Small Dogs, Big Hearts: A Guide to Caring for Your Little Dog , Revised Edition

by Darlene Arden

Small dogs can bring big rewards! Small dogs are charming, intelligent, and loving, but they can also be overly energetic, manipulative, and stubborn. How do you ensure that your little dog becomes a fun, feisty best friend rather than a tiny terror? Small Dogs, Big Hearts is an updated and expanded edition of the classic The Irrepressible Toy Dog. It features the very latest, safest, and fastest training methods for little dogs. There's no need to use training methods from the past that don't work well with most dogs, let alone little ones who view the world and their owners from a very different vantage point. You'll find everything you need to know to train your little dog, from housetraining to house manners, in this updated volume. Small Dogs, Big Hearts follows the small dog from puppyhood through the senior years, giving advice on important topics such

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 1997

About the author

Darlene Arden is an award-winning writer and author whose work covers a wide range of topics from her specialty of pet writing to travel, women’s issues, and celebrity profiles. Arden lectures widely on Toy and Small dogs, Wellness for pets including nutrition, training and behavior. She also facilitates canine musical freestyle dance movement workshops, including music selection. She is a learning facilitator in the Dog Training and Management Program at Kutztown University. She is also an experienced television producer/host, and a lively guest expert on various radio and television programs.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's like a cross between a magic book from the late 1990s by Llewellyn Publications and a really, really long Dogfancy article. It's chatty, easy to read, large print with plenty of white space but only gives a surface look of life with a little dog. Only a few breeds are looked at. Grooming, feeding, living with a pup -- all of that is skimmed over.



Except with some of the health issues. There it does go into some depth, including dental problems and house training issues.

There are a few pages of color photos and numerous black and white photos (and all photographers given credit, which is good.) They appear at random and, with the exception of illustrating a breed description, have nothing to do with the text appearing with them. Makes things a little odd at times.



I'm still trying to find a book to help me with my 6-year-old Chinese Crested, Hugo. I've got a feeling that book has yet to be written.

[Deborah Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

Excellent insights and advice in this charming book. Well written, solid tips and a joy to read. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates the smaller things in life.

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about all you need to know about small dogs from when you bring one home as a puppy to how to feed and take care of one. There so cute and compact but still big dogs at heart.

[Polina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this when I bought my lovely chihuahua puppy based on numerous amazon positive reviews compared to other books on the subject. As an owner I found half of the book irrelevant (lots or different toy breed descriptions and lots of detailed discussions of various health ailments - I can google that if something's happens to my pup!). The other half was useful and the many points that separate toy breeds from other dogs well presented.

[Giuliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great information on small breeds. Very helpful!