Little dog rant ( litterally)

Today was a crazy day for dogs at work.
Im so annoyed though, and am not generalizing anything, im stating what I saw today.
Why is acceptable for small dogs to go into barking, spitting, growling fits towards someone and no one bats an eye about it.
However a larger dog so much as grumbles under its breath and animal control is there?
Its a pet peeve of mine.
I know a large dog could do more damage and so on, but seriously a dog bite is a dog bite no matter the severity of it.
Heres the situation, today. I got cornered and lunged at by the following 3 dogs, a shih tzu, a freaky terrier looking thing ( kinda like Toto) and a toy poodle.
Now I know if I had been bitten by either of the 3 of them, i prolly would have only had scratches and minor wounds, but still its the fact that an aggressive dog is an aggressive dog.:mad: Its no more acceptable for someones toy poodle to run out snarling and spitting at people then it is for someones Great Dane.:frustrated:
The worst part about these 3 little dogs, was the owners were right there, watching. The last one I yelled at, I told the dog right off in a very loud voice.... wasnt nice things I said either and im sure the whole neighbour hood heard me too:laughing:

I agree. Little dogs get away with a lot more growling, snapping, and just plain lack of manners that no big dog would ever get away with. Not all small dogs aren't trained though. Some small dog owners train their dogs just as big dog owners do, but it's the ones who think clawing at your leg is cute, or snapping means he's expressing himself, that are the problem.:frustrated:

I agree. When we went to puppy class there was a few small dogs there and one of the owners was all freakin out and his dog was actually one of the most aggressive. The instructor totally slammed him and said if he kept it up his dog was gonna be a total brat. She said the reason so many little dogs are so "tough" is because the owners always provide back-up. They dogs pick a fights and then the owner rushes in to pick them up/rescue them from situations and/or never bother to correct the behaviour so they are never taught proper socialization skills.

Yep, it's always like that with small dogs. I think that some owners actually think that the aggressive behaviour is cute, so they won't discipline their pets.

It's the same with ponies. So many ponies are awful tempered little brats because they are spoiled. I wish people knew that it does more harm than good to let your pet get away with bad behaviour.

I don't allow my dog to growl or bark at people. The real problem here is the dog parents who do nothing about it. Yesterday I had the cable man come in to fix something and the dog barked when first he came in, right away, i sent her to her bed. And she listened, of course.

I find a lot of people coddle their little dogs, lack of leadership is the real problem. They let their little dog slip into the role of leader. People with big dogs are usually watching for those signs, but people with small dogs just give leadership to their little dog, not even realizing they are doing it.


Sheesh, no wonder no one wants to talk to me, lol, it's my little dog. Does it help that I actually wanted a big dog? but wound up with Dory, my second hand pooch. I'm being dog size discriminated, lol.:laughing: JOKE JOKE JOKE

We don't let our little dog act like that, either! Tommy may be spoiled, and he gets away with an awful lot, but he does not get away with being rude or impolite with anybody. I hate that small dogs have that reputation, and the only reason they have it is because people figure that since they're little they don't have to teach them stuff as they can make them do what they want just by picking them up. Tommy might be more of a challenge to train then other dogs I've had, but that just means we work harder at it, and I absolute despise the fact that bad doggy parents give little pups like mine a bad rap:frustrated: . I've spent - and continue to spend! - the same amount of money on obedience classes and the same time training constantly at home as I would have on a big dog - well, ok, maybe even more cuz ya know, he's a terrier with the attention span of a gnat:laughing: .

This has always bothered me also. Having always owned large/giant sized dogs, obedience and discipline never seemed to be an issue. Until...(drum roll here...) enter Emmy the Minpin with ADHD (I swear!) joined our family.

She is quite honestly the most challenging creature to have ever crossed my path. Now, I'm no slouch with dog obedience, having trained a few in my day. Heck, don't even have problems training my horses, one of which is a large draft that I've worked with since he was weaned. However, this little six pound bundle of energy is the most taxing, exhausting, frustrating, thing to get under control and keep her attention (span of a knat with ADHD).

Yes, her trainers at obedience had a time with her too...and she is a work in progress. If most small dogs are like her, I would only recommend them to a professional with the patience of a saint. There definately is truth to the adage of "small dog syndrome", they can have a lot of attitude packed into that little body!

