It's all in the breed?

[Mynona.]

I agree that there are as many owners having problems with large dogs as there are small.

Mind you, despite working with dogs of all sizes and with a myriad of problem behaviours, I've only ever been bitten once and it was by a Yorkshire Terrier. Could have been worse? Course it could but being a small four year old, the bit was quite sizable. The dog ran out from a garden as my cousin and I ran past. When we got back, I got in trouble as, of course, I must have been teasing the dog .

Times have certainly changed

[MaryS]

Small dogs can often be yappy and more spoiled by their owners. They are just as capable of arousal as any other breed, if not more so. What I find interesting is the scale of damage a smaller dog can do. I doubt a yorkie or a pug (with underbite) or J Chin could inflict the same damage as a larger breed. Its a bit like comparing a grass snake with a gaboon viper....whether one is more likely to bite than the other is another matter.

[kazschow]

Originally Posted by Xigi

I am betting there are as many 'good' owners of small dogs as there are 'good' owners of other sized dogs....I think we have to be very careful here of not sterotyping.

Pratts own dogs of all shapes and sizes unfortunately

I completely agree with this, but I think owners of larger breeds are more aware of the potential for serious damage a bite from their dogs could inflict. It's seems to be almost acceptable for smallies to be nippy, and in some instances people find it humerous - ankle bitters and all. Personally for me, a bites a bite, if your dog's doing it and you're not being proactive to sort the prob or get help to do so, your failing both yourself and your dog.

I have had a fair few little terrier type mutts hanging off Sisky's mane, and the owners making excuses, and laughing.. would it be so funny if Sisky's big jaws were trying to clamp round their little dogs neck... oh how they would laugh I'm sure!!!

[KateC]

Yeah I've met loads of small dogs and if they're "feisty" the owner thinks it's funny. They say things like "He doesn't know he's small!!" or "He won't take any nonsense just because he's little!" - this when the little rat is hanging off some poor, harmless, minding-its-own-business, bigger dog's lip

[louiesdad]

Could it also be true that with the 'larger breeds' there tends to be a marginally better concept of their needs and requirements. I am not sure how to explain what I mean but perhaps taking terriers as an example, many people see the smaller terriers as little 'lap' dogs wereas of course, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Perhaps their needs are more frequently misunderstood?

Does that make any sense?

[Kerryowner]

re "many people seeing the smaller terriers as lap-dogs"- yes I am with you there as I think that the size of a dog does not always give a good indicator of it's energy level. For example, Jack Russell terriers are quite small but I would call them high energy dogs.
Yet someone I work with has 2 Jack Russells and works full-time (not walking them before work) and wonders why they are always getting out and escaping and not housetrained!

Yet my sister's Bichon Frise, another small dog, is very low energy, which suits my sister.

When I had a Cairn terrier we used to do agility and took part in a few displays. As the only small dog the audience were always surprised he could do the same as the larger Collies (admittedly they did have to move the jump poles down!) but a dog is a dog, whatever the size.

I wasn't having a go at small dog owners-just pointing out that because of their miniscule size owners often let them get away with behaviour that you couldn't in a much larger dog.

Today there was someone on the field with 2 Chihuhua type dogs on leads and they went nuts when they saw Parker! He just stands at a distance looking at them amazed at all the commotion! It's perhaps because the dogs are so small that people don't socialise them properly as they are scared of them being hurt, but it is important to do so with nice, well-mannered dogs so they don't end up behaving like that. I'm very noise sensitive and I couldn't stand it!

[Ridcully1968]

I also think there can be a tendancy to have several small dogs rather than one or two larger ones. Which then gives the small dogs a pack tendancy. The owners seem to have little regard as to how much damage a pack of small dogs can do. The owner attitude of 'they are just excitable', 'they can't do much damage', is deplorable.

I've had so many attacks on my dogs by packs of JRT's it now causes me to head off at speed in another direction rather than suffer the possible oncoming onslaught. It is really difficult to shake off ten 'they are just excitable' JRT's who are intent on nipping every available part of my dogs they can get at. Even worse when the pack owner does not interveen but says 'just leave them to play they can't do any damage'!

Ha, I've been bitten, both dogs bitten with torn ears and bleeding ankles not too mention the trip to the vet for damage limitation on the poor boys you know what!

No, of course not every small dog owner is bad, bad owners are all over the world with dogs of every shape and size. Its just for me, I get a cold shiver down my spine everytime a see an owner with more than two small dogs. Give me a large black brute running towards me at speed anyday! I can always get up a tree! Anyone know how high a JRT can jump!