Choosing a dog is quite a challenge that should be carefully considered. A young puppy can grow up to be a large family protector or a small companion pet. This is where the question arises, big or small dog? What kind of pet should you choose for your home or apartment living? It turns out that both solutions bring a number of benefits and sometimes difficulties.

If you’re looking for more advice and information, check out the dog questions articles here as well.

Big or small dog? Maintenance costs

Each large and small breed has its own individual predispositions and requirements. This is one of the first things to consider when making your choice. In many cases, we also consider the cost of living.

Both the small dog living in the apartment and the large pet in the yard require regular veterinary visits. The cost of vaccinations, consultations, and tests is generally lower for small-sized dogs. The large mass of the dog also means the need to purchase larger, more durable toys and a spacious bed for the home. The larger the dog accessories, the higher the purchase price.

Our companion’s food turns out to be another regular expense. A large breed requires much more food. All this means that a small dog living in an apartment weighing a few kilograms will be cheaper to maintain than a large Caucasian Shepherd in the yard.

Big or small dog in the apartment? Requirements for activity and living space

Both a small puppy and an adult dog do not require a lot of space. They will be great in an apartment, as long as we provide them with the right dose of activity. Contrary to appearances, even a small area in an apartment is not an obstacle if the owner of the dog is an active person who has more free time.

Both large and small dogs can run alone in the yard, but it is not sufficient for their proper functioning. Every dog ​​or female dog requires regular walks of adequate intensity. This applies to any dog, regardless of size or breed. During walks, the dog has the opportunity to meet new companions, sniff, explore new places and joyfully explore new areas.

A great need for activity (e.g. in breeds such as the Siberian husky) must be properly utilized. Therefore, before choosing a puppy, it is worth thinking about his needs. This is one of the key issues in the responsible choice of a pet.

Perfect for sport or defense

An adult, large dog or a female dog is generally respected by their stature. It’s hard to say about small Yorkies or miniature Chihuahuas. A large adult dog is generally more balanced. Properly trained, he will not provoke conflicts during walks. The smaller breed is also more spontaneous and often also a loud disposition. Of course, this is not a rule, and the behavior of a pet will largely depend on socialization with the environment, as well as on thoughtful training.

A large breed of dog will be perfect for many of the sports of obedience. Larger dogs can also be selected for specific functions (e.g. guard dog, guide dog, etc.). A small dog or female dog will be perfect for an apartment or a house where less physically active people live. Or maybe he will also be interested this article for tips on how to teach your dog to walk on a leash.

Big or small dog? Length of life

An adult dog or female dog may survive for several or several years. Life expectancy is one of the considerations we often consider when choosing a pet size. Unfortunately, a large breed of dog generally comes with a shorter life. Molossian dogs live up to 10 years on average, and the larger the breed, the shorter the average life expectancy.

A small and miniature breed is also a long life. Some miniature breeds live up to 18 years, which is not possible for dogs with a very large body weight. Therefore, when you want to choose a home companion for many years, it is worth taking into account the conditions of the breed and its size.

We also note that some breeds have certain genetic loads that significantly affect life expectancy. A good example is the cavalier king charles spaniel. It is a small, extremely cute breed that is perfect for both an apartment and a home. Unfortunately, cavaliers often suffer from mitral regurgitation. It is a severe heart disease, which means that adult dogs have a life expectancy of 9 to 14 years.

Perro de presa mallorquin, also known as a Great Dane from Majorca, a fighting dog from Majorca or ca de bou, is a Spanish breed, originating from the Balearic archipelago, which is a region of Spain, specifically the island of Majorca. In Poland, relatively few are on the list of aggressive breeds. Is it right? Let’s get to know this Spanish molos better.

If you’re looking for more advice and information, check out the Great Dane articles as well.

Perro de presa mallorquin origin, appearance, disposition

Dog from Majorca – a historical outline

Perro de presa mallorquin has its origins in antiquity, when shipping in the Mediterranean basin began to develop from east to west. Among the goods exchanged between the inhabitants of different regions of the area, there were also domestic animals, including, of course, dogs. At that time, they were used to guard the goods against robbers and pirates.

The most popular were mastiffs from the Iberian Peninsula, which were used there to fight bulls and dogs and to help hunters. After the conquest of the Balearic Islands by James I the Conqueror in 1230, the dogs were transported there. In the 17th century, the archipelago, including Majorca, was taken over by the British Crown and new inhabitants from the British Isles began to settle on the islands. They brought their own fighting and guard dogs, including English Bulldogs, which began to be uncontrolledly associated with Mastiffs.

In the 18th century, dog fights with bulls became more popular and became a favorite pastime for settlers. English bulldog hybrids with local dogs were used for them, and soon the intentional breeding of such hybrids began for the purposes of fights, because dogs were dying en masse during them. The new crossword was called ca de bou – a bull dog, and the population valued them as much as bullfighters. Therefore, after their death in a fight with bulls, these dogs were bred with honors due to people, and they were also given expensive tombstones.

Fortunately, in the 19th century, these barbaric pastimes were banned by law in Spain. However, this resulted in a lack of demand for ca de bou and the breed began to decline. She was in danger of extinction, although in 1923 the first dog was registered in the Spanish pedigree book, and the breed’s debut at the show took place in Barcelona in 1928. After a year, cao de bou was shown again at this show, and then it was lost. It was not until the 1950s that the breed was reconstructed, which was officially recognized by the FCI in 1965. In Poland, the first individuals were found in 1994 (breeding Osanna).

Perro de presa mallorquin – description of the appearance

The Majorca Dog is a typical Molossian with an elongated body, medium height and massive build. It is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism, expressed in the appearance of the head. It has a much larger circumference in dogs than in bitches. The skull of a Majorcan Great Dane is large and wide, and its circumference is greater than its height at the withers. When you look at the dog from the front, you cannot see the back. The stop is clearly defined, the superciliary arches form a distinct frontal furrow. Jaws strong, teeth large, white, full dentition. A feature of the breed is undershot bite – a remnant of the English bulldog. It cannot be larger than 1 cm. Teeth with a closed mouth completely invisible. The length of the conical muzzle is 1/3 the length of the skull. Broad nose, black.

Eyes large, oval, slightly slanting, set deep and wide, desirable as dark as possible for a given color. The ears are small, rose petal-shaped, set high, the inside of the ear is visible. The tail is set low, thick at the base, tapering towards the end. Lowered in repose, raised in action to the spine line and slightly curved.

Coat: short and hard hair (such as a Weimaraner). Brindle, fawn and black colors, in this order valued the most. Brindle and fawn colors should be as dark as possible. On the front feet, chest and muzzle, white markings are allowed, which together cannot cover more than 30%. body surface. A black mask is allowed for brindle and fawn colors.

Height at the withers and weight: Males 55 – 58 cm, 35 – 38 kg. Female 52 – 55 cm, 30 – 34 kg.

Disqualifying defects:

• Aggression, timidity
• Overshot bite
• Clear (as has, for example, the aforementioned weimaraner) or yellow irises of the eyes
• Duplicated ears or tail
• More than 30 percent. white markings, white markings in places other than those specified in the pattern (paws, muzzle, chest)
• Patches of a different color.

A medium sized dog should have the following dimensions:

• Weight – 36 kg
• The height of the rump – 58 cm
• Height at the withers – 56 cm
• Chest circumference – 78 cm
• Head circumference – 59.5 cm
• Body length from the back of the head to the tail – 73 cm
• The length of the head from the back of the head to the nose – 22 cm
• The length of the muzzle – 8 cm.

If you are looking for more information, Also check out this article on the Great Great Dane.

Dog from Mallorca – character, upbringing, maintenance, breeding

The disposition and character of the perro de presa mallorquin

The Dog from Majorca is a calm and balanced dog by nature, but at the same time very brave. He has a free attitude towards people, he is faithful and devoted to his family. A perfect watchman, self-confident, he can scare an intruder with piercing eyesight. He treats children and other pets in a caring manner. Quiet, not barking on a daily basis, but barking at strangers in the absence of the hosts. He is always ready to defend his family.

Even though he looks phlegmatic, the Majorca Great Dane needs physical activity and one longer walk a day. The remaining walks may be shorter. Early socialization is very important. Puppies that have good experiences with other animals behave in a calm manner towards foreign dogs in adulthood. If not skilfully led, he can get into a fight if provoked, and then the consequences can be dire for his opponent. Therefore, it is not suitable as the first dog for people who have no experience in laying, especially a dog with such physical strength.

For this reason, it is also important to buy perro de presa mallorquin puppies from proven kennels, registered in the Polish Kennel Club. The Purebred Dog Breeding Regulations stipulate that only individuals who have passed mental tests may be allowed to breed. As this breed is on the list of aggressive breeds, before starting the planned breeding, you should check with the appropriate municipal office about the required permits in order to avoid unpleasant situations.

The Brabantian, or the Brabant Griffon, is one of the three Belgian Griffon breeds. In the taxonomy of FCI breeds, it is the only situation where individuals of three different breeds can be freely crossed with each other, and the born puppies are included in each of them – depending on the features of their exterior. Brabantczyk is the rarest of griffons. Let’s get to know him better.

If you’re looking for more tips and information, check out the Griffons articles here too.

Griffons – breed overview, appearance, character

A brief description of the griffon breeds

All griffons are small, mobile dogs descended from small wirehaired dogs called smousje. These dogs were kept in farmyards to exterminate rats in stables, coach houses and rooms where supplies were stored. Only in the nineteenth century, planned breeding began in order to improve the exterior of these dogs and obtain their purebred numbers.

Initially, the black smousje was associated with a red cavalier king charles spaniel (ruby), and then with a pug. As a result, three types were obtained, which were subsequently registered as separate breeds. Those are:

• Brussels griffon – with a rough coat with an undercoat (like a wirehaired pointer) not silky or woolly, which is a serious drawback. The outer coat is longer on the head (beard and mustache) and longest above the eyes (eyebrows). Longer hair is strong and tough. A long coat all over the body spoils the figure is undesirable, display griffons are trimmed. Red or rusty color (also similar to Wirehaired Vizsla), a small amount of black on the head is allowed
• 
  
  Belgian griffon – the structure of the coat is the same as that of the Brussels coat, but the breed differs in color. In the Belgian griffon it is uniformly black or black and tan, the tanning must be uniform and saturated, intense. It is visible on the feet up to the wrists, on the hind legs to the ankles, on the inside of the legs, on the chest, above the eyes (“candles”), on the cheeks, on the underside of the tail and around the anus. Black top coat may be slightly rust-sifted, however pure black is preferred for both black and black and tan dogs.
• 
  
  Brabant Griffon (Brabantian) – the only short-haired breed among griffons, with a flat, shiny coat and a hair length of no more than 2 cm. All griffon colors are allowed, while reds and rusts have a darker mask (such as perro de presa mallorquin). Due to the short hair, the Brabantian’s muzzle appears slightly longer than that of the Brussels and Belgian griffons, but this is an illusion.

In all three breeds, the length of the muzzle does not exceed 1.5 cm, and the strongly recessed bridge of the nose forms one plane with the forehead and chin. Overshot is a feature typical of all griffons, the upper and lower incisors are straight, the lower jaw is wide and prominent, the mouth is always tightly closed, the teeth and tongue are invisible. The wide-set eyes are large and round, but never bulging, brown, the darker the better. Ears small, set high and wide. Uncopped, worn half-folded forward. attention: From 2025, dogs with copied ears and tails cannot be judged at shows under the auspices of the FCI. Griffons weigh from 3.5 to 6 kg, measure 24 – 26 cm at the withers. Dogs are slightly larger than female dogs.

Disqualifying defects for all griffons:

• Aggression, timidity
• Nose other than black
• Tongue visible when mouth closed
• The curve of the lower jaw
• Jaw protruding in front of the mandible
• Any color other than that specified in the pattern
• White patches (a small white spot on the forechest is acceptable but undesirable).

Male animals should have both fully developed testicles descended into the scrotum.

Brabantczyk – characteristics, disposition

Brabantczyk is a typical companion dog. He is very attached to the caregiver, he is neither fearful nor aggressive. He likes children, towards whom he is patient and friendly, affectionate and gentle, despite his considerable temperament. It is a small dog, but very obedient and easy to arrange (such as a collie), so it is suitable as the first dog for people with no experience.

Brabantczyk is a very good choice for living in a block of flats because it is not barking. Gets along well with other pets in the home, including cats and other dogs. He needs the company of a human all the time, but is not intrusive. When traveling, he is polite and calm.

Sometimes a large dog (for example a collie or a perro de presa mallorquin) can arouse anxiety in a Brabantian, so it is important that puppies are well socialized as early as possible, at the breeder’s home. The Brabantian has a very curious disposition, so when walking where you can meet other animals, it is better to keep him on a leash and let him run out in a fenced area.

Brabantczyk – requirements, care

Conditions for a Brabant boy, care, nutrition, health

Unlike Brussels and Belgian griffons, the care of a Brabant fish is simple, because it has a short hair. It is enough to brush systematically every few days and wiping with a chamois leather. However, it is worth checking your ears and cleaning them regularly, as well as taking care of the teeth, because you like to deposit stone on them. If necessary, the Brabantczyk’s claws should be shortened, if he does not rub them himself. In addition, it is necessary to wipe the doggy with a moistened cotton swab over the furrow above the nose. If food debris gets in it, they can deteriorate and cause inflammation.

Nutrition of the Brabantian is important because it is a brachycephalic breed and the appropriate bowl should be selected for him to ensure the comfort of eating. Such bowls are available in good pet, stationary and online stores. However, the food should be specially intended for small breed dogs with fine granules. The Brabant Griffon can also receive home-made food, but then you need to remember about appropriate supplementation with calcium and vitamin preparations. The dog should have access to a bowl of water around the clock.

The Brabant dog is a very healthy, long-lived breed and a properly kept dog can live up to 17 years. He should be systematically vaccinated against all infectious diseases, of course obligatorily against rabies, and a week before the vaccination date, he should be dewormed. Show dogs should be dewormed more often. Also check this article on the Brabant Griffon.

Holy Grail – purebred puppies for free

Legends say that there are cases of free donation of purebred puppies. The problem is that while browsing through hundreds of ads, we’ve never seen a 100% real offer of this type. Usually it turned out that something was wrong with the advertisement after all.

There is a demand for purebred dogs, there must be advertisements and attempts to cheat. Some of the ads are real, others are not. Moderators on classifieds websites try to catch the more suspicious ones, but sometimes something passes. Let’s see what to expect and how to spot a scam!

Fictitious ads

Unfortunately, most of the ads that grab the attention of all bargain hunters are, unfortunately, fiction. Such advertisements are added to extort personal data or “obtain” an advance payment for a puppy’s reservation. There are also cases that theoretically the dog is completely free – you only have to cover the costs of shipping from some country to Poland. For example, $ 100 payable before shipping. The content of the advertisement depends only on the creativity of the adder. You have to be careful not to be deceived!

How to recognize a fictitious advertisement?

Most often, the content of the advertisement is written in broken Polish. Reading the description, it’s easy to spot strange statements. If something sounds unusual – read it a second time.

Below is an example of the content of an advertisement that has been rejected by site moderators:

“Wonderful puppies Pomeranian Teacup, 1 male and 1 female, AKC registered. Parents are the family’s pets; both mum and dad weigh 4 pounds. They are all loving, friendly and very fun. They grew up with children and other animals. Knotted tails and dewclaws removed, veterinary check included and first set of kicks for the dog. “

Another announcement:

“Beautiful puppies of West Highland White Terrier breed
The puppies were veterinary tested, potty trained, wormed with microchips. “

Another example (this time labrador puppies for free):

“Top quality puppies with all health information and toy accessories for puppies. They stay up to date with shots that do well with children and other pets. These cute puppies are waiting for you “

As you can see, you don’t even need to be particularly vigilant to notice that something is wrong here. Also pay attention to how the sender writes back the correspondence with you. Any strange statements should make you alert!

The second thing is photos. They usually do not represent the dogs that are actually for sale. These are photos taken from some source. Easily verify the origin of the photo with the help of Google’s image search engine.

In the case of the advertisement from which the first cited description came, the photo was copied directly from a facebook profile:

Another important point – always check who is issuing the advertisement. Usually, suspicious content is displayed by people without a Polish name, such as John Cosworth, Millano, Antonio, Margaritha and others.

Adult purebred dogs to donate or at a low price

These are ads that are usually true. In general, they are not pedigree dogs (although there are also pedigree dogs), but dogs that are of the breed type or very similar to them. In the case of an adult dog, we can already see the end result and it is easier to judge whether it is this breed or another, and whether we like such a dog or not.

Advertisements with purebred dogs for donation are most often issued by shelters. Larger facilities share information about the breed – if identified. It also happens that people want to give the dog back for some important reasons and look for a good home for him. At the Seller, as of the day of writing the article, we have over 780 offers of dogs to give away for free: https:// Sprzedawacz.pl/zwierzeta/psy/psy_zwierzeta/ Most of them come from shelters. If we look for purebred animals (or in the type of a given breed), it turns out that most dogs are between 5 and 10 years old! Dogs of the type of selected breeds currently account for about 10% of advertisements.

Adopting an adult dog is also a very good idea. Perhaps sometimes even better and simpler than raising a puppy. On the one hand, we already know what will grow out of him or her. On the other hand, during adaptation visits, we can get to know the character. From the third, we help and we can make a great friend and give him a new home. There are several more reasons for choosing an adult dog, but you still need to know if you want a dog that is already several years old.

Almost purebred dogs and puppies without pedigree

If the father and mother of the dog are known and both animals are of the type of a given breed, there is a chance that, despite the lack of a pedigree, you will be able to occasionally buy a dog of the breed you want – although formally it will not be purebred. Remember, however, that if a dog is cheap, all possible breeding costs are probably cut. Alternatively, someone actually does does not deal breeding and simply the female dog gave birth to puppies that need to be distributed or sold cheaply. Check what is the real source of such a dog.

Almost purebred puppies are those where we can be sure that the mother is of the X type and the father is unknown. The question is whether the person issuing the advertisement will tell you about it? As a result, it may turn out that the father was a dog of a larger breed than the mother was. What if York weighs 15 kg when he grows up? When buying or taking such a dog for free, you must take this possibility into account. If you accept that the dog will be different, that’s great. If his raciality was the key to you, then don’t go this way!

True purebred dogs (with pedigree)

When the breed of a puppy is a priority for you, do not compromise, just pay the market price and be sure that the dog will be exactly what you expect. Pedigree dogs are, unfortunately, expensive. The cultures have to meet the standards and all the associated stuff costs more. Only registered dog kennels together with the dog provide the owner with a birth certificate. The price is higher, but you can be sure what will grow out of a puppy!

Interestingly, if you decide to choose a fully purebred dog, you will also get to know its family tree. Yes, you will know who your dog’s grandfather was!