Toy Breed Treat Kit and Teacup Harness
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A five pound dog in a harness labeled small is still wearing something too big. That sizing gap is what this kit is built around. A step-in harness starting at 2 pounds, a treat you can break down to the size of a lentil, a chew a tiny mouth can actually empty, and a bowl for one dog rather than a shared dish. Every kit we have put together is on the Bundle Guides hub.
Two to six pounds, and nothing on the shelf fits
Your puppy is a chihuahua, a yorkie, a maltese or a mix of those, somewhere between two and six pounds. Every harness you have tried either slides off over the shoulders or hangs on her like a coat. Standard small does not go small enough. Our guide to small dog harness sizing by weight works through the measuring itself, which is the part worth doing before you order anything.
If your dog is already over 20 pounds, none of this applies and the sizing problem is somebody else's. Buy by chest girth rather than by breed name in that case, since two dogs of the same breed can be four inches apart around the ribs.
The harness first, then what it takes to get it on
The Mint Turquoise Step-In Harness is the reason this kit exists. EcoBark sizes it from XXXS at 2 to 3 pounds up to XL at 20 to 26 pounds, a ladder that starts where a teacup dog actually lives. The dog steps in through the legs, then a velcro wrap-around belt and a non-breakaway buckle close it over the back, and EcoBark describes it as an eco-friendly, no-choke harness in double-padded soft mesh that helps prevent pulling and stays breathable. There is a reflective strip at the shoulders. Measure the chest and order to that number, not to the weight on the scale, because a barrel chested four pound dog wears a bigger size than a leggy one.
Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Bites are what makes the first fitting go quickly. One ingredient, cheddar cheese, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, sold in an 8 ounce bag. Freeze-drying leaves the cheese crunchy and non-greasy rather than soft, and for a dog this size you want pieces smaller than a pea, so one bag covers a very long run of repetitions. Stand the dog on a towel, pay for each foot going into the harness, and the whole thing takes a week instead of a fight every morning. Cheddar is dairy, so reach for another of our freeze dried dog treats if dairy does not suit your dog.
The Puppy Can Toy is the chew, and it is built at the scale the rest of this kit is sized to. SodaPup describes it as gentle enrichment for teething puppies, made from FDA-compliant natural rubber. The Small measures 2.5 inches tall by 1.5 inches wide, weighs 1.7 ounces, is listed for dogs under 15 pounds, and has a .625 inch hole opening a toy breed mouth can reach into. Fill it with crushed cheddar, freeze it, and it buys you the stretch of time you need to get out of the house. SodaPup says to supervise play and to size up for strong chewers, and once the dog is past 15 pounds this one goes in the donation pile.
The Ceramic Dog Bowl is a deliberate piece of restraint. Good Thomas sells it in one size as a single bowl with a Gimme Gimme engraving, and describes it as a cheeky, premium gift for any new dog parent. It is the dish for a household with one small dog rather than a stack of stainless for a pack. Skip it if you already own a raised feeder you like.
No sweater and no carrier
Most teacup checklists open with clothing and a carrier bag. Neither one is in here. Sizing a coat by weight is even less reliable than sizing a harness by weight, and it is the kind of thing that has to be tried on. A carrier is a decision about your car, your airline and how far you walk, none of which we can guess from a product page. Get the harness fitting right first, since everything else is easier once the dog will stand still to be dressed.
The first week with a dog this size
Day one, leave the harness on the floor where the dog walks past it and pay attention to it with cheddar. Do not put it on.
Day two, hold it open and let the dog step through for a treat, then take it straight back off. Two or three goes is plenty.
Day three, close the buckle and leave it on for a minute indoors. You are checking fit as much as tolerance here. Two fingers should slide under the belt with a little resistance; if the whole harness rotates when you tug the shoulder, it is a size too big.
Day four onward, wear it for a short walk with the can toy waiting at home. Load the bowl at the same time every day from the start, because a small dog on an unpredictable schedule becomes a small dog begging at the table.
What it replaces on the shopping list
The usual toy breed start goes like this. A harness that arrives too big, a second one a size down, a bag of training treats cut for a labrador, and a rubber toy with an opening no tiny dog can get a tongue into. Ordering to a real size ladder removes the first two of those. The treat bag covers training and the chew at once. One dish instead of three, and a chew the dog can actually empty rather than one that gets abandoned under the couch after two minutes.
Questions about outfitting a dog this small
How do I measure a dog that will not stand still?
Use a piece of string around the widest part of the chest, just behind the front legs, then hold the string against a tape measure afterward. Doing it while the dog licks cheddar off your other hand works better than trying to be quick about it.
Can a toy breed puppy use a regular treat dispenser?
Usually not, and the opening is why. Treat dispensers for small dogs goes through the sizing, but the short version is that a hole built for a labrador tongue hides the food from a chihuahua and the dog gives up.
Should I buy a size up for growing room?
No. A step-in harness that hangs loose is one a small dog backs out of on the sidewalk, which is the failure that matters. Buy to fit now and expect to buy again, since a harness that fits for four months has done its job.
How this one arrives
Three of the four pieces ship from their makers, so this kit lands in several packages over several days rather than all at once. EcoBark Pet Supplies items are sold and shipped by EcoBark Pet Supplies through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. SodaPup/True Dogs, LLC items are sold and shipped by SodaPup/True Dogs, LLC through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. Good Thomas items are sold and shipped by Good Thomas through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. Only the cheddar leaves Malvern. While you wait on the harness, Explore will sort our treats by protein, life stage and format so the next reward is picked, and the other kits built around size cover bigger dogs. Measure the chest tonight so you order the right size the first time.
Related guides
- Small breed puppy starter kit
- Small dog chewer kit
- Small Dog Training Treat Kit (Adult): What to Put In It
