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ABOUT OUR
MI-KI FAMILY
We are a family of
two humans (retired seniors), five dogs and two cats. We, the
humans, love our four-legged friends, three of whom are Mi-Kis, a
special rare-breed lovable little dog. Our other family members
include two mix breeds of questionable heritage and two cats. All
live in our home and often sleep in our beds.
Although we love all family members equally, we are especially fond
of our Mi-Kis. They are intelligent, loving little lap dogs, and are
happy just to be in our presence. They greet our friends and other
family members with joyful exuberance, yet they instinctively respond
to our mood, sitting or lying peacefully by our sides when we read
or watch TV. And where ever they go, they generate oohs and aahs and
lots of questions.
“What kind of dog is that?” is the most frequently asked question.
In response, we explain that the Mi-Ki is a rare-breed dog with only
1200 or so in the United States. The breed came into existence
around 1980 and its ancestry includes the Maltese, the Papillion,
and the Japanese Chin.
“How big will they get?” Mi-kis can range in size from about four
pounds to a maximum of ten pounds. You can find the breed standard
by going to the
AMRA site.
“Are they delicate and fragile?” Mi-Kis are extremely healthy and
hearty toy dogs. They have no known inheritable diseases specific to
the breed and live well into their teens. They happily romp with our
other animals all of whom, but one, out weigh them (our Siamese cat
out weighs them by about ten pounds). Although they are vivacious and active, they
do not require a lot of exercise and are perfectly suited for
apartment living.
“Are they difficult to train?” When our Mi-Kis leave our home they
will be trained to potty pads. They can also be trained to a litter
box or to the outside. Their innate intelligence makes it quick and
easy to train them to the leash and to obey basic commands such as
come, sit, lie down, etc. Just a few minutes with a few repetitions
completes their training. At least one Mi-Ki has been trained,
competed in, and won their class in agility trails.
“Do they require a lot of Grooming?” Mi-Kis have a single,
non-shedding coat, making them easy to care for and nice pets for
people suffering from allergies. They have two styles of coat, the
smooth or short coat, and the rough or long coat. The smooth coat
requires very little grooming (a weekly or bi-weekly bath) and the
rough coat requires brushing about two to three times a week.
We saw our first
Mi-ki at a rest stop in Alabama and just a few weeks later were the
proud parents of our first Mi-Ki, a beautiful blue and white
female. We think that you too will be as impressed with this breed
as we are. If you have any additional questions please contact us
and we will be more than happy to extol the virtues of the Mi-Ki and
what a pleasurable addition to your family they could be.
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Contact Shirlee