Small dogs

[slleipnir]

Do small dogs always get a lot of attention? I can walk my 2 and no one really cares. I took Zeke and Pedro to drop a movie off, and like EVERYONE was looking at Pedro. Like, people would slow down to look at him. People who were stopped at lights looked at him and I could just see the "Awwww!" Some lady drove up beside me as I walked for like 2 mins looking and smiling at him. I never realized small dogs got this sort of attention. Do your dogs get this too? I'm sure I would have had people come up to pat him if it wasn't for Zeke. People seem to be afraid of him. Do your big dogs get THAT type of reaction too? People will not approach Zeke...almost never, unless they have a dog and their dog and Zeke are playing. It's like the only time people seem to like Zeke.

[gemini9961]

Yep, more people "Awwwww" at Maggie than Sadie or Grant. Small dogs seem more approachable to most people I would guess. Although we all know here that is not the case at all. :)

[caseysmom]

This is a big pet peeve of mine. My daughter's friends love Bubba and make over him and some don't give casey the time of day.

I can walk down the street with the dogs and have people stop their cars and say "where did you get your dog, what kind is it" I know they mean bubba but I point to casey and say, she was a rescue from the animal shelter and they always so no that one and point to bubba. It really irks me :mad:

[buttercup132]

Some lady was staring at Thunder and hes FAR from small lol.

[Husky_mom]

it seems small does are less "fearfull" (not my case, i always look for big guys :p ) i do sometimes look at small dogs just if they are cute to me, but i rather look at big dogs. most of the time i look up to dogs that "get to me" the ones that catch me (if you know what i mean) :D

my dogs get that looks, maybe because they are kind of "exotic" around here, and i think that if i had a shepherd or a lab tehy wouldnt get them since those breeds are very common around here so most people would think they are just another one alike......some people :rolleyes:

if Zeke doesnt gets the look.......its their loss, hes a wonderful dog, i´ll give him the look for sure!!!

[slleipnir]

I just mean the majority of people seem to prefer small dogs. I personally (no offense to small breeds) prefer bigger dogs. I think they're just a cute or friendly, if not more in some cases.

SOME people will look at Zeke, but they don't like to come right up and pat him. Sometimes we'll walk past people and he'll go to sniff and they'll pat his head has they go by. But it's just not the same attention as small dogs get. If I'm at a dog park, then people are interested in him. But it seems most people don't like big dogs that are just out and about

[wolf_Q]

When I have Nebo with Reggie and Sydney Nebo usually gets the most attention. I think it's because of his unusual looks and eyes a lot of people are interested in him......a lot of people are frightened of him too though!

I went into a petstore with my sister once, she had her golden retriever Skylee and I had my grandma's chihuahua, Joey. Joey received the most attention by far!

[poofy]

I have 2 small dogs and they always get a lot of attention..but My daughters large breed , always seems to get a lot of attention to..no matter where we go .People just love him..Guess Samson just has that kind of face..they will look at him first then the little one.. :)

[.sarah]

Buttons, my RB Dachshund has by far gotten the most attention when we go out in public out of all of the dogs I've ever owned. Dachshunds are really popular around here though.

My girls still seem to get a lot of attention, though. I live in a city with a lot of animal lovers (which makes me wonder why places dogs can go is very limited around here).

I personally go after any dog for attention lol. The giant dogs always catch my attention the most, though, because you just don't see them often.

[beeniesmom]

That is really wierd.
I always get the opposite reaction.
When I am dog sitting my bosses BIG BORZOIS and go out and walk all of them together, my two are always ignored and people always fuss over the big dogs. :confused:

I don't think people like smaller dogs better. They are just more "portable".
I think that they think that they are easier to keep indoors. Just a guess.
I've had both bigger and smaller ones. I love them ALL!!!!

[slleipnir]

Odd...Today almost everyone wanted to look at him. I've never had that kind of reaction...I think even when Josie was a pup she didn't get that kind of attention. A lot of people fussed over her, but it wasn't the same. Maybe it's cause he is a chihuahua? Or maybe it was because I had Zeke too who is HUGE in comparison. Maybe people thought it was cute to see a huge dog and a tiny dog? :rolleyes: :o :confused:

[Anita Cholaine]

People usually don't like Anita... Maybe because she is not a typical little cute doggie, she loves barking and she makes it really loud... Dachshunds aren't small dogs, though... They are big dogs with short legs :p

I don't know if people preffer small breeds. Labs and goldens are really popular here now, and I think that they are the dogs that are getting more attention... The opposite thing happens with dachshunds: I don't know many people who likes them...

[beeniesmom]

I don't know many people who likes them...

I LOVE them! My grandparents (RIP) used to have one named Mickey (after M. Mouse). She was a doll!

[pnance]

Sandy my RB terrier who was only 10 lbs always got a lot more attention than Savannah who weighs about 55 lbs. Currently all mine are large dogs and my 2 girls never get the attention my 2 boys do, so I think it may also be dog dependent. Bear looks like a big stuffed teddy bear and usually gets a lot of attention even though he weighs in at about 90 lbs. Hunter just looks goofy because of his ears and I usually hear a lot of comments about them. Savannah and Nikka are both sweethearts but don't have the cute cuddly look which is why I think my boys get more attention.

[BC_MoM]

I think more people "AWWWW" over small dogs because they're... small, lol.

Personally, I'm not a small dog owner. I don't like owning anything below my knee. I just.. don't like the smallness.

But I do love small dogs.. they're really cute. I especially love Shih Tzu's.

More people "AWWWW" over Molly than they do Mickey. So, I usually chime in "Aww.. Mickey's a good boyyyyyy" when someone is mollycoddling Molly. He's always forgotten now by strangers and it sort of upsets me.

[elizabethann]

Fenway is a chick magnet...which doesn't do me any good. He's also a magnet for children. Everybody thinks he's cute (which he is :D ) and everybody has to pat him and ask about him. Doesn't bother me. But why can't he be a man magnet? :D

[Daisy and Delilah]

I agree with Carmen. Just the opposite. My girls seems to not get much of a reaction at all compared to big dogs. Especially from my family. They're all big dog people. If I take the girls to Pet Supermarket it's usually the older ladies that stop and comment about them.

[Vette]

Hey i noticed that too. no one would give a rats crap when i walked my 55 pound mix breed. but yet people draw to me like a magnet when i take Kirby with us.

its rather annoying. and little dogs are the ones thatll be snippy before bigger dogs. so it just boggles my mind how people will migrate around little dogs and not give other dogs the time of day.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Nobody pays attention to Roxy, I guess she's uhh..."vicious" :rolleyes: (Although she wouldnt hurt a FLY!) But when Lily is with us, everybody goes Aww! What a cutie! Can I pet her? Etc...

[Flatcoatluver]

since i have never had a small dog (my dad dosn't really like small dogs)

But with t.j he get all the attention!!!! but i guess his coat pattern is a little rare. But with zoey there is tons of all black dogs out there, nobody looks at her twice. But I don't care she is beautiful in my eyes.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I think it depends on where we are. Usually, Marta gets more attention, but I think maybe because she is a purebred and people know what she is. People that like mixes better are usually more attracted to Adele. Either way, they usually both get pets, so I don't mind too much. Marta is more well-behaved around strangers and will "visit" with everyone, while Adele gets excited and goes bonkers :o (she jumps up...I've tried SO HARD to train her not to do this, but I've only successfully trained her not to jump on me).

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

That's exactly what happens with my dogs too. Tia always gets all of the attention, and the bigger ones rarely ever do (Part of it is their breed, but it also has to do with the size). Tia doesn't even like the attention of strangers while the others do. I don't get it, perosnally, I don't think small dogs are any cuter than large dogs....

[Pam]

When I am walking Bella and Ripley most people will say "AWWWW" about Ripley which I guess is because he is small. People are interested in Bella too, but I think it is because of her size. You wouldn't believe how many people never knew that there were three sizes of poodles. Most are only familiar with toys and minis. I have actually had people ask me if she is a poodle. :o :rolleyes:

[dogzr#1]

Well, my three usually get an equal amount of attention. Astra sometimes gets a little more attention because of her color and eyes. But usually they all get the same amount.

[cyber-sibes]

I have actually had people ask me if she is a poodle. :o :rolleyes:
LOL! what did you say, "No, she's a greyhound!" :rolleyes: I've always thought the large poodles were really cool, if I got one, that's what I'd want!

I've only had big dogs, too, but Star & Sherman get ooos and ahhhs whereever we go. i think most people think huskies are kind of exotic. plus every kid in the world thinks they're "Snow Dogs!"

My RB dog, Rosie, never got as much attention and she suffered through "big black dog" syndrome-- people would always ask if she was friendly, I guess black dogs are supposed to be mean. :mad:

[ParNone]

It's been my experience that uniqueness wins out over small and cute. Oz and Gull, by far, get more notice then Murph. Murph does pretty good with lil' kids and lil' old ladies, but Oz and Gull attract attention from everybody, especially guys. There's a certain kewl factor to them I guess.

Par...

[Giselle]

It's been my experience that uniqueness wins out over small and cute. Oz and Gull, by far, get more notice then Murph. Murph does pretty good with lil' kids and lil' old ladies, but Oz and Gull attract attention from everybody, especially guys. There's a certain kewl factor to them I guess.