I try very hard to be "tough" with her, but on the same note...wouldn't trade her for the world. I can sure see now how little dogs get their bad rap, they are crafty little beasties! :evil:

I guess the difference is responsible big dog owners expect their human-sized dogs to behave like humans*, whereas irresponsible little dog owners treat their dogs like humans... :rolleyes:

(* the good humans, I mean :D)

I'd never had a little one before Molly our cairn.She may be little but she's a dog same rules for everyone!!No dog is happy being allowed to do whatever it wants.Big or small they are happier when well behaved and socialized

Aww it's owners like that that give us small dog owners a bad name. I have a MinPin too, and whenever he gets snappy are snarly he gets an instant correction. Today at the dog park, Bowser was having a great time with the big dogs, but then a family came, and I instantly picked him up and we left, cause I know that Bowser is not good around children, People need to know what their dogs can and cannot handle and then control the situation!

I agree about the small dog thing. Helix is a small dog (a 5 month old Alaskan Klee Kai) and we're doing everything possible to get him well socialized. He has a tendency to bark/ growl in a playful way around other dogs which can unnerve some owners (and dogs too) so we try to minimize that activity. Around people, he is never aggressive, but he is a bit hand shy (nature of the breed). Everywhere we go we take a bag of treats and if someone wants to meet him (which everyone does :)) they can give him a treat and then pet him, so he learns that other people are great! He's made tonnes of progress since we got him :)

Most other small dogs we meet on walks are aggressive. Often, small dog owners won't even let their dog meet ours and I'm not sure if it's because they have an aggressive dog, or because they just don't feel the need to socialize? Big dog owners are almost always willing to let Helix come and meet their dog, which is fantastic because Helix loves to play with other dogs (he also goes to day care once a week to socialize him even more). It always frustrates me when people think a small dog can't or doesn't need training because they can't hurt anyone! I think it's because in a lot of cases, small dogs are thought of as a cute accessory and not a living breathing animal that needs guidance and boundaries, whereas large dogs can't get away with this, and is partly why a lot of large dogs are in shelters :(

I definately agree. I think its rediculous people let their little dogs get away behavior that a larger dog would never get away with (of course there are exceptions). Its bad behavior, whether its coming from a cute little fluffy body or a large tough one. People get caught up in the cuteness (the "aww look at him trying to be all tough!" factor) and let it slide, when they really shouldnt.

Well rest assured that this little guy is very well mannered, socialized and trained! Should you ever come across him, he will sit and wait to be invited to say hello!

People in AUstralia seem to be much more aware of their dog's behaviour and most are well behaved and traine at least to a minimum level, which is nice!

Friday wasnt so bad with the little dogs, I guess you hit neighbourhoods once and a while where people all gather and let their dogs run wild:shrug: Im going to conduct a small survey while I am working, check off the size/breeds that act out and see the areas as well.... Just out of curiosity lol.
We have one town that we read, that every house has a "bad dog" warning through the entire town.:eek:

Prin.... I saw a baby Newf yesterday too, he was adorable:cloud9: Prolly around 3 months or so.

Origionally posted by Cram:
Helix is a small dog (a 5 month old Alaskan Klee Kai)
Those little guys are so adorable. How is the getting them recognized coming along? I know that the main fanciers are really trying hard to get that acomplished.

We were out for a walk and my guy was bitten by a poodle. Didn't break the skin, no physical harm but Cooper was terrified. I've heard that this same dog has bitten at least 3 other people and a golden.

I can sure see why you were exasperated, erykah. Three agressive small dogs in one day....:mad: I'd be livid too..

It's very true that some owners feel they dont need to excercise any discipline or control over them.
Virtually anything goes.. and these dogs are often ill-manner tiny terrors.:sad:

Their owners seem to think that aggressive behaviour is not only excused but somehow 'amusing". Its most definitely neither, and they do their animal a great disservice. I've encountered this on lots of occassions, and its usually from the smaller dogs.

