Small 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.

[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.

LOL! what did you say, "No, she's a greyhound!" 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.

[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. 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?"