St. Bernard is originated from Switzerland but Toy Mi-Ki is originated from United States. St. Bernard may grow 41 cm / 17 inches higher than Toy Mi-Ki. St. Bernard may weigh 85 kg / 188 pounds more than Toy Mi-Ki. St. Bernard may live 4 years less than Toy Mi-Ki. St. Bernard may have more litter size than Toy Mi-Ki. St. Bernard requires High Maintenance. But Toy Mi-Ki requires Moderate Maintenance
The St Bernard breed was once called the Alpine Cattle Dogs or the Alpine Mountain Dogs. They have always been farm dogs and mountain dogs in the French and Swiss Alps. They come from the border land of Switzerland and France. They were herding dogs, hunting, search and rescue, watchdogs and draft dogs.
Their ancestors are considered to include the Sennenhunds and molosser breeds that came to the Alps with the ancient Romans. There are four Sennenhund breeds that are believed to have contributed to the original St. Bernard. These included the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund), the Appenzeller (Appenzeller Sennenhund), the Bernese Mountain Dog (Berner Sennenhund) and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog (Entlebucher Sennenhund) Today the St. Bernard is considered a Molossoid breed.
The first we know of the St. Bernard in any written records was in 1707 at the Great St. Bernard Pass and Great St. Bernard Hospice run by monks. There were found paintings of the dogs dating back into the late 1600’s. It is told that Barry saved upward of 100 people in the St. Bernard pass, and it is from these stories that the dogs gained their snow rescue reputation.
The St. Bernard of that time did not look like the St. Bernard does today as there was much crossbreeding. Many dogs dies during rescues in the avalanches of the mid 1800’s and so they Saint was crossed with the Newfoundland to preserve the breed. You can today see the resemblance in the build and looks of the two breeds. This cross brought about the long haired St. Bernard whose fur was too heavy for rescues.
The St. Bernards of mountain rescue fame were only about the size of a German Shepherd dog and were short haired. After crossing with the Newfoundland and moving into clubs and dogs shows, they have been bred to be much larger. Before the stud book was closed, it is thought that many larger breeds such as the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the English Mastiff, the Tibetan Mastiff, the Rottweiler, the Great Pyrenees, the English Bulldog, the Great Dane, the Bernese Mountain Dog, the Boxer and the Caucasian Oycharka all contributed to today’s St. Bernard.
In 1884 The Swiss St. Bernard Club was founded and the breed entered the Swiss Stud book as its first entry in 1884. It was 1888 when the standard was approved and the breed became the national dog of Switzerland. Before the name St. Bernard came to be common, these dogs might be called, Barry Dogs, Alepnmastiff, Noble Steeds or Saint Dogs.
The dogs came to England in the early 1800s and to the United States soon after. They were recognized by the European kennel clubs first and by the early 1900’s they were the most popular breed in the AKC.
The Toy Mi-Ki is a sociable companion dog. He hasn’t got a long history, and the little bit of history there is, isn’t clear.
It is believed that the breed was bought about by Maureen Westburg. It was in the 1980s that she crossed several toy breeds to develop the Mi-Ki. It is thought that she gave the dog the name Mi-Ki because her name was Mikkie. It seems whe wanted a dog that came close to looking like a gremlin.
Some of the dogs used in the breeding program were the Japanese Chin, the Maltese, and the Papillon. The International Miki Registry is trying to get recognition with the United Kennel Club for this dog. There are other canine clubs and organizations that recognize the Mi-Ki Dog as a breed.
Today’s St. Bernard is not a large dog, he is a giant dog. Weighing in at 140-200 pounds and standing 28 to 35 inches tall, he is a lot of dog. Bred with mastiffs and large mountain dogs, they have proportional and powerful build. They are strong, sturdy and well muscled. They have either a smooth or rough (short or long) coat. Their eyes are brown or occasionally blue. They have tight lids, and square heads and muzzles.
There are two coat types called smooth and rough, or short and long. The smooth shorter coat is tough, flat and close against the body and the long, rough coat is dense, wavy and heavy around the legs, neck and ruff. Both types have long tails that hang low and are heavy. Saints are known to slobber, drool and snore.
