About Us
Minipups first began connecting families with our tiny toy breed puppies in 2006. We specialize in Teacup, Tiny Toy, and Toy sizes, offering loving companions such as Yorkies, Maltese, Morkies, Maltipoos, and Malshis.
Our Values
We are a group of 5 breeders and we each own less than 10 dogs per household. WE ARE NOT a kennel style breeder and our dogs are NOT raised in a facility outside our home. Our pups are raised in-house under hand and foot from the day they are born, and we feel this type of environment works best for our dogs. We have many happy families who have purchased from us and we will continue to breed high quality toy breeds for many years to come. We do NOT ship our pups and only book meetings in our home, ALL pups go to approved homes only! Many references upon request.
Breeds We Offer
Yorkshire Terriers
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type,developed in the 19th century in the county of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its size, 3 pounds (1.4kg) to 7 pounds (3.2kg), and its silky blue-black and tan coat. The breed is nicknamed “Yorkie” and is placed in the Toy Terrier section.The ideal Yorkshire Terrier character or “personality” is described with a “carriage very upright” and “conveying an important air”. Though small, the Yorkshire Terrier is active, loves attention, very overprotective and should not show the soft temperament seen in lap dogs.Yorkshire Terriers, also known as Yorkies, are a little harder to train than some other breeds of dogs. This results from their own nature to work without human assistance. All you really need to do is be patient, as well as persistent, with your Yorkshire Terrier and invest a lot of time into training him or her. Yorkshire terriers tend to bark a lot. This makes them excellent guard dogs because they will sound the alarm when anyone gets near. This barking problem can be resolved with proper training.
Maltese
The Maltese is a small breed of dog in the toy group. It descends from dogs originating in the Central Mediterranean area. The breed name and origins are generally understood to derive from the Mediterranean island of Malta. Maltese are bred to be cuddly companion dogs, and thrive on love and attention. They are extremely lively and playful, and even as a Maltese ages, his or her energy level and playful demeanor remain fairly constant. Some Maltese may occasionally be snappish with smaller children and should be supervised when playing, although socializing them at a young age will reduce this habit. They also adore humans, and prefer to stay near them. Basically, Maltese is a breed that is cuddly, playful, and very kind and loving. The Maltese is very active within a house, and, preferring enclosed spaces, does very well with small yards. For this reason, the breed also fares well in apartments and townhouses, and is a prized pet of urban dwellers.
Morkies (Maltese x Yorkie)
The Morkie is a breed of dog that is referred to as a crossbreed or a hybrid because it is half Maltese and half Yorkshire Terrier. In the last few years, hybrid dog breeds, also known as designer breeds have become increasingly popular because many undesirable traits of both parent breeds are eliminated while the more desirable traits are maintained; this is the case with the Morkie.People who are considering owning a Morkie should know that the Morkie is not a purebred and will not be able to be registered by a purebred registry even if it is a first generation and both parents were purebred and registered. As designer dog breeds become more popular, hybrid registration agencies are opening and registering designer breed dogs. A Morkie will usually have a coat that is very soft. The colors of the Morkie may range depending on the coloring of the parents, but many Morkies are apricot, white, brown and most common black and tan, which in later life fades to a silver grayish color. Due to the fact that both parent breeds are small breed dogs, Morkies are also usually small as well. The actual coat of a Morkie will usually be long and flowing. Owners may choose to dock the tail like a Yorkshire Terrier or allow it to be long like a Maltese. The ears may take after either breed and be dropped like a Maltese or erect like a Yorkie. As is the case with most other hybrid breeds, the Morkie is prone to taking on characteristics and personality traits from either parent breed or from both. Both the Yorkie as well as the Maltese are known for having a lot of personality, so it should not be a surprise that a Morkie would as well. Like the Yorkie, the Morkie may crave and even demand attention from its family. This breed of dog is also likely to be very dedicated to its family, which makes it ideal as a family dog as well as a watch dog. From the Maltese side, the Morkie may inherit a sense of fearlessness as well as energy. They are easily excitable and happy to greet anybody they see when properly socialized. Sometimes they can be overly confident and this can be a problem when, for example, they run up to an unfamiliar dog and even though they are excited and happy, the other dog may not be.
Maltipoos (Maltese x Poodle)
Malshis (Shih Tzu x Maltese)
As with any hybrid mix, the Mal-shi’s take on the personality traits of both the Maltese and Shih Tzu breeds. The Maltese side of a Mal-Shi is very sweet-natured, highly intelligent with an energetic personality. The Shih Tzu side is very loyal, tranquil and relatively quiet. Both breeds are good with children, but there should be supervision, especially in the beginning, to be sure that the children are treating their new pet with respect. Both breeds require a good deal of maintenance in terms of their coats to keep them looking their best. Whether their coats are long or short, it can get knotted very easily, so daily brushing is required.
Puppy Size Chart
8lb -12 lb
Tiny Toy
5lb – 7.5 lb
Teacup
3lb – 4.5 lb
The terms above are created to classify a certain size and can vary by breeder.
Puppy Care & Tips
Bringing Your Pup Home
Now that you’re home with your puppy, it becomes your responsibility and challenge to educate and socialize this puppy so that it may become a pleasant, useful, happy and well adjusted companion. It is important to understand that an eight week-old pup is just a baby. He has just been separated from his mother and litter mates, from familiar faces and surroundings. This is a BIG adventure for him and your job is to make the experience as pleasant as possible while not overindulging him. You should try to be reassuring and friendly, and avoid having many people over to meet the pup initially. There will be plenty of time later for the pup to get acquainted with friends and neighbours. You need to be careful not to overwhelm him, let him get used to his new surroundings.
Physical Surroundings + Puppy Proofing
We suggest keeping a box where you can store his toys when he is in his crate.
Puppy Psychology
The first thing you have to think about is your general attitude towards the pup. Most people want their dog to be a friend, companion, playmate and guardian. If you want your dog to love and protect you, you must first bond with him and earn his trust and respect. Raising a pup successfully is a lot like raising children. You must determine which behaviors are acceptable, desirable, and unacceptable. You must think of how you will encourage and nurture the desirable, and avoid and discourage the unpleasant behaviors. You need to be consistent and never let him get away with something he isn’t allowed to do.
Puppy Discipline
So if I can’t punish him, then how do I keep him from doing things I don’t want? For example biting hands, chewing the furniture, eating shoes, or peeing on the floor!
In the same sense that a baby can do no wrong, your puppy simply does what he does because he is a puppy. It is your job and responsibility to ensure that he doesn’t get into trouble and do things that are annoying to others or dangerous to himself. The best way to ensure that he doesn’t get into trouble is supervision. Pay constant and total attention to the pup when he is not in his crate. If you are watching him, he can’t get in trouble. This is also the best way to toilet-train him very quickly. By this I mean that the puppy should be in his crate at all times if you are not actively supervising him.
This may sound harsh, but it is only for a while in the puppy’s life; he will sleep when you put him in the crate and he will learn his place in the house. You are the boss, not the other way around. When you have had enough, it’s time to go. If he cries, ignore him. If you cave in, you are giving him control and losing your role as pack leader. He will not respect a weak leader and will always seek to challenge your authority and, as he grows older, this will become more and more problematic. This is the ideal moment in your relationship to ingrain that principle firmly in his head. You are the boss, you decide what goes, you are a constant and fair leader, and you will absolutely not give in or take no for an answer. That is the sort of person a dog respects. The parameters are crystal clear, the dog knows what is acceptable and what is not. The dog is comfortable when he knows where his place is in the pack. If you are fair and loving even in discipline, he will respect and want to please you.
Avoid Undesirable Behaviours
Since we agree that there is no reason to discipline a young pup, how then do we deal with annoying habits they have?
Biting
It is a good idea to always have a toy between you and the dog when playing so that your hands and clothes are not the object of the play, so that he directs his attacks at the toy. When you do put your hands on the pup, it should be in a calming way, to soothe, pet, stroke him. He should associate your touch with love and nurturing, calm and pleasure. Play games that are non-confrontational (i.e. avoid tug of war, roughhousing, etc.). Encourage games that will bring you and the dog closer to each other such as fetch, hide-and-seek, etc.
Jumping Up on People
It can be annoying when people come to the door and the puppy jumps all over them. The best way to avoid this is to put the puppy in his crate until the guests are settled in and you are ready to focus on the pup. Then you take him out of the crate and (after peeing outside) introduce him in a controlled setting. You can also put him on his leash and control his jumping by keeping him at a distance if you want him to be at the door when the guests arrive.
Chewing Objects
The best way to deal with this is supervision. You must remove all objects from his grasp or consider them fair game. If he is chewing on objects such as table or chair legs, then you can simply say a firm NO and pick him up and remove him from the area. You can try spraying some repellent on the surface such as Bitter Apple spray available in pet supply stores. Hitting, spanking, or screaming at the pup will not make him stop – it will only make him fear and avoid you. (keep in mind we are talking about a very young puppy here, not a four month old pup).
If things seem unmanageable…call for back up!
Professional Training
Do not hesitate to seek help from a professional dog trainer. I recommend the trainer visit you in your home with all the family members present. This way the trainer can best assess the situation and see how the dog behaves in his environment. In-home training may seem a bit more expensive, but in the long run it is more efficient and addresses issues in a much more personalized manner. Get references from your veterinary clinic to help you find the right trainer.
