Small dogs are big

 Though I still wonder everyday if I should get a Golden, Collie, or another Cairn when Riley dies...

I like both small and big dogs, but i prefer big. I don't think what you said are FACTS. Big dogs or small dogs are no better than each other, it's what YOU prefer that makes them better. For example, if someone breaks into my house i don't want a 5 lb dog...

I think it's a matter of preference and personal taste.  I personally think of a cocker as a small dog and I love them, but I also love my big german shepherds.  Those tiny dogs make me nervous as heck.....always afraid I'm gonna break them.

ORIGINAL: cairnterriers

1. They are smarter
2. They live longer
3. They love you just as much
4. Bonds are stronger because you can take them more places.
5. Easier to maintain

 
 
1.  What breed vs. what breed? 
2.  quality of life vs. longevity is a better thing to look at
3.  BIG dogs can love you just as much too..
4.  my big dogs went every where my little dogs went
5.  not on your life... i have a shiz tzu who requires much more maintainance than my great danes ever did!
6.  i know my danes could have protected me and i am pretty sure the only thing my chihuahua could kill would be whoever choked on her.
 
i love dogs and size is a reference only...  before i started doing daycare for a living a little dog was never in the picture.  i love my little girls but i really love big dogs too.

1. They are smarter
2. They live longer
3. They love you just as much
4. Bonds are stronger because you can take them more places.
5. Easier to maintain
 
1.  Not necessarily.  I have known many smart Border Collies, Pit Bulls, Shepherds and the like, but I've never really seen a small dog that was smarter than the big ones. 
2.  Tell that to the 16-year-old Shepherd and the poor Yorkshire Terrier that died before she even hit a year because she had been bred only for her size. 
3.  I'll agree with that.
4.  You don't have to take a dog to the store to bond with it.  You can take a large dog pretty much anywhere you can take a small dog. 
5.  Again, no.  They're often harder to potty train and they have smaller bladders, so they can't hold it as long.  They're closer to the ground, so everything that would get on a Shepherd's paws would be all over their underside. 
 
Size is a matter of preference.  Personally, I don't like small dogs.  You keep your opinion, but don't come onto boards telling how your dog is better than everyone else's. 

1. They are smarter
2. They live longer
3. They love you just as much
4. Bonds are stronger because you can take them more places.
5. Easier to maintain

 
 
1. I don't agree with that at all. They may be smart, but I don't think they're smarter than my large dogs. They're also (in general) far more difficult to train in my experience.
 
2. Maybe, maybe not. That totally depends on the dog. I know an Australian Shepherd who is currently 17 and still going strong. There's a person on another board I frequent with a 16 year old Husky/Shepherd mix. I've known both big and small dogs to live past 18, and I've known them to live no more than 10 years.
 
3. Dogs are companion animals. No matter what size they are, they all adore their family. I find the larger dogs (of certain breeds) to be more loyal.
 
4. I don't take my small dog any more places than I take my large dogs...in fact, I can't think of any place that I could take Tia to that wouldn't allow one of my larger dogs aswell.  I have a much stronger bond with Tango (medium/large dog) than I do with Tia (small dog). Dogs, no matter what size, will bond very closely to either their entire family or one person. Small dogs do not bond any more closely than a large dog.
 
5. Not necessarily. My large dogs are pretty easy to maintain. They're more quickly trained, don't get covered in whatever filth there is outside, they've got better teeth (small dogs often do have more dental problems than large dogs, even if taken care of), they don't eat as much as small dog people tend to think, etc.
 
You can have our own opinion, but please don't state them as facts. Dogs are dogs, and while I love them all, I'm definitely a medium to large dog person and don't appreciate having someobdy tell me that their dog is better than mine because of size.

Also, I'm pretty sure i've read somewhere before that the 3 smartest dogs are border collies, standard poodles, and german shepherds...none seem to fall into the category of small...

I dont think that's really fair. it's like saying kids born in the spring are better and smarter than those born in the winter. They're all dogs.

I have a 12 pound 3 year old Shih Tzu who I love dearly, but she's a holy terror who yaps, gets into the trash, and is as aloof as a cat. There is no "pet me now" going on there. She takes care of herself, and herself only.

Then I have Oscar who's some hound dog who is well behaved, and always comes for doggie hugs! Oscar's not really mine, but I think of him as a great pal. One who would defend me in a heartbeat.
 
My next dog will probably be a big dog. They're lovers. They play hard. They cost more (size matters) but that is obvious.
 
 

Actually, the stupid teacup breeds are very unhealthy because they are so small.  Thanks to Paris Hilton, people think more of their dogs, however, I think she is a terrible owner.  Seriously, she doesn't know the first thing about canines.

I like both small and big dogs. To me saying one is better is like saying a lamp is better than a couch. It makes no sense. Small dogs and large dogs both serve a perpose, and they are both great. Now for some people one size is better than another.
Right now I have a 15 lb lhasa who I love dearly, but I rather want a larger dog too. I think that as for training wise smaller dogs are easier to handle, as in, if they are doing something you don't want them to do, then you can scoop them up and take them away, but there are some things that smaller dogs cant do. Like a lhasa woundn't be a very good sled dog, it just aint gonna happen. What she is good at is being a lap dog. There are three lhasas in our neighborhood, and two belong to elderly people who probably wouldn't be able to handle a larger dog, but the lhasa is just the right size. Also, I have never seen a lhasa knock over a full grown human, even when that human was using a cane. Larger dogs can sometimes do that accedently.

I love Maggie and all, but I do want a bigger dog.
As Glenda said, there are a lot harder to step on. My dad is 6'5 and he can accedently send Maggie flying accros the room wihen he is walking, something that would be rather difficult with a lab or GSD.
The also offer a bit more succurity. I also want a larger dog that I can run with. Maggie is out after about half a mile.

I love both small and large breeds.  One of my favorite breeds is actually the great dane   I have 3 chihuahuas right now, and I do prefer small breeds over large.  Small breeds fit more into my life... but it doesn't make them any better.

I prefer the color blue to the color green. Does that mean blue is better than green?

ORIGINAL: Stacita

I prefer the color blue to the color green. Does that mean blue is better than green?

 
Yes!  Blue is way better than green []

Small dogs are not better than large dogs, their all dogs.
 
Personally I love large dogs 50+lbs is how I like my dogs. In the winter they keep my toes warm, they can protect if needed (a big thing for me) , I can go hiking with them and they can carry a pack, I love having a swimming buddy and a big fishing buddy, and I just don't understand tiny dogs. Two of my neighbors have them and all they do is yap yap yap. My dogs make no noise. Although I guess tiny dogs can do everything a big dog can do, I just enjoy the comfort of large dogs.