes them excellent watchdogs. They happily adapt to life with singles, couples, or families, and do not require a lot of outdoor exercise. They get on well with other animals and enjoy making new friends of the human variety. It is no wonder that city folk from Paris to Peoria swear by this vastly amusing and companionable breed.
Mal-Shih
The Malshi is a mix of Maltese and Shih Tzu parents—two classic toy breeds with long locks and even longer histories. A relatively new cross, the Malshi is not recognized as an official breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and therefore lacks a breed standard detailing their appearance and temperament. However, we can make reasonable predictions about what you can expect when adopting a Maltese-Shih Tzu mix by studying their well-established parent breeds.
Despite having a name that means “lion dog” in Mandarin and ancestors who lived as palace pets alongside Chinese emperors, the Shih Tzu is more playful than prideful and has a reputation for being incredibly friendly and affectionate. The Maltese has a similarly impressive past as the favorite of ancient Greeks and Romans, and as their breed standard describes, they are “among the gentlest mannered of all little dogs.”
Cava-Poo
The Cavapoo, also known as the Cavoodle, is a small-to-medium-sized hybrid breed, a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. These dogs are also known by several names, including Cavadoodle and Cavapoodle. Outgoing, playful, and curious, Cavapoos inherit some of the best traits from their parent breeds. Like many other designer dog breeds, the exact origins and development timeline of the Cavapoo are not well-documented. However, they have quickly become popular in the designer dog world, particularly within the “Doodle dog” category.
With their compact size, unique coloring, and hypoallergenic coat, Cavapoos often resemble teddy bears. Their sweet temperament complements their charming appearance. Known for being sociable, playful, and loving, Cavapoos make excellent family pets thanks to their compatibility with children and outgoing nature. However, without proper training, they can develop destructive habits, such as chewing furniture or shoes and rummaging through trash when left alone.
Poodle
Whether Standard, Miniature, or Toy, and either black, white, or apricot, the Poodle stands proudly among dogdom’s true aristocrats. Beneath the curly, low-allergen coat is an elegant athlete and companion for all reasons and seasons.
Poodles come in three size varieties: Standards should be more than 15 inches tall at the shoulder; Miniatures are 15 inches or under; Toys stand no more than 10 inches. All three varieties have the same build and proportions. At dog shows, Poodles are usually seen in the elaborate Continental clip. Most pet owners prefer the simpler Sporting clip, in which the coat is shorn to follow the outline of the squarely built, smoothly muscled body. Forget any preconceived notions about Poodles you may have: Poodles are eager, athletic, and wickedly smart dogs of remarkable versatility. The Standard, with his greater size and strength, is the best all-around athlete of the family, but all Poodles can be trained with great success.
Maltese
The tiny Maltese, ‘Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta,’ has been sitting in the lap of luxury since the Bible was a work in progress. Famous for their show-stopping, floor-length coat, Maltese are playful, charming, and adaptable toy companions.
Maltese are affectionate toy dogs weighing less than seven pounds, covered by a long, straight, silky coat. Beneath the all-white mantle is a compact body moving with a smooth and effortless gait. The overall picture depicts free-flowing elegance and balance. The irresistible Maltese face’ with its big, dark eyes and black gumdrop nose’ can conquer the most jaded sensibility. Despite their aristocratic bearing, Maltese are hardy and adaptable pets. They make alert watchdogs who are fearless in a charming toy-dog way, and they are game little athletes on the agility course. Maltese are low-shedding, long-lived, and happy to make new friends of all ages. Sometimes stubborn and willful, they respond well to rewards-based training.
Malte-Poo
The Maltipoo is one of the smaller designer crossbreeds, and while still not common in the UK, it is growing in popularity. The breeds that make up the Maltipoo are the Maltese and the Poodle (Toy or sometimes Miniature).
Maltipoos can vary in size, shape, coat types and temperaments, depending on how they have been bred, but in all cases this is a small companion dog. The Maltipoo can be a first cross (with one Maltese and one Poodle parent, they can be bred back to one of the original breeds or be two Maltipoos bred together.
