Controlling your dog

[3GSDMom]

I dont have enough discussions with people on this forum. Thought I'd introduce a topic I have posted on another forum.

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More often than not an owner of a small breed dog does not put the same amount of training into their dogs as a large breed dog owner does. They think that because they are little they dont need the same amount of training. Because of their owners negligence they develop behavior problems.

Example:

Suzy Q takes little fifi the toy poodle to petsmart. Fifi is running to and fro on her leash. Every person and dog she sees she runs up to. She's been growling at everyone and has snapped at a few people/dogs. Suzy shrugs it off with a laugh. Fifi's just being adorable.
Now, here comes John D with his Mastiff, Fido. Fido is walking calmly at John's side, barely paying any attention to anyone else around him.
Fifi gets within range of Fido and immediately charges. Jumping up and yapping in Fidos face. Suzy laughs and remarks 'how cute' it is that Fifi is greeting Fido. Fido emits a low warning growl sending Fifi running back to her mom. John immediately re directs Fido's attention and attempts to leave before the situation gets any worse. Horrified, Suzy picks little Fifi up and demands that John 'control his vicious dog'.

Sound familiar?

This is something Ive encountered far too many times while out in public. And, it is something that I have observed. In general, owners of little dogs just do not control their dogs as well as they need to. They, for whatever reason, get this mindset that because their dog is small it is unable to do harm.

Now, dont get me wrong. There are many small breed dog owners that do in fact put a lot of time and effort into training their dog. There is always an exception. It just seems that I run into more that dont.
I dont know why people get it in their head that little dogs dont need training like large breed dogs do. I understand it is much easier for a large dog to cause damage, but damage can still be caused by a little dog. How many times have you seen a little dog provoke a larger dog? A lot of times, if people controlled their dogs, certain situations would be avoided.

Bottom line- Everyone, no matter what breed they own, needs to have control over their dogs. It seems to me that small breed owners find everything their dog does to be 'cute'. While, if something goes wrong, the automatically blame it on the large dog. They dont stop to think that precious little 'fifi' may be the one to blame due to their own ignorance.

Control your dogs people. Train them. Work with them everyday.


[This thread was sparked by a bad experience I had with an out of control dog approaching Travis and I at Petsmart. ]

[K9karen]

Coincidence? I don't know. But I've experience the same thing a few times (not always) at PetSmart/Petco. IMO, I think people with smaller dogs (of course none of us) tend to think their cuteness will let them get away with *ahem* murder.

[chocolatepuppy]

I too, have noticed that in the petstores.
My neighbor has a Miniature Schnauzer. She lets the pup jump all over me when I visit. Even being a dog lover, that can get old real fast. Now if I let Layla or Lacey jump all over her... I now have what I believe is going to be a smaller dog, Jake. I will have to make sure I practice what I preach.

[3GSDMom]

Now if I let Layla or Lacey jump all over her... I now have what I believe is going to be a smaller dog, Jake. I will have to make sure I practice what I preach.

My grandmother is the same way! Now, I can understand her not wanting Travis to jump on her, but I also have two smaller dogs that are her dogs size and smaller. Yet she complains like no other. I go to her house and it's 'cute' when her dog [some sort of poodlemixthing] is jumping all over me. Aren't double standards lovely?

[Karen]

I have noticed this, some people seem to forget that small dogs are still dogs, and need training just as much. It's funny, because my first dog, Sheba, (best, smertest dog in the whole wide world) was a German Shepherd mis, almost all black, with tan spots for eyebrows and tan on her legs. She was not only smart, but amazingly well-behaved. My family got her when she was a full-grown stray, so we don't know who had her, or how much training she had as a pup. Anyway, people were literally afraid of her because she was llarge and black. My mother once saw a traveling salesman walk backwards down the driveway when Sheba, who hadn't even looked at him, barked her soft, polite "Let me in, please" bark!

On the other hand, the lady up the street had miniature poodles. She bred them, and claimed they were show-quality (though I never saw them with "that" haircut) - but they were the loudest, most yappy, obnoxious bunch I have ever encountered. They would jump at you through the door the entire time you were talking to the woman, and barked so much that one had to shout to be heard over them. To my mind, they were not even cute, that's how obnoxious they were, and I never understood why anyone would want a dog like that!

[Freedom]

I wonder if it is really that small dogs don't get trained as often. If you have a large dog and don't train it, are you REALLY going to take it in to PetCo or PetsMart? Is it just that the uncontrollable small dogs can still be taken anywhere? So you see more of them untrained. The untrained big dogs get left at home; and probably tied out in the back yard.

Just a thought.
Oh, but this doesn't account for the in- the -home attitude differences mentioned. **shrugs** Oh well.