Pets

The Toy Mi-Ki is a rare breed,developing breed, and there is controversy over what a "real" Toy Mi-Ki is, what it looks like, and so on. As with many controversial breeds, this issue is far from being resolved.

Appearance
The Toy Mi-Ki stands about 10 inches at the withers.Whether the Mi-Ki has one coat type or two varies with the different groups. One states that the Original Mi-Ki standard has only one coat type, long, straight silky hair with little to no shedding.

Another group states that the Mi-Ki comes in two coat varieties. The long-coated variety does not shed. Any hair that comes out of the dog is retained by the long coat. It is suggested that a fine toothed "wire hound comb" be used to remove the dead hair. The short-coated Mi-Ki does shed but moderately. Neither coat type is preferred over the other. Both coat types are shown in the same ring together; they are not separated into varieties. The Mi-Ki comes in all colors.

There are two ear types, the folded ear and the prick ear, which meams that the ear stands streight up. Both types of ears are acceptable in the breed standard. When the Mi-Ki becomes excited, his ears "wing", meaning that the folded ear can becoming erect, "winging" out to the side of the dog's head, giving the appearance that the dog is flying.

The eyes are large, dark, and expressive. Mi-Kis are smaller than the average house cat, and are easily trained to a cat litter box.

Temperament
It is a small, devoted companion, who is outgoing, fun loving, and intelligent.

History
In North America, at least two breeders began working with the Mi-Ki in 1991 and 1992. The Imperial Toy Mi-Ki Club started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1991, and a different breeder, started stud books for the breed from a different line of Mi-Kis in 1992. The Greater American Toy Mi-Ki Club started around this time, and in 1994 was incorporated in the state of Wisconsin. That club is no longer active, but a new club, The Mi-Ki Club of America, was immediately formed. The Mi-Ki Club of America claims to have received recognition for the dogs in their stud books in 17 countries around the world. The first Multi-International Mi-Ki Champion was exported to Germany in 2004 and was the first Mi-Ki to be registered there. The Imperial Toy Mi-Ki Club is also still active.

Various clubs have formed, with different ideas about the breed's status, appearance, and requirements. Some breeders, still viewing the Mi-Ki as a type rather than a breed because there is not sufficient breeding stock to work from and insufficient generations of breeding-true lines, have added additional breeds to the Mi-Ki, including the Yorkshire Terrier and the Shih Tzu, among others. Their dogs have been accepted by the Mi-Ki Club of America as purebred Mi-Kis, which believes that the breed is pure and is working to establish multiple generations of Mi-Ki-only breedings.

The Mi-Ki is not currently recognized by any of the major international kennel clubs.



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