Mary Allen
The Phalene has a silky, medium-length coat that has slight waves. Despite its thick fur, it has no undercoat, which is why it freezes quite quickly, especially in winter. However, as long as he keeps moving during walks, you do not need to take any action.
You should brush and comb the dog 1-2 times a week so that there is no matting in the fur, especially on the ears and tail. Otherwise, there is no further maintenance required.
You can use the scissors to cut excess fur or dirt out of the fur. However, the Phalene should not be shorn under any circumstances, as this destroys the structure of the fur and the fur will never grow back as it did before.
Since lop-eared dogs tend to become infected quite quickly, it is advisable to keep the fur in the ears quite short so that they can be well-ventilated. Otherwise, the Phalene has no typical breed diseases. He is considered a very robust small dog.
This breed used to be more prone to luxating the patella. The kneecap jumps out of the knee joint, which causes the dog a lot of pain and restricts mobility. By means of a good breeding selection, however, this problem could now be bred out.
Activities with the Phalene
Due to his lively and alert nature, the Phalene is ideal for dog sports. Due to the great urge to move, agility is ideal for him, as he can use it to his full potential.
Here, the dog has to master a set-up course of hurdles, tunnels, and bridges in the fastest possible time, guided by its owner. This promotes bonding and trust among one another.
Did you know that agility is the most popular dog sport in Germany and is practiced by most dog trainers? Since the agility course includes many jumps, the dog must be at least 12-18 months old for this sport.
Since Phalene has a proud and elegant demeanor in everything he does, he could also be used perfectly in DogDancing. Concentration and intelligence are more important here than speed. Together with its owner, the dog completes a self-conceived choreography of footwork elements and tricks.
The Phalene is definitely suitable for active people who like to do a lot with their dogs. Ideally, it should not be kept by older couples who are no longer quite as fit. At best, a Phalene of an older age can be considered here.