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Home > Dogs > Dog Breeds > Mi-Ki Dog Breed: Info, Pictures, Care & Traits

Mi-Ki Dog Breed: Info, Pictures, Care & Traits

mi-ki puppy

If you’ve never heard of a Mi-Ki before now, you’re in luck. The Mi-Ki is a rare toy breed dog, but due to their high intelligence and trainability, they make an excellent choice for just about any family.

However, if you’re thinking of bringing a Mi-Ki into your home, you better crack open the bank account. While it might not cost much to care for these adorable pups, their upfront cost is definitely on the pricier side of things.

Breed Overview

Height:

10 to 11 inches

Weight:

8–12 pounds

Lifespan:

13–15 years

Colors:

Cream, red, black, white, silver, apricot, blue, brown, beige, fawn, and mahogany

Suitable for:

Families, apartment living, and multi-pet households

Temperament:

Friendly, playful, quiet, independent, and loyal

What else do you need to know about the Mi-Ki, and is this dog right for your family? We break down everything that you need to know about these awesome pups here.

Mi-Ki Characteristics

Energy:
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High-energy dogs will need a lot of mental and physical stimulation to stay happy and healthy, while low-energy dogs require minimal physical activity. It’s important when choosing a dog to make sure their energy levels match your lifestyle or vice versa.
Trainability:
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Easy-to-train dogs are more skilled at learning prompts and actions quickly with minimal training. Dogs that are harder to train will require a bit more patience and practice.
Health:
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Some dog breeds are prone to certain genetic health problems, and some more than others. This doesn’t mean that every dog will have these issues, but they have an increased risk, so it’s important to understand and prepare for any additional needs they may require.
Lifespan:
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Some breeds, due to their size or their breeds potential genetic health issues, have shorter lifespans than others. Proper exercise, nutrition, and hygiene also play an important role in the lifespan of your pet.
Sociability:
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Some dog breeds are more social than others, both towards humans and other dogs. More social dogs have a tendency to run up to strangers for pets and scratches, while less social dogs shy away and are more cautious, even potentially aggressive. No matter the breed, it’s important to socialize your dog and expose them to lots of different situations.

divider-pawMi-Ki Puppies

baby miki puppy
Image By: focus.n.develop, Shutterstock
Energy:
Trainability:
Health:
Lifespan:
Sociability:

Mi-Ki puppies are a rare breed and highly sought after. This means your budget will need to be higher than if you were adopting a different breed. However, since Mi-Ki does have a long lifespan, this at least helps offset the higher price tag.

When shopping for a Mi-Ki, always meet the breeder and the puppy before sending any money. Moreover, ensure that you get a Mi-Ki from a breeder who offers a health guarantee before bringing a Mi-Ki home.


Temperament & Intelligence of the Mi-Ki

Mi-Kis are adorable, low energy, and comparatively easy to care for, but they’re also pretty laidback and extremely smart. This combination means that you can train them to do just about anything, and they have an independent streak that makes them easy to care for.

Still, ensure that you have enough toys to challenge them intellectually; otherwise, destructive boredom behaviors might result.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

It’s hard to find a better family dog than the Mi-Ki. They’re phenomenal with children, although their smaller size does mean you need to be careful with toddlers who are just learning to walk.

The last thing that you want to deal with is a child falling on your Mi-Ki and injuring them or dealing with a bite after your Mi-Ki narrowly escapes injury.

But as long as the Mi-Ki doesn’t feel threatened, you shouldn’t have any problems bringing them around your kids and the rest of your family. Finally, considering the Mi-Ki’s friendly temperament and small size, you don’t need to worry about what they’re going to do when your kids bring friends home.

Two Miki dogs on couch
Image By: MonicaChadwick, Shutterstock

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

Mi-Kis get along great with other pets, although you do need to be careful with them because of their smaller size. While the Mi-Ki isn’t going to start a fight with a larger dog, bigger pups can end up accidentally stumbling over and injuring them.

Finally, most Mi-Kis typically get along great with other non-dog pets like cats. Due to their smaller size, the Mi-Ki typically views them as other pets to play with. Since the Mi-Ki has a laidback temperament, if the other pet doesn’t want to play, they can handle that too.

divider-pawThings to Know When Owning a Mi-Ki

Before you bring a Mi-Ki home, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. That’s why we highlighted their basic care requirements here.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Due to their extremely small size, your Mi-Ki should eat anywhere between ¼ and ½ of a cup of high-quality kibble each day. From there, you can supplement their diet with treats or other snacks, but whatever you do, keep it small! If you buy in bulk, you can feed your Mi-Ki for $4 to $5 a month.

Beautiful miki puppy dog isolated on a blue turquoise background
Image By: Mamo studios, Shutterstock

Exercise 🐕

While the Mi-Ki is technically a medium-energy-level dog, due to their small size, you can easily meet their exercise requirements, even indoors. However, keep walks fairly short. A ½-mile or a 1-mile walk each day is more than enough for your Mi-Ki.

When you’re home, give them a toy that they can use their intelligence on to keep them occupied while burning off energy.

Training 🎾

The Mi-Ki is an extremely intelligent breed that’s easy to please, so there are few dogs out there that are as trainable. However, you still need to keep things positive, and it’s best to keep training sessions short to get the best possible results.

Remember that your Mi-Ki wants to please, and if you get frustrated with them and lash out, they might shut down and want to avoid the training sessions altogether.

Grooming ✂️

While the Mi-Ki is a hypoallergenic breed, that does mean you’ll need to take them to a groomer every 4–6 weeks to keep their hair in check.

Furthermore, you’ll need to brush out their long coat three to four times a week to keep it from getting tangled and matted. Finally, you’ll need to brush their teeth every day to keep up with their oral hygiene.

Still, considering how easy they are to care for it just about every other way, these grooming requirements aren’t that much to worry about.

Health and Conditions 🏥

Compared to most other purebred breeds, the Mi-Ki has relatively few health problems. However, just because genetic health conditions are rare, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to look out for anything.

With Mi-Kis, the best thing that you can do to keep them healthy is to feed them a high-quality diet while giving them enough exercise. But if you do start to notice any of the following problems, you need to take them to a vet as soon as possible.

Minor Conditions
  • Obesity
  • Dental problems
Serious Conditions
  • Patellar luxation
  • Respiratory problems
  • Progressive retinal atrophy
  • Retinal dysplasia

Male vs. Female

While there are not that many differences between a male and a female Mi-Ki, there are at least two that you should be aware of. First, males tend to be a little larger than females. While there’s no such thing as a large Mi-Ki, males will get closer to the 10-pound mark than females. In fact, some females might not even hit 8 pounds!

The second difference comes down to their temperament. This comes down to their individual personality too, but it’s well-known that males tend to demand a little more attention than females.

It’s not that females don’t need attention, because they do, but they’ll often wait for you to seek them out. Males, on the other hand, will actively find you when they need someone to play with.

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3 Little-Known Facts About the Mi-Ki

Since the Mi-Ki is a relatively rare breed, there are tons of fun facts that many people aren’t aware of! We highlighted three of the most interesting and surprising facts about the Mi-Ki here.

1. Mi-Kis Make Great Service Dogs

When you think of service dogs, your mind probably jumps straight to German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and other similar breeds. But just because the Mi-Ki is a small breed doesn’t mean that they don’t make great service dogs.

They’re extremely intelligent and highly trainable and have a calm nature. All these features are critical in service dogs, so the Mi-Ki can often become an outstanding service dog choice!


2. You Can Litter Box Train a Mi-Ki

You probably don’t think about litter box training a dog, but if you live in a busy city without access to a ton of green spaces, having a dog that you can litter box train is a lifesaver. Mi-Kis are smart enough to figure it out, but you shouldn’t think that this replaces taking them outside every day.


3. Mi-Kis Are Hypoallergenic

If you’re allergic to pet dander, one of the best features about the Mi-Ki is that they’re hypoallergenic. If you’re allergic to other dogs and pets, the Mi-Ki is still an option for you!

divider-pawFinal Thoughts

If you can track down a Mi-Ki and afford the upfront cost, there’s almost no family that they don’t fit perfectly into. Whether you have a large yard or live in an apartment in the city, the Mi-Ki can fit into your lifestyle perfectly.

Even better, they’re hypoallergenic, so even if you can’t bring other dogs into your home because of allergies, the Mi-Ki is the perfect fit. With this dog having so many wonderful features, it’s no wonder that so many people are interested in these pups and that the price for them is sky-high.


Featured Image Credit: focus.n.develop, Shutterstock

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