VETERINARY CARE:
Find a reputable veterinarian who is experienced in toy breeds. I may be able to help you find the right veterinarian in your area. We require that our puppies be taken to your veterinarian within (72), seventy-two hours after you receive your new puppy. Even though we supply a health certificate with all of our puppies, a double check is valuable, and you will get good advice on puppy care, shots, local health problems, etc. Avoid unnecessary contact with other dogs until your puppy's immunities are established. Your Mi-Ki will need a booster shot for distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvo virus and corona virus. Rabies vaccinations will have to comply with your state's law, or your veterinarian's recommendation. Also, you should have your Mi-Ki examined for worms (roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms and hookworms) every three months as a puppy and twice a year thereafter. Heartworm is a problem in areas where there are mosquitoes, so you should consult your veterinarian regarding testing for and prevention of this disease. A definite aid to both worm and fly control is to meticulously pick up your dog's stools every day - and more often for a puppy. Flea and tick control is essential, as they are a source of many problems. Extermination of these parasites in infested areas, such as bedding, is as important as on the Mi-Ki itself. All Mi-Kis should be treated for fleas and ticks the same day you treat your home, your Mi-Ki's bedding, yard, etc.

GROOMING:
Grooming your Mi-Ki not only makes him/her look nicer by controlling mats, but also cleans his coat and skin. Use a long-toothed steel comb and a wire slicker brush with bristles bent at the end. Work against the grain back to front, then reverse. Be sure the hair is brushed down to the skin, being careful not to scratch the skin. Mats of dead hair accumulate behind the ears and inside the hind legs. Grooming is essential. Brushing often means less bathing. When you do give your Mi-Ki a bath, be sure to remove ALL the soap to avoid skin irritation. Rinse and rinse again. If toenails are not kept at a moderate length through exercise, they should be clipped, but learn how to do it properly before you try it. Consult a local groomer, or your veterinarian for assistance.

SAFETY AND SHELTER:
Take care to see that growing puppies don't do a lot of jumping, running, or playing on slippery surfaces, or have their limbs pulled. Their fast-growing joints and bones are still soft and may be permanently damaged. Love is one thing, but excessive handling is another and should be avoided. The only correct way to pick up a puppy is to insert one hand between the front legs, the other hand between the hind legs until they touch and then lift the puppy evenly.
Your new puppy needs a lot of sleep. You will want to avoid heavy exercise with a Mi-Ki less than 12 months of age. This heavy exercise can damage the puppy's body. Avoid strenuous exercise right after meals and during warm periods. It is wise not to let your Mi-Ki, or any dog hang their heads out of car windows as various eye injuries can result.
Most Mi-Kis enjoy running and playing with family members. It is excellent exercise for it strengthens muscles. DO NOT let your Mi-Ki run loose as he could be hit by a car or stolen and may incur the ill will of neighbors. In most cities, dogs must be in a confined area and walked on a leash. All dogs enjoy a walk at least once a day. A six-foot leather or cotton web leash and a training collar are required in obedience classes. A slip collar, chain or nylon, of correct length is standard training equipment.

FEEDING:
It is quite common to hear that a Mi-Ki puppy has “crashed”, meaning that their glucose level has dropped. The glucose level will drop when the puppy has played hard and has eaten very little. This simply means that the puppy has burned more calories then they have taken in. Free feeding your Mi-Ki puppy, dry food, is best to ensure that they have food available to them at all times. Initially continue feeding your puppy food that we supplied you. Do not drastically change your puppy's diet, mix the food that we supplied you with the puppies new food. Dry food (kibble) is less expensive than meat or canned dog food and provides a good quality diet for your Mi-Ki. The amount of food a Mi-Ki requires is not proportional to his weight, but to his size and activity. Overweight or underweight at any age reduces the life span and may provide fertile ground for other problems. In short, take care of your new puppy just like you would any new baby in your family.

THE NEED FOR TRAINING:
An untrained dog, no matter what its size, is a liability in modern society. For their own safety, all dogs require some form of obedience training. Being intelligent canines, most Mi-Kis are easily trained. The ideal time to begin the training is when the puppy is three months of age - which means you start the day you get the puppy. Between the age of two and four months, the puppy should be taught to walk on a loose lead, come when called and stay when told. If you use praise as a reward and plenty of encouragement, the puppy will be a willing and adept student. By starting early, you can teach your Mi-Ki puppy the commands you want him/her to know and avoid the development of bad habits. This type of training can be done at home with the aid of a good book on obedience training. One person in the family, preferably an adult, should assume the major responsibility for training, but all family members should know the commands, use them consistently and know how to reward the puppy with praise and encouragement when it has responded to a command. In addition to early training at home, it is advisable to take your puppy to a training class. Almost every training organization will accept puppies at six months of age and some have special programs for puppies between two and four months of age.
All of our Mi-Ki puppies at 3 months are well on their way to being housebroken, if you are willing to be consistent and watchful. However for a few more months accidents can happen, not because of disobedience but because young dogs still do not have muscles that always cooperate. Since puppies sleep most of the time, it is easy to anticipate their needs. As soon as the puppy wakes from a nap, finishes eating, or after vigorous play, take it outside or to the potty pad to relieve itself; and any time you observe the puppy circling and sniffing the floor, take it outside or to a potty pad to relieve itself. You must be vigilant, but once an accident has occurred, take the puppy back to the spot and say a stern “NO” . Then take him to the potty pad and tell him potty in a sweet voice and praise them once they have looked at you. Clean up the accident and deodorize the spot. Continue to positively reinforce good behavior and your puppy will be housebroken quickly. Similarly, rubbing its nose in the accident does no good at all, and swatting the puppy with a rolled-up newspaper only creates a dislike for rolled-up newspapers and perhaps paperboys. The destructive potential of puppy teeth is enormous and it is important that a puppy learn the meaning of "NO" at once. Provide his own special toys for chewing and say a stern "NO" when he picks up anything else. Remember, CONSISTENCY AND PATIENCE IS THE KEY TO ALL TRAINING.

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT BREEDING:
Before considering the breeding of a Mi-Ki, you should carefully review the responsibilities you would be taking upon yourself. As mentioned earlier, any breeder of dogs has a responsibility to keep full and accurate records of all litters. Any breeder also has a responsibility to follow the litters to see that the puppies are in good homes and to evaluate the success of his/her breeding program. The only valid reason for breeding is to improve the breed. In order to accomplish this goal, a mating must follow careful study. A thorough knowledge of the Mi-Ki breed and the breed standard is very important. A study of both Mi-Kis' ancestries is essential, as is a full evaluation of both Mi-Kis' littermates.
It is important not to breed Mi-Kis with serious hereditary faults such as eye abnormalities, heart abnormalities, etc., or with major breed standard faults. All dogs should be cleared of eye defects and heart defects before any breeding is considered. As stated above, Mi-Kis are not known to have bad temperaments. If a Mi-Ki of poor temperament should definitely “NOT” be bred, regardless of other characteristics. Finally, do not plan to breed your Mi-Ki as a way of picking up extra money. Breeding is strictly a labor of love and an expensive one at that. Ask any breeder! And if you want to show your children the facts of life, we recommend films. “DO NOT USE ANIMALS”

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