They’re cute, consume less food, easy to carry around and such a breeze to clean up after.

Miniature dog breeds have long been a favorite among Pinoys. Even long before we were enamored by Yeontan, BTS V’s Pomeranian; Simba, Park Seojoon’s bichon frisé; Zzar, EXO’s Park Chanyeol’s Maltipoo; and Dalgom, Kim Jisoo’s Maltese.

How many times have you glanced at a buggy and was surprised to see a wide-eyed furball staring right back at you instead of a baby? Walk around a park or a mall, especially on weekends and you’ll see Shih Tzus, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas strutting around in frilly tutus, sometimes being pushed around in strollers, at times even with a yaya in tow.

Yes, Pinoys can crazy dote on their pets as if it’s their offspring. (And, yes, this writer is as guilty.) But what we actually find surprising is how much people spend for a designer pet, with small dogs at the top of the list. They may be pint-sized but premium toy dog breeds aren’t exactly chintzy. Far from it, in fact, as prices of imported purebreds, we learned, could go from a couple hundred thousand pesos to almost half a mil.

Coton de Tulear

Celebrity doctor Vicki Belo, for one, is the proud owner of two coton de tulear puppies imported from South Korea—Snowball and Xanti—with daughter Scarlet. “We were looking for a dog that’s quiet and calm,” she told Lifestyle. It was a Christmas gift for Scarlet who asked Belo and husband Hayden Kho two years ago for a puppy.

The coton de tulear, according to the American Kennel Club, is originally from Madagascar and named after the seaport town of Tulear. Cotons were once reserved for nobles of the island country and are said to be affectionate, good with kids and playful but with the potential to be just really chill.

“I was hoping Scarlet would forget,” she said with a laugh. “But then she remembered that so on Christmas we got the dogs.”

Belo and Scarlet both have asthma so they needed to find a hypoallergenic dog, one that has a nonshedding coat which produces less dander. “This one is good,” she said of their cotons. “Although we still have to vacuum kasi kahit paano they collect dust because they’re so fluffy.”

Her family got the pups from Korean-owned store Pretty Bubble Dog. The pet shop opened its first branch in Cebu in 2015, offering high-end pet supplies and accessories as well as premium purebred puppies which are imported from South Korea. It opened its second branch in Bonifacio Global City in December last year, owing to the fact that most of their clients are from Metro Manila.

Belo recalled falling in love with Snowball immediately. “She’s wonderful, she’s so fluffy,” she gushed. Snowball comes from a champion line of coton de tulears, the celebrity doctor was told.

It was musical artist Sarah Geronimo who referred the upscale pet shop to Belo. The shop sells miniature breeds such as Maltese, mini-bichon, poodle, Maltipoo (combination of a Maltese and poodle), coton de tulear, goldendoodle, Yorkshire terrier, long-haired dachshund, Chihuahua and Mame Shiba.

No shedding

“The popular ones are the Maltese, bichon, Maltipoo, poodle and coton because of their size and they are hypoallergenic, no shedding,” said Pretty Bubble Dog boutique owner Soyoung Shin.

The puppies are bred in South Korea following strict government protocols, according to Shin. “We have been in contact with them [breeders] for more than 10 years so we are sure of the parents of our puppies, the facility and the owners,” explained Shin. “We make sure the quality is really nice, the dogs are healthy and beautiful.”

Tricia Adolfo and Dr. Carmen Ang got their fur babies from Pretty Bubble Dog as well. “Soyoung, the owner of Pretty Bubble, was my high school classmate in Cebu. I always brought my dogs to her for grooming,” Adolfo said. When Shin and her mom began selling Korean puppies, Adolfo knew that they would be of great quality. “Up to this day, my family is extremely happy with our decision.” Her toy poodle, Nugget, is now 3 years old.

Adolfo and her siblings picked a small breed dog upon the condition of her mom Jinky, who allowed them to get a new dog “only if it was teacup or toy-sized.”

“Small dogs are a lot easier to maintain,” said Adolfo. “They eat less, and poop in smaller portions,” she said. “Although they are more fragile, there’s generally no issue if they’re just kept inside a house.”

Ang also finds small dog breeds easier to care for, especially for first time fur parents. “[They’re] more manageable in every term like giving them a bath coz they are easier to control. They require much less food than the bigger breeds, and the mess they make are also easier to handle.”

Breath of fresh air

“Introducing Kookie, our puppy, to the family was kind of a breath of fresh air, she was a very happy and friendly 4-month-old when we received her and already potty-trained, so it was indeed a big plus that Pretty Bubble Dog does for their clients,” she added. A fan of BTS, Ang named Kookie, a Shih Tzu and now 9 months old, after her bias Jungkook.

Veterinarian Dr. Catherine Llanes of Great and Small Animal Clinic shared several things owners need to know about when getting tiny dog breeds as pets.

“Purebreds can be more susceptible to certain maladies,” said Llanes. “They can suffer from the effects of purebred inbreeding.” Purebred inbreeding is when two dogs with a high level of genetic similarity are made to mate and produce puppies.

Though they might be less sporty than their medium and large sized counterparts, little dogs need exercise, too. Llanes advises against carrying them everywhere all the time. “Let them walk.”

“Small dogs can be very protective of their owners,” said Llanes. They have a tendency to scare easily and become aggressive as well, and can often feel threatened when interacting with dogs much larger than they are.

Chihuahuas, poodles, terriers and Pomeranians, in particular, can be hyper territorial and yappy despite their nonthreatening size, according to the vet.

Llanes also pointed out that small dog breeds have very different nutritional needs than large dogs. Pet parents need to be mindful of overfeeding their tiny dogs. “Feed them right. The size of dog food is important since they cannot properly chew pieces that are too big for their little mouths.”

For her part, Belo said that their family is so careful with giving the right food and vitamins to Snowball and Xanti. She’s also considering switching to Pretty Bubble Dog’s in-house vet for their new pups. “Because these dogs are so precious, I don’t want to take chances with them.”