Big Dog vs. Small Dog Animosity? (aDork)

sallya

These posts usually turn out like this. If you see your small dog being horribly attacked while you try and hold on to your little one, you tend to remember this forever.

Well, I think the point is that nobody wants their dog attacked. 

Jack has been attacked several times at the dog park by smaller dogs.  The owners just go on like it's no big deal.  In my experience it also seems to be the small dog owners who will bring dogs that clearly do *not* want to be there to the park, and then not leave when the dog gets snarky.  I think the thought process is that it's no big deal because their dogs can't do any "real harm."  However, that could not be further from the truth.  A dog with a nasty attitude changes the atmosphere of the park, forces those of us with more social dogs to completely alter our time at the park, can cause fights, and can forever change the attitude of dogs unlucky enough to be its victims with one well placed bite.  There was one occasion where Jack was attacked several times in a row by a llaso apsa before the owner reined him in.  Now, if Jack had defended himself rather than let it roll off his back,  I'm fairly certain he would have been blamed, because he's the one who is 60 lbs.

Honestly, there are many little dogs I like.  It's very likely that at some point I'll own some sort of little dog.  I've met tons of wonderful small dog owners on this board.  Actually, it doesn't even bother me if an owner picks their little dog up when they my dogs. 

What bothers me is when people fail/refuse to teach their little dogs manners, fail/refuse to socialize their little dogs, fail/refuse to deal with their small dog's obnoxious behavior (or even worse, find it cute), and THEN insist on putting the dog into social situations in crowded public places where the dog clearly is clearly not comfortable, and clearly does not want to be.  Seriously, why bring your yorkie-poo into Petsmart during the most crowded time of the most crowded day of the week only to have it sit in the cart and bark itself into oblivion, snap and snarl at passersby, etc?  I do understand that this happens with large dogs as well, and honestly it bugs me just as much then to.  However, I see it with much greater frequency in the places that I visit with the smaller dogs, and it seems to be much more accepted (and sometimes the owners even find it funny).

That being said, Jack does have a very good small doggie friend named Mayer---

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sallya

These posts usually turn out like this. If you see your small dog being horribly attacked while you try and hold on to your little one, you tend to remember this forever.

   You're right; that would be horrible. Some owners with small dogs pick them up when Jessie and I walk by and it doesn't offend me; she is a guarding mix, so I can understand their concern.

sallya

 If large dogs don't want to be near a little one, I guess you all can walk a long way around. We can all stay separate no matter the size. We just all have to do our best to care for our sweet pets. No matter the size

I have always bee a big dog person, started with German Shepherds as a young girl, to Rottis to Am Staffs. When our first Frenchie made his way to our house for Dustin I had nothing to do with him. It took a few years but he did grow on me. I finally realized that although they are small, they are really big dogs in their minds. They are just as rough and tumble as my big dogs if not worse.

I also dislike the pick up my little dog attitude, what most don't realize when they do this is it makes the big dog want to then jump to see what you have in your hands ..prey drive issues there.

I'll stick with my big dogs and big dog attitude

I don't feel that this conversation always has to go to the level of "small dogs are unruly and big dogs bite". I also don't feel that this thread has taken that direction. I'm sorry if my statements or question has offended some people.

I understand avoiding unruly dogs. Large dogs in prongs pulling and choking themselves and throwing themselves at people and their dogs, I most certainly understand picking up your dog. It helps keep them out of harms way, and makes it easier to navigate. But why would you take a small reactive dog into public only to pick it up and not deal with the situation? I also understand walking around another person or other dogs. Misha doesn't like other people and when he's getting anxious I will walk him as far away from people as I can, to still get where I need. He's gotten much better, but that took a lot of work and a lot of going out to PetsMart or Wags and keeping him away from people. I understand that Misha is big, and that other people don't know he's been raised with small dogs.

Someone here recently went to the vet... (mrstjohnson?) and couldn't escape because she had both her dog and her child and two large, aggressive dogs in the waiting room. In my opinion, that is completely different. She and the dog were obviously in danger. The dogs were obviously aggressive and the situation was just plain bad. Dogs of any size lunging, snapping, or biting at you or your dog is a situation where you have to decide what is best for you and your dog.

I think... overall, my point is that I would like small dog and large dog owners to have well-trained, well-behaved dogs. But, as it were, there are obvious lags in either side of the argument. I do not mean to offend the small dog owners on the forum. I tend to think that if you are online looking at forums and looking up information you are an above average dog owner, and that your actions are probably different from what I would think of a "stereotypical small dog owner" - the kind who carries their dog in their purse. [I know this is not at all accurate, but I have seen one or two who did this... they were in Target.]

it seems like whatever "we" small dog owners do, we cant make it right for the bog dog owners. you think it's horrible when we dont control our "yappy" dogs. but then if we opt to pick them up, to diffuse the situation, we are offending you.

personnally i will continue to pick up jason with any unleashed dogs or leashed, but not controlled dogs around. it is not fair to the other dogs to have to deal with my DA dog and it is not fair to my dog to keep him in a situation that makes him anxious. i will also continue to take him out in public. last thing i want is him becoming afraid of strange people as well. it is my way of avoiding a bad situation. personnally, i barely ever get to meet large dogs, especially when i'm with my own dogs. but when i see a large dog, i WILL pick jason up. yes, you MIGHT be in control of your large dog, but i dont know that, and i have seen how my dog's attitude can make another dog react, even though they have no prior issues with other dogs. it's just a dangerous situation. my dog could start something. your dog might finish it. and it would be all my fault...

no way will i let that happen.

Someone mentioned here that they'd like to see big dogs without their special "tools" (I'm assuming harnesses, gentle leaders, etc.) because they think the big dogs would not be so well-behaved as they seem. Sure, big dog owners may use "tools" more than small dogs owners, but come on...controlling a papillon versus a lab are two totally different things. Sometimes I do wonder why small dog owners (and I mean the tiny dogs) use harnesses - I don't see the necessity of harnessing a 10 lb dog, but then again I've never owned one so it's an outside opinion.

That being said...

I strongly prefer large dogs. I love dogs I can throw my arms around and hug, and I just love good old-fashioned "dog dogs", if that makes sense, lol. I would be quite nervous that I'd step on a small dog if I had one, I bump into Riley and Cadie enough as it is. Also, I haven't exactly had the greatest experience with small dogs. For example, there is one on my street, maybe 10lb, that is usually in its fenced backyard and barks incessantly at anyone who goes near. This is extremely annoying and agitates Riley. If my dogs barked like that each time someone passed, I would be in trouble. It also irks me when people bring their little dogs into the big dog section of the dog park - I understand your dogs may love big dogs and the small dog section may be empty, but really....I shouldn't have to worry about Riley squashing your tiny dog just by tumbling into it. It's dangerous for the small dog, and Riley has a thing for chasing small dogs relentlessly.

When I think of a dog, in my mind, I want a dog who I can pet without bending down, who will run and hike and bike with me, who can protect me if need be (I'm a teenage girl; I don't walk alone at night, lol).

Small dogs have their perks of course, and I know many people here have wonderful small companions. But they're just not my cup of tea. This may be a little irrelevant, but one thing that does bother me is when someone dresses their little dog up in fancy clothes for non weather purposes. Dogs aren't meant to wear clothing, and I can't imagine any one of them would be more comfortable in clothes than in their natural state...naked...lol.

So yeah, to sum it up...I prefer the big dogs. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am sorta biased towards meduim/small dogs but I still love big dogs too. I especially love Beagles!!!!

 My family has big dogs though.

My parents have a chocolate lab Hershey.

My good friend Sam has a Great Dane Oreo.

My cousin Garrett has 2 Golden Retrievers Cabo and Daisy.

My friend Jenny has a Rottweiller Rollo.

Brownie-

Cuddles-

Possum-

i dont really like the drssing up just for dressing up, too! i guess some dogs dont realy care though...

the only non-weather reason i dress up my dogs is when i take them to my mom's for christmas. she is allergic and i do everything i can to control that fur! hehe

I just love dogs.  Ugly dogs, beautiful dogs.  Tiny dogs, giant dogs...and every dog in between.    They all have their unique qualties and attributes, and it is just a matter of appreciating each of them for what they are.  But because people will always disagree on this topic...it's a darn good thing that there is a size and breed out there to suit nearly everyone's tastes. 

In all seriousness, I agree with many of the points that have been made.  All dogs need training.  Period.  That is true.  HOWEVER, I think that both camps tend to jump to conclusions a little too quickly sometimes regarding what they see other owners doing, and WHY they are doing whatever it is.  I honestly do not see anything wrong with carrying a small dog around in a bag every once in a while, if the owner wants to.  If the dog fits, why the heck not?    It should not be automatically assumed that that poor dog is *always* carried *everywhere* and never treated like a dog...or that that particular owner is a Paris Hilton wannabe.  .  Maybe they simply needed to run a quick errand and didn't want to leave their dog out in the car alone.  Who knows?  Likewise, just to use the picking up deal as another example.  Every dog owner, regardless of whether they own a small dog or a large one, has their own reasons for handling certain situations the way they do, based on their unique dog and whatever unique issues/needs it may have.  There are several reasons why an owner might pick up their small dog when passing another dog (of any size).  I don't agree that it is necessarily the best thing to do...but that is each owner's perogative.

My point with all of this, though, is just that we should all try to keep in mind that we don't always know the whole story or all the facts...and therefore maybe we should be a little less quick to judge or stereotype.  ;-)  Along those same lines, we should also try to not take things so personally, because many times they may not be personal at all.  Live and let live, I say. 

IrishSetterGrl

Sometimes I do wonder why small dog owners (and I mean the tiny dogs) use harnesses - I don't see the necessity of harnessing a 10 lb dog, but then again I've never owned one so it's an outside opinion.

Harnesses are typically considered safer than collars for their delicate necks and tracheas.  ;)

OT Kind of

Sometimes I do wonder why small dog owners (and I mean the tiny dogs) use harnesses - I don't see the necessity of harnessing a 10 lb dog, but then again I've never owned one so it's an outside opinion.

The reason why we small dog people use harnesses is to put less pressure on the trachea.  I don't know about other small breeds but Papillons are prone to collapsing trachea.  Use a harness & there's less chance of harming them.

Owners pick up little ones just to make sure all is fine.

you little dog owners do realize that many predatory big dogs are triggered to attack by the sight of a fluffy unidentifiable animal/toy being held by a person?  whereas a dog on the ground is safe, clearly a dog.

In my own experience small dogs are much more likely to bite people and attack big dogs than the reverse.

gradyupmybutt

OT Kind of

Sometimes I do wonder why small dog owners (and I mean the tiny dogs) use harnesses - I don't see the necessity of harnessing a 10 lb dog, but then again I've never owned one so it's an outside opinion.

The reason why we small dog people use harnesses is to put less pressure on the trachea.  I don't know about other small breeds but Papillons are prone to collapