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This is a story about a little puppy named Ester. Ester was born into a happy little Italian Greyhound family somewhere in the backwoods of Missouri. As Ester grew older, one-by-one her siblings moved off to far away places. Then it was Ester’s turn. She was crated up with her favorite toys and some food, and was loaded onto a plane headed north, all the way to Toronto! This is the story of the little dog in the Big City. For those of you who don’t know what an Italian Greyhound is, just picture a dog that looks exactly like a greyhound, but is the size of a Shih-Tzu. When Ester arrived in Toronto, she was a whirling three-pound ball of energy! To put it this way, at eight weeks old, Ester was only the size of a twelve-week-old kitten. Wildly funny and playful, she became the center of attention immediately.
           
Ester is not the only dog in Toronto. In fact, Ester is only one of many city dogs. Just because someone does not live in an area with great open fields and lakes does not mean they cannot have a dog. The limited space in a city apartment may prevent you from getting a St. Bernard, but when you stop to think about it, some dogs are actually very well suited to life in a big city. This is important, because everyone should be entitled to the companionship and joy that a dog can bring. You will find many types of dogs in big cities. But the stereotype is true; many city people tend to have very small dogs. This is because space is a luxury in a city. Many people simply do not have room to house big dogs. Also, everything tends to be more expensive in cities, and small dogs eat less. Even though some people make fun of small dogs, we must remember that these small critters can stuff the personality of a Great Dane into a Chihuahua’s body.
           
It should be noted that there are disadvantages to having a small dog. For owners who work, small dogs mean small bladders.
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