The Mi-Ki has a lovable and cheery disposition along with a spirited zest for life! Nicknamed the “sweetheart of toy breeds”, he will demonstrate his love toward his owner frequently, as well as welcoming new friends into his life. His temperament is one of his most endearing features, along with his hypoallergenic and low-shedding coat. This rare toy breed is somewhat new to dogdom, but this is a legitimate purebred dog and not a designer breed. In fact, a genetic marker for the breed does exist and the Mi-Ki can be determined purebred through a DNA test. He was created here in the United States in the 1980’s, and is currently recognized by the UKC.
The Mi-Ki has a number of handy traits which makes him ideal in all sorts of circumstances. Gentle in temperament, he tends to get along well with other dogs and pets of all sizes, as well as people of all ages. Just make sure that interactions with very young children or larger animals are closely supervised – a disparate size difference or rough play can end with injury! Along with his agreeable and social nature, he makes a good housepet as he is quiet and doesn’t tend to bark without reason. This means he is less likely to annoy the neighbors in an apartment-type setting! Finally, Mi-Kis live about 12-14 years on average and are usually fairly healthy. Occasionally eye issues crop up in certain lines and so it’s important to only purchase a puppy from a responsible breeder who incorporates health tests into their breeding program.
Although they enjoy playtime, the Mi-Ki is not overly rambunctious and tends to be calm in the home. All dogs need exercise and the Mi-Ki is no exception, however he needs very little in order to be happy. This breed needs more mental stimulation (through training, play and games) than physical stimulation, although apartment-dwellers and those without a backyard should plan on regular short walks. As he is a low-medium active breed, he probably isn’t the best choice for someone who wants a long-distance jogging companion or hiking buddy.
The Mi-Ki comes in two coat varieties: longcoated and smooth-faced. The “smoothies” as they are affectionately called, have a coat that is medium-length over the body but is short on the face and legs. Smoothies are much easier to groom as compared to the draping hair of the longcoats. Only the longcoat is currently recognized by the UKC at this time, although other registry bodies recognize both in order to keep the gene pool from becoming too small. Both varieties can come in a rainbow of colors, either solid or parti-colored, and the coat color often changes from puppyhood to adulthood. Longcoated dogs are traditionally shown with a shaved face, either leaving a beard and mustache or shaving it off – which gives them a particularly unique appearance. Finally, ear set can be either erect or hanging in both varieties which means that there is a range of “looks” for the breed.
The Mi-Ki enjoys pleasing his owner and can be easy to train, whether for obedience or for more specialized tasks. He is quite intelligent and enjoys a good challenge with his owner! Very adaptable to all sorts of tasks, he can make a good service dog, therapy dog or performance dog in a number of dogs sports. Members of the breed can compete and succeed in sports like competitive obedience, rally and agility!
Mi-Kis are easy to transport and travel with because of their tiny size and calm, quiet nature. Usually weighing no more than 8 pounds and standing between 7 and 10 inches tall, this is a true “tiny”. As should be glaringly obvious, this is not a guard dog by any means! And he may or may not be a good watchdog – some individuals will bark when people come to the door and others will not. Either way, most of them would be happy to let a “new friend” enter the home even if said “new friend” is an intruder. The social nature also extends to his family, with whom he often tries to spend as much time as possible. This is a dog that will follow your footsteps and want to be with you wherever you go.
Photo By rejohnson71 [2]