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Sit, Stay, Blog!
Ways to Show Your Dog You Love Them


It doesn't have to be Valentines Day to show your dog how much you love them. Here's how you can show them everyday! 

  • Go for walks every day
  • Play every day
  • Dance with your dog
  • Cook for your dog
  • Cuddle and spend some quiet time with your dog every day
  • Give your dog a party and invite all of their friends
  • Never let your dog leave home without wearing an ID Tag
  • Get a license for your dog
  • Take your dog to the vet for a physical and shot update once a year
  • Go for a romp on the beach!
  • Go for a ride in the car even if it’s just around the block
  • Sing to your dog
  • Give your dog a tummy rub as they fall asleep 
  • Make them some homemade ice cream. Click the link to the right “Let’s Make Doggy Ice Cream” post
Hey! Where's My ID Tag? And other tag questions answered.
Small Dog Mall is a retailer of some of the best tag manufacturers in the USA. We are not ID Tag manufacturers. When you order an ID Tag from Small Dog Mall, it will be ordered, usually on the same day of the order but no later than 24 hours after the order is placed with us.
Small Dog Mall Dog ID Tags

Our manufacturers are super responsive to all Small Dog Mall orders placed and typically a tag will be engraved and shipped either the same day of the order or the next day. We suggest that you start looking for your tag, in the mail, about one and a half weeks after you have placed your order with Small Dog Mall. Typically, you should have your tag within the one and a half week window.

Small Dog Mall Dog ID TagsHaven't received your tag? Missing tag(s) get our immediate attention. If two weeks have passed and you have not received your tag(s), PLEASE let Robin know by emailing her at robin@smalldogmall.com or texting her at 310 399 7190. Texting is the fastest and very best way to connect. If we can't locate your tag, another one will be made shipped to you pronto!

Small Dog Mall Dog ID Tags

Recipe for Home Made Dog Ice Cream!

Summertime and the living is hot and sticky and most likely uncomfortable if you are covered in fur.

Why not cool things off by making some healthy dog ice cream? It’s easy and fun! But most important your dog will love you for it. And if your dog likes Frosty Paws then we are pretty sure they will love this 3 ingredient recipe. So, let's make some home made ice cream for your dog!

YOU WILL NEED:

1 1/2 cups plain 0% Fat Greek YOGURT (this will serve as your ice cream base)
According to the AKC, dairy based yogurt is high in calcium and protein and healthy for dogs. We’re talking plain, unsweetened yogurt here with no additives.

3/4 cup PEANUT BUTTER
Yes, dogs love peanut butter. Use unsweetened natural peanut butter. Extremely important to point out, not to use peanut butter containing xylitol. Natural peanut butter is the way to go here, but do read the peanut butter ingredients list. Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs and other pets.

1 ripe BANANA
This can be optional but it does add some structure and a little sweetness. Or you can swap out the banana for some pumpkin purée or anything else your dog may enjoy.

Now, lets put it all together and make some ice cream for your dog!

1. PUREE THE INGREDIENTS
Place all ingredients in a food processor, blender, stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl and blend until smooth.

2. DIVIDE INTO INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS
For easy serving, we love putting the ice cream in an edible cone or scoop into individual servings in cup cake papers placed in a cup cake pan, An ice cream scoop works great for this. You could also use dixie cups or a silicone ice cube mold, or scoop mounds onto a cookie sheet. Some dogs have been known to try and choke down the whole thing in one bite, so do not leave your dog unattended while enjoying their cool treat!

3. FREEZE
Freeze your homemade ice cream. For soft serve, freeze for about one hour. For a more firm ice cream, freeze for about two hours or more.

Once frozen solid, store in a freezer bag. Ice cream will keep for up to 3 months, but please don’t let this yummy treat sit around that long!

Homeoanimals.com Ultimate Guide to Pet Adoption

Interested in adopting a pet? Homeoanimals.com (as in homeopathic) Ultimate Guide to Pet Adoption is a series of 12 articles worth checking out,

Being pro rescue/adoption, their series topics include the benefits of adopting an animal, the myths that are all too often associated with pet adoption, what one should consider before and during a pet adoption process, and also tips for taking care of the new member of the family.