I've also had this same type of thoughtless dog owner grin in amusment when their large dog rushes up (off-leash) and "mugs" mine, scaring the crap out of him - and me. This is always followed with a half-hearted apology and the lame excuse..."he's friendlly". SO good to know that....now.:mad:

So, there's irresponsible dog owners in all camps - from the Newf to the toy poodle and everything in between. I would never allow my small dog to act this way, and certainly wouldnt take it lightly if he did.

One thing I notice is that small dogs all seem to fall under the same "umbrella" when being referenced critically - regardless of breed.
"Yappy, high strung, poorly mannered" .... their size is the defining factor in assessing their real or perceived faults.

While people often single out and stereotype certain large breed dogs for various negative traits, I've never known them to be all lumped in together under just the category of one single group - "big dogs".:shrug: :confused:

Oh I totally get where your coming from.
My bf's uncle has this evil little witch of a dog, who's not even knee high..and everytime we go there the dog growls and snaps at your feet, she's even bit my bf a few times.
His uncle thinks it is so cute, because "here's this little wee dog acting so tough" and he thinks she couldn't inflict injury. :mad:
He also thinks it is "fun" to encourage the dog to attack other dogs...he tried this once when we took Shelby out to his place, and I quickly put Shelby in the vehicle and he laughed at me saying "what?you scared she's gonna get hurt?" I replied with "no I was scared your dog may get hurt by no fault of my dog other then protecting herself."
I haven't taken either of our dogs back since I would feel too awful if Shelby attacked her.

Why are people so dumb?

For some reason - I have no idea why to be honest - I never thought of small dogs as having that kind of reputation. I have heard the expression "small yappy dogs" and assumed it meant people who just do not like dogs. But are small dogs really yappy? I know how frustrating your experience must have been erykah but I can't say I have noticed it that often here. Of course, as I have aid before, anecdotal experience is just that - not scientific and meaningless so it's just my experience. I wonder what vets and others who works with different dog breeds say - I do know that of my brother's two dogs, the smaller one does bark more, lol But she does not get away with it in public. She seems to know she can do it once or twice at home. (She is a lassa apso) I hate to pick favs but I am madly in love with his lab, lol and I like the little dog too - she is just different and the lab has been more affectionate and gets along well with my cats. Granted, the little dog is much better watch dog. The lab would greet and wag his tail at anyone who came in the door, lol

My poodle was small - not a toy but a small breed and he never barked either. I think it has a lot to do with how they are brought up. (In the same way that is true of children and even us, lol) I mean, he would bark on occasion but he really saw no need to bark. He never bit anyone and adored children - though I always supervised any kids he played with. My beagle never barked either come to think of it, lol (He wold howl sometimes and that was a riot - as in we thought it was cute but it did not happen often either.)

I think people who have small dogs that bark and bite people are ill mannered and their people need to teach them manners and their actions prb speak more about the personality of their so called owners than the dogs themselves!

I completely sympathize. I get tired of little dog attitudes too.
I really get ticked off when the little dogs try to attack my Sage. Sage is an Akita-mix, with markings simillar to a wolf. (Well, ok, a wolf that just got outa the beauty shop.:D ) Because of her looks, people who don't know dogs tend to be afraid of her.

Sage is as gentle as she could possibly be. This seems to make her the perfect target for little dogs to attack, and their owners either do nothing, or they try to villianize Sage.

I, on the other hand, am big and scary. People tend to believe me when I tell Sage "Sage, if that little dog bites you, you have my permission to spill its gut on the ground!":mad: That usually gets the little beggars evacuated from the area pretty quickly.:eek:

For the record, Sage wouldn't obey that sort of command. It's really not a command at all. It's more an oblique method of passing a blunt message from me to the other dogs' owner.

You all are so right. I have owned both small and large dogs, and niether have been allowed to act like that. I had a run in with a small dog owner, who was allowing her little Shi Tzu :evil: to terrorize my Bullmastiff, (mine was on a leash, hers was not) This little dog kept running over and biting at his ankles and finally Sarge got tired of it:frustrated: and took one big paw and pinned the little guy, Well needless to say I didnt know what to do, except remove his paw from the head of the little dog, and tell him that wasnt nice, but she came running towards us and was all kinds of upset, saying not so nice things about how MY dog should be put to sleep and blah blah blah. I often wonder why people let their dogs run ramped, but usually their kids do also, so who knows. I am sorry you had to endure that.:grouphug: