I just had to share this...

Cita

 That's hilarious!!!!

I still don't understand why people get so offended by picking up small dogs, though. I had an encounter in the park yesterday where a guy came up to me and Rascal with his (fortunately leashed) pulling dog. I say, "Sorry, Rascal's not terribly friendly, he might bite your dog" and start walking away. The guy says, "Oh, that's okay, my dog isn't friendly either!" and keeps walking towards us!! If you're passing another dog in very close proximity and you don't know the dog AND you have a dog that is easily picked up AND could easily die if said close dog turned out to be aggressive... as long as you're not scowling or sneering at the other dog/owner, what's the big deal?

I pick Rascal up to cross the street around here because the traffic is intense and careless and I need to know that if I'm sprinting to avoid being crushed by a car then my dog is coming with me instead of freezing in terror (as he tends to do) and getting smashed in the middle of the road. Does that mean that the drivers should pick up their cars to make fun of me?

Just throwing some of the other perspective in there. I love large dogs, but I'm not getting anywhere near one with my tiny little guy unless I know the dog, I know the owner, and it's in a controlled environment. Just like I would pick up my toddler if we were walking in close vicinity to unknown dogs. Just playing it safe.

That's a good point but you're not (hopefully ) one of those owners that sneers and is trying to prove a point by picking up your smaller dog. 

 For Cita...

I know what you mean. Now when I have a small dog and a big one that I don't know approaches, I feel a bit nervous and I am extra careful. But until now, there was no need to pick him up. If there ever will be, you can be sure I would do just that.

But the man held his dog on a very short leash, and the dog was just sniffing around... Not even once did he look at the other dog... And they were not really that close to each other... Which made it even more fun to look!

I don't pick up my small guys unless another dog is actively looking aggressive/out of control, or is running off leash in our direction. In those cases I would certainly pick them up, and I would do so even if it were a small breed aggressing at us. But for general passing on the street of a bigger dog that is walking nicely and under control I wouldn't think of doing so. I don't want to instill to my dogs, of any size, that other dogs are something to be feared unless there's an actual need to fear them.

 That must have been so funny, too bad you didn't catch that on camera.  I must admit I don't get the pick your small dog up when walking past a controlled leashed big dog.  Then again, I've been known to cross four lanes of traffic because I've seen someone walking a large dog on the other side and think oh more desensitization/training practice for Kirby. >___>

I think is funny, although, I understand the other side. But -just talking about me and my dog- we had a neighbour with two little Yorkshire terriers "Chaplin and Bella", every single morning for about 2 years we walked at the same time and the same place and I think Thor only look at them twice... and they barked like crazy at us 99% of the time!!

And you now? Sometimes I wish I could pick up Thor. I think owners of little dogs have that advantage over me!!