Here is the link to the articles: https://www.homeoanimal.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-pet-adoption

Here at Small Dog Mall, we LOVE that you want to rescue/adopt and we hope these articles help anyone looking to adopt a furry pal!

Make Your Dog a Christmas Tree or Chanukah Bush

You will need:

A box of dog cookies, choose your pups favorite brand or make your own.

Narrow ribbon about 1/8 inch wide in rich shades of dark green, red, purple, royal blue, maroon.

Something to make holes in the cookies. I like to use my drill.

A small, potted, evergreen tree. I get mine at Home Depot. Cover the pot it comes in with fabric or holiday wrapping paper or replant the tree in a pot or bucket. I like to cover the dirt with green moss, the moss gives a nice finished look.

Drill holes in the cookies and tie with loops of ribbon in assorted colors and hang on the tree.

This tree looks so cute and it is fun to see the little furry ones help themselves to cookies! When you are not there to monitor, be sure and place tree out of reach of the biggest dog in the house! Make sure you remove the ribbon before your dog eats a cookie (ribbon is zero digestible). And when placed near your tree, this one will look great.

Don’t forget to decorate the pot with a big bow.

Since this is a living evergreen, you can place it outside after the holidays and use it again next year, and the year after that!

Picking a Small Dog

The Variety is Great
Small dogs come in a variety of shapes, sizes (within the small category), personality, coat type and activity level. There is a breed for anyone who thinks they would like a little dog. Small dogs are not just lapdogs and some are tougher than others.

If You Live in the City
Small dogs are ideal for apartment living because they don’t necessarily need to work off loads of energy. But not all small dogs were born to the lap, breeds like Dachshunds and terriers would be just as happy in the country running around a farm.

Got Kids?
If your family members include young to very young children, please make sure your small dog has a kid free zone, a place to get away from them. Even better, do your research and carefully choose a breed that will fit your family dynamic.

Remember, the Toy breeds are too delicate to hold their own in a rambunctious family of young kids — they need a gentle touch, along with a calm and quiet environment.

Rescue, Rescue, Rescue
And I would be terribly remiss if I did not urge anyone who is thinking of getting a small dog companion that you look to rescue as your first option. There are millions of wonderful, deserving dogs looking for a forever home. And if you are looking for a male who isn't afraid to commit, well, your local shelter is just overflowing with them.

There are breed specific rescue organizations from sea to shining sea and all the rescue groups have websites.

When I was ready to get another dog, I went to Petfinder.com — Petfinder is a web site that will hook you up with rescue organizations in your part of the country. I found Cash (see his mug shot below) thru Petfinders on the Bill Foundation site. Turns out Cash was in Santa Monica, which is right next door to Venice, CA where we live.



Cash is a Chihuahua mix

My List of Small Dogs
According the AKC (American Kennel Club), the following list represents the 25 smallest dog breeds. I have included a brief, and not necessarily complete, description of some of their qualities. They are listed in alphabetical order, not size:

Brussels Griffon - affectionate, charming, curious.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - affectionate, friendly, easy-going, graceful, gentle, the perfect family dog. Extra special bonus is they are excellent with children and the elderly.

Chihuahua - graceful, charming yet sassy, master of their universe, fears nothing.

Chinese Crested - loyal, intelligent, friendly, and for all of you allergy sufferers out there, has a hairless body.

Dachshund - spunky, playful, stubborn.

English Toy Spaniel - a true spaniel, gentle, happy, playful, loving.

Havanese - the national dog of Cuba, spirited and curious.

Italian Greyhound - gentle and loving, they form very strong bonds with their human companions.

Japanese Chin - a true aristocrat, charming and loving with those they favor, not a high energy dog.

Maltese - a true companion, gentle, playful, affectionate.

Miniature Pinscher - proud, fearless, fun-loving, Min Pins have lots of personality.

Norfolk Terrier - alert, fun-loving, self-confident, spirited, lovable, happy, fearless.

Norwich Terrier - outgoing, plucky, loyal, affectionate. My hairy niece Birdie is a Norwich.

Papillon - happy, alert, friendly, quiet.

Pekingese - dignified, supremely confident, independent, affectionate, loyal, and get ready to curtsy because they have a regal manner.

Pomeranian - extroverted, intelligent, lively and bold, inquisitive, great companions — being a bit of a clown, they are another personality breed.

Pug - even-tempered, charming, mischievous, very loving.

Schipperke - alert, curious, confident, intense, but with a dash of mischief.

Shih Tzu - outgoing, affectionate, playful, charming.

Silky Terrier - friendly, vivacious, cheeky, they form strong bonds, in all ways a true terrier.

Toy Fox Terrier - outgoing and friendly, yet fiercely loyal to their families, the Fox Terriers I have known LOVE children.

Manchester Terrier - spirited, bright, keenly observant, loyal, independent.

Poodle - proud, active, super smart and super sensitive.

Yorkshire Terrier - full of joie de vivre, cautiously courageous, spunky, affectionate.

Do Your Research
The list of breed characteristics above is not necessarily complete and some are based on my own observations and experience with the breed. I urge you to investigate thoroughly the breed you think might be a good match for you and your family before you get your dog.

If you are on the fence about a small dog, read my blog In Praise of the Little Dog.

In Praise of the Little Dog

I was always a big dog person, never really thinking about the small ones. Then one day this little black, 6.5 lb boy (who eventually I named Little Doug), picked me out of a crowd… and my life literally changed forever in all the best, and I have to say, unexpected ways.


Little Doug

While I am about to sing the praises of little dogs, let it be known I LOVE ALL DOGS and I am not particular about their size — big or small, all are welcome in my heart. And yes, I own a business called Small Dog Mall (smalldogmall.com) and I sell things just for little dogs. So, having catered to the pee wee pups for over two decades, I think we can safely assume I know a thing or two about them.

Among the many things I learned from Little Doug, this is what he taught me about size:

Love comes in all shapes and sizes
Doesn’t matter what the packaging is because love is love, and love doesn’t know a size or a shape, it just is. It took a little dog to teach me this big lesson and it is one of the things I know for sure.


Small dogs are portable
Mae West said "good girls go to heaven but bad girls go everywhere”. Well, I have news for you, so do little dogs!

The smaller the dog, the more places they get to go. Depending on how bold you are, will determine your pup’s life experience. For example, my little dogs have had no problem settling in the bottom of a shopping bag (or curling up in the arm of an oversized jacket I have) and going to the mall to do a little shopping and then take in dinner and a movie.

And if you didn’t know this, you can bring them in the cabin of a commercial airplane, just by getting the OK from the Captain and purchasing a ticket for your dog. Just think of the places you can go together!

Little dogs live a long time
We all know our furry kids are "short timers". I personally have had to deal with the heartbreak of saying goodbye several times. None of us know how long we will have with our pets. But knowing, statistically, that little dogs live for a long time, makes me happy that I may have more years with my little dog.

And here is an amazing fact: I just met a woman who had two Poms (father and son). The dad lived to be an incredible 23 years and the son lived to be 20!

Little Poopers = little poops
I’m not going to get all preachy here about how important it is to pick up after your dog. Let me just say it is so easy to be responsible when you have a teeny weeny poop to scoop. I am assuming no one really loves picking up poop, me included, but it is the right thing to do (and the law in most places), and teeny poops make it almost effortless to do the right thing.

You will make lots of new friends
There is not one place I have gone with my little dogs that someone has not come up to me wanting to say hello to us. I think dogs make most people happy.

Loving a little dog will change you. It just will.
First, you are needed. And you are needed in ways you never thought you would be.

Being vertically challenged, a small dog needs help with just about everything. They need assistance getting on things like the sofa or bed (and getting down). And then there is the quintessential doggy favorite thing --- hanging your head out of the car window. Cash, my present little buddy, would not be able to do this if I weren’t there to help him. They are dependent in ways a big dog isn’t.


Cash

A little dog will make you soft where you were hard, you will find yourself becoming more patient when you were not and, if you let them, any dog will open a space in your heart that you did not know you had. While I won’t make any guarantees for you, thats what happened to me.

*Learn more about Little Doug (the inspiration behind Small Dog Mall), Robin and Cash on the About page at SmallDogMall.com.