How long do toy terriers live and what does it depend on?

Toy Terrier is a popular breed of dog that is distinguished by its miniature size and fragility. The description of the breed usually begins with an indication of the small size, and the first part of the name - "toy" - translates as "toy". Although the word "terrier" means that we have a hunting dog in front of us. But this does not apply to Russian toy terriers - they were bred exclusively as decorative, lap dogs, and you should not impose the same requirements on your pets as to their counterparts, for example, English toy terriers.

At home, the Russian Toy Terrier feels great both in a city apartment and in a country house. He is quite active, loves to play, and thanks to his small size, he has enough room everywhere to be active. At the same time, mini-dogs also need walks in the fresh air. Only hypothermia and prolonged exposure to the sun should be avoided. It is advisable to shelter your pet from direct sunlight, and in cold weather you need to take care of clothes and shoes for him.

Proper nutrition is very important for a dog's longevity. Toy Terriers are fed both natural food and dry balanced food for small breeds.

Small, fragile dogs are prone to injury, so you need to protect them from possible dangers., do not leave unattended on high windowsills, tables and even chairs - any unsuccessful dismount can cause a fracture.

Factors such as gender also affect life expectancy. Toy Terriers - girls live longer, especially spayed ones.They almost never develop diseases of the genital organs. But if your pet is a boy and you are not going to breed, castration will be beneficial for his health.

Among the factors hazardous to health and life, the following should be highlighted:

• poor heredity;
• infections;
• chronic diseases of internal organs;
• tendency to injury;
• hypothermia and overheating
• unbalanced diet;
• weak immunity;
• fighting character.

The latter factor leads to clashes with other dogs, which can backfire.

Miniature dogs always react strongly to stress. To preserve their health, it is better to protect them from various unpleasant situations.

When talking about average life expectancy, the weight and size of the dog should be considered. Toy terriers live on average 10-15 years. However, in mini-class dogs the average life expectancy is much lower - about 7 years, and in supermini dogs (1.5 kg) - usually 3-5 years. But for a small dog, this is quite a long life, and the owner is able to provide his pet with love and care throughout its entire length.

The breed standard sets the weight of the Russian Toy Terrier to no more than 3 kg, while the most desirable weight is 2.3 kg. Lighter weight increases the risk of injury. In general, deviations from the standard in this fragile breed can lead to health problems in the future. And dogs weighing less than 1.5 kg are not allowed for breeding. In addition, the lifespan of mini-toy terriers is several times shorter than that of standard counterparts.

When choosing a puppy, you should take into account the requirements of the standard. According to the description, the Russian Toy Terrier should have certain proportions - the length of the body should be equal to the height at the withers; ears - large, triangular, erect; the tail of this breed is thin and low set.

The lifespan of the dog will increase positive factors of its content:

• proper nutrition;
• vitamins;
• walks in the open air;
• exclusion of dangerous places for games;
• lack of stressful situations;
• timely deworming and vaccination;
• castration of dogs not intended for breeding.

Let us dwell on the above factors in more detail.

Nutrition is a major factor in maintaining your dog's health and longevity. The owner, who wishes his pet a long life, is obliged to provide a varied and well-balanced diet.

From natural products, the diet of toy terriers should include dietary meat (turkey, chicken, beef), cereals in the form of porridge and vegetables. Of the cereals, rice and buckwheat are the most useful. From vegetables - zucchini, carrots, beets. You should not give the dog sausage and, in general, anything smoked, spicy, salty, fatty, fried. Any cheese is also excluded. But cottage cheese is very good for bones and teeth.

If you opted for ready-made feeds, then premium and super-premium feeds should be preferred. For small breeds, there are special foods that do not cause difficulty in chewing, containing the optimal combination of elements necessary for the body. Eating ready-made high-quality feed does not require the inclusion of additional vitamins in the diet - they are already included in the feed. But this is in the case of a healthy dog. If there is a shortage of some element, the veterinarian will prescribe the appropriate vitamins additionally.

Overfeeding a toy terrier is even more dangerous than underfeeding. Often, the owner, in an effort to please his beloved animal, offers him goodies in large quantities.And a small stomach and liver cannot cope with a large amount of high-calorie food. Therefore, do not overdo it with love - it is better to fondle the toy one more time than to shove him a treat.

Walking and playing should be primarily safe for the fragile bones of the dog. Even an unsuccessful jump from the couch can lead to a broken bone in a toy terrier. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor your pet when he is at a dangerous height for him and help him to descend. When entering and exiting the transport, going down the stairs of the toy terrier, it is imperative to take it in your hands.

On walks, try to protect the toy from contact with large active dogs, even friendly ones. The Toy Terrier is active and curious and enjoys playing, but a larger dog can injure him if he accidentally steps on him or even just pushes him. For walks, choose places that exclude the sudden appearance of cars - the driver may simply not notice the small dog and not have time to react.

In order to prevent hypothermia of the little organism of the toy, you need to walk it in warm clothes and even shoes. If it is very cold and damp outside, it is better to cancel the walk altogether. Toy terriers are easily litter-trained.

On a walk, your pet will certainly want to run off a leash. But this can be allowed only when he will completely obey the commands. Otherwise, uncontrolled behavior on the street will lead to an accident.

In addition to street hazards, traumatic factors are present in the home. For example, you need to carefully monitor the interaction of a toy terrier with small children. Children often perceive the dog as a living toy and can cause injury.

Particular attention should be paid to deworming. Dogs are curious creatures, and on a walk it is impossible to save your pet from the temptation to poke his nose at everything he sees. Helminth eggs from the ground fall on the nose, and then lick off, and this is how the infection occurs. The organism of toy terriers, like other small dogs, is unable to withstand the attack of worms for a long time, the spread occurs rather quickly, and in advanced cases it can lead to various complications. Medicines for worms are best selected by a veterinarian who is constantly observing your dog. The Toy Terrier is too gentle a creature to risk his health by choosing drugs on his own, at his own peril and risk.

Remedies for worms should be given with caution, carefully following the doctor's recommendations and instructions on the package. It is better to give the recommended dose in two doses, combined with activated charcoal. Too strong medicine will kill all the worms at once, but the body may not have time to remove them, which will lead to intoxication and death of the animal.

Deworming should be carried out once every 3 months, but always before the annual vaccination. Your veterinarian will tell you exactly which vaccine is right for your dog. Currently, Nobivak is widely practiced - a complex vaccine that guarantees protection against almost all common and dangerous canine diseases.

Timely castration contributes to the increase in life expectancy.

Careful hygiene of your dog should be observed - monitor the condition of the coat and, if necessary, comb out; see your doctor regularly for your teeth and eyes. And, of course, remember about the need for preventive examinations by a veterinarian, preferably permanent, observing all the recommendations.

In general, Toy Terriers are considered one of the longest living breeds, especially when compared to large dogs.Old age in toy terriers begins at different ages, but officially dogs are considered elderly at the age of 8. With age, activity decreases, sleep time increases, hearing and vision deteriorate. Many have gray hair on their faces.

Whether or not tooth loss in Toy is related to aging remains controversial. Many dogs of this breed begin to lose their teeth from the age of 4. A number of experts and owners believe that tooth loss in toys is associated with heredity and dietary errors. Others are of the opinion that falling teeth are a sign of old age.

The dog's age is short-lived, and no matter how hard we try to prolong the life of our pet, his old age and leaving come earlier than we would like. But dogs, like humans, have cases of longevity.

Experience has shown that longevity is strongly related to dog size. Mini toy terriers live a maximum of 8 years, supermini even less - up to 5 years. Larger representatives of the breed live up to 17 years; there is a known case of living up to more than 20 years, and even up to 30.

One of the most famous domestic long-lived dogs in Russia is a Toy Terrier from Stavropol named Funtik. He lived 18 years and 2 months and died in 2016 from cancer. It was included in the Russian Book of Records.

For more information on the breed, see the next video.