The small Toy Miki stands at between 25 cm – 30 cm in height and weighs between 2 – 5kg. You get two different coat types – long and short and the long-haired variety also has quite a bit of hair around the face.
His longish coat is low-shedding which makes him popular for people who battle with allergies. The Miki Dog will produce about 2 – 4 puppies.
As a toy dog, he has a domed head with large eyes. Their ears are feathered and are carried erect and the tail is long and feathered.
These little dogs are popular companion dogs and they’re intelligent and loving, making the ideal pet for anyone.
It’s a friendly dog and yet he will bark to alert you of an intruder. Youll take notice because he isn’t the kind of dog that just yaps away.
Children love them and they make great playmates for children who have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals.
Their small size and their adaptable nature make them suitable for city or country living. Sweet and amicable, the social purebred Toy Mi-Ki is everything you want in a companion.
He is loyal and devoted, calm and adaptable. They’re not the kind of dogs to go jogging with you, but nonetheless, he will still need his exercise – walks every day as well as ball games.
3.Adaptability no - these are giant dogs that need a lot of room. A large fenced yard or farm is best. They won’t do well in an apartment. They need exercise every day and loping around a yard is very good for them. They love to play in the snow, carry a backpack or pull a cart. They love to have a “job”
4.Learning ability – They are smart and highly trainable if motivated. They may appear lazy but they are just laid back and need a motivation.
The Mi-Ki is calm and good-natured, and because of his cuteness, he can’t help but become a lap dog, if you allow him.
He is social and just loves human companionship. He is friendly too and will quite happily be friends with children and pets in the home.
Make sure he is trained and socialized so that you become one of the many people who have nothing but good things to say about this sweet little dog.
The first problem this breed faces is how fast they grow and gain weight. This can lead to serious health issues if not controlled. Their bones can be damaged by this excessively fast rate of growth. Other issues facing the breed include:
You just have to bear in mind, that because of his short muzzle, he is prone to respiratory problems. Too much exercise and you may find him huffing and puffing. Be careful on a hot day.
Also, little dogs like this often have all kinds of dental problems. When you brush him, check his teeth because he can’t tell you if he has a rotten tooth causing him a lot of pain and misery.
Check his eyes too that they are bright and clear and check the inside of his ears. Hypothyroidism and eye issues can also bother the Mi-ki.
1.Feeding the puppy – You want to control their growth. Do not overfeed, and make sure they exercise but not too much. Feed a high quality large breed puppy food 3-4 X a day in small amounts.
2.Feeding the adult – The problem you face with he adult St. Bernard is the potential for Bloat. Don’t over feed. Don’t feed before or after strenuous exercise. Feed 2-3 X a day in smaller amounts to prevent Bloat. Feed a high quality breed specific food if possible or an extra large breed formula.
4. Games and Exercises They need exercise but not as much as you might think. The St. Bernard is a laid back lumbering character so don’t over exercise her. They enjoy weight and cart pulling but they are not athletes who enjoy frisbee or agility. Search and rescue trials and tracking trials are perfect athletic endeavors for them.
Considered to be low-shedding, the Mi-Ki will benefit from a brush once or twice a week.
Some people take their Mi-Ki’s to have their hair professionally cut. This is a good move because then the ears, teeth, and nails are attended to as well.
You can do all of these things at home yourself, but sometimes, particularly with the long-haired Miki, the matting of the hair can make it that you rather send him to professional groomers.
Like all dogs, the Mi-Ki dog will need nutritious food if he is to stay healthy. He isn’t a big eater and you will find the perfect food for your small canine pet.
Read on the packaging to make sure you get high-quality dry food for small dogs. You want the ingredients to be as natural as possible without any toxic colorants and additives.
Meat and protein must always be the top ingredients. Try to provide some home-made food too. Boiled chicken, brown rice, spinach, and sweet potatoes can be chopped up finely and a small portion added occasionally to the dry kibble as a tasty treat.