Par...
You got to it before I did :)

Needless to say, I definitely agree with Par. The uniqueness of a dog by FAR exceeds its "cuteness" factor. Since I have both ends of the dog spectrum, strangers often look bewildered when they see my pair. Naturally, their eyes rest on Giselle first. The reasons are obvious: Greyhounds are very elegant dogs and Giselle has awesome "eyeliner" that really emphasizes her eyes. She gets the most attention, without a doubt. On the other hand, while Lucky could hold his own if he was alone is just not as unique/"cool"/attractive as Giselle. Many people dislike Pekes because they're the stereotypical Toy breed. They're small, fluffy, and they have a smushed-in nose. :D Therefore, nobody really cares about him when he's walking with his 'sister', Giselle. Even though Giselle is very tall and quite large compared to your average 22-24-something-inch Golden Retriever, people have no problems approaching her. I don't think it has to do with size, but uniqueness.

In our eyes, of course, Zeke is probably one of the most gorgeous dogs with so much to offer. However, many others are used to his "utilitarian" build and so are not as drawn to him as, let's say, a Poodle in a Continental Clip. People are attracted to the exotic and rare. It's just human nature. I don't think it has much to do with cuteness or size, IMO.

Edited to add: As a testament to the size VS. uniqueness issue, I've been stopped multiple times by strangers who scream at me (from their cars), "IS THAT A WHIPPET?"

:D

[dab_20]

Well I am not sure about that because I've never had a big dog. Everyone seems to pay attention more to the puppy... like everyone wants to hold Sammy and stuff, and don't give about my little Molli. But WHATEVER to them.

[animal_rescue]

Yes! Whenever I walk my mojos they get A LOT of attention, I remember 2 years ago when Marty was a puppy, we took him and Maggie to the creek. This little boy ran up to Maggie and started petting her his mom ran up after him and I told her Maggie was friendly and he could pet her, but she pulled him away and let him pet Marty. Now, though I can't let anyone pet Marty because he hates kids :rolleyes: They think I'm snotty but I'm not going to get in trouble if he bites anyone, I warned them.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

People usually don't like Anita...

We do! She's lovely!

[Jadapit]

When I'm out and about with Ebony I get a lot of "dirty" looks from people. A lot of people will cross the street when they see us coming. One day we were walking by the high school, a group of kids were coming toward us one kid yelled "those are pit bulls" they all ran to the other side of the street. Then the kid yells "nice dogs". :rolleyes:

It makes me both sad and angry that so many people are scared of Ebony and Jada. Those two really do love people.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

When I'm out and about with Ebony I get a lot of "dirty" looks from people. A lot of people will cross the street when they see us coming. One day we were walking by the high school, a group of kids were coming toward us one kid yelled "those are pit bulls" they all ran to the other side of the street. Then the kid yells "nice dogs". :rolleyes:

It makes me both sad and angry that so many people are scared of Ebony and Jada. Those two really do love people.


People are notoriously stupid (especially in child form) - you know your dogs are gorgeous and loving and that's all that matters! If it makes any difference I would stop to give them a hug if I passed them in the street

[Jadapit]

People are notoriously stupid (especially in child form) - you know your dogs are gorgeous and loving and that's all that matters! If it makes any difference I would stop to give them a hug if I passed them in the street

Thank you so much! They would love it if you could give them a hug. :)

[Husky_mom]

its all perspective.......because i would also run but TOWARDS them!!! I love Pits, Bully breeds, Big Dogs.........any dogs, i never walk away, i always have to pet them.......ALWAYS ;)

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I do find that to be true. When Nacey had class at PetSmart she was the smallest in her class (there was also a sheba Inu, a cocker, and a boarder collie). Nacey definitely got the most attention from people passing by. It got really annoying when people could see that we were in the middle of class, yet they still stopped to talk to her (and distract her).


I think a lot of the time people do eye small dogs more than large one without even realizing it. I think there are a lot of things that subconsciously contribute to it.
-People love puppies and I think because little dogs are small like puppies people are often drawn to them.
-A lot of the time small dogs seem to be more pampered (not on PT of corse, but not everyone is like us). I often see small dogs sitting on someone's lap in a car, the dog has a bow in it's hair and a cute little sweater on. Then you pass a large dog in the back of someone's pick-up truck.
- The media tells us that big dogs are bad and small dogs are good. The new loves to share bad stories about large dogs, but never does about small dogs. Movies rarely portray small dogs as vicious or mean, it's almost always a large dog who is the bad guy.


I love seeing both large and small dogs. I however don't usually walk up to any dog, large or small. I think of dogs like I think of little children. I wouldn't just walk up to a stranger out of the blue and start talking to their 3 year old child, well I don't do that with dogs either. I get annoyed when someone comes up to me and my dogs, I don't mind if they ooo and aah from a distance as long as they respect us enough to keep that distance.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

When I'm out and about with Ebony I get a lot of "dirty" looks from people. A lot of people will cross the street when they see us coming. One day we were walking by the high school, a group of kids were coming toward us one kid yelled "those are pit bulls" they all ran to the other side of the street. Then the kid yells "nice dogs". :rolleyes:

It makes me both sad and angry that so many people are scared of Ebony and Jada. Those two really do love people.

I wouldn't have crossed the street, but I would have just said hi as I continued to walk by. Not out of fear, but out of respect for you and your dogs, I simply wouldn't want to interrupt your walk. Unfortunately I'm sure a lot of people are fearful of your dogs, but I hope you don't feel everyone who doesn't stop to pet your dogs is afraid of them. :)


its all perspective.......because i would also run but TOWARDS them!!! I love Pits, Bully breeds, Big Dogs.........any dogs, i never walk away, i always have to pet them.......ALWAYS ;)
So do I, I hope to have a pit bull someday. I know several and love all of them. I would hate to think that someone thought I was afraid of them though, just because I didn't go up to them and pet them.
(I know that's not what you were implying, I was just adding a different point of view to what you said.)

[Cincy'sMom]

Of our three, Spot seems to get the most attention. I guess it becuase of the Disney 101 Dalmatain movies? That combined with the common very of big, scary black dogs :rolleyes:

[Jessika]

Smaller dogs are more of... lap dogs persay, and more people dress them up, doll them up, make them "cute" etc... I dunno but yeah I have noticed this, too. I prefer larger dogs myself, but I think all dogs are cute. I give every dog who comes into work the same amount of attention! Sometimes its the owners I have a problem with, but that's a different story..

I have received LOTS of compliments on my two though when I bring them out. Mostly on their eyes, though, which I find odd lol. And always ALWAYSSSSS they ask "is that a blue heeler??" noooooo.... lol. And they look NOTHING like blue heelers.

Sorry I went off on a tangent there.. But I think everyone thinks smaller is cuter. Everyone always oohs and aahs over babies and puppies (regardless of size) and I think they think the smaller they are, the cuter they are, you know?

[dab_20]

People usually don't like Anita... Maybe because she is not a typical little cute doggie, she loves barking and she makes it really loud... Dachshunds aren't small dogs, though... They are big dogs with short legs :p

I don't know if people preffer small breeds. Labs and goldens are really popular here now, and I think that they are the dogs that are getting more attention... The opposite thing happens with dachshunds: I don't know many people who likes them...

I adore Anita!! And so does everyone else here!! :)

I really love dachshunds... I've never had a full size one.... but I've had two minis. A reddish one that looked like Anita named Brandy is the very first dog I had. And I had a black and tan mini doxie named Copper when I was 8. Most people around here think dachshunds are very cute!

[dab_20]

When I'm out and about with Ebony I get a lot of "dirty" looks from people. A lot of people will cross the street when they see us coming. One day we were walking by the high school, a group of kids were coming toward us one kid yelled "those are pit bulls" they all ran to the other side of the street. Then the kid yells "nice dogs". :rolleyes:

It makes me both sad and angry that so many people are scared of Ebony and Jada. Those two really do love people.

I think it's it very stupid of people to be afraid of pitties from the media. People always say "You can't belive the media" but yet they believe them about dogs.
Jada and Ebony are GORGOUS and very cute!! I wish I could just cuddle with them... such big cuties. I feel so sad for pitties and there good owners like you sometimes, Jadapit. People like that are so dumb and cruel.... sometimes you just wanna go and slap them.

[Alysser]

It depends. Seriously, some people just say really rude things about Sassy. Like "look a poodle!" "IT doesn't even have teeth." "Why are you walking a dog that big?". Its very annoying. I can't stand it. Some people think she is a puppy and are like "LOOK AT THE PUPPY! LETS PET HER". Others are like "Aw! She is so adorable" and they pet her very gently. She loves the attention. When, I have her coat on people stare at us. They think I put it on to make her look "cute". Well, I put it on for warmth for the most part. One kid at school is like "Im gonna hold her at gunpoint." I was like "Um, try to touch her and she'll kill you first." In the house she is very aggressive and protective. She has to be locked in a cage! Some people can't even believe that. Mostly, she gets nice comments though.

Jadapit, I can't believe someone would do that. Media ruins everything. :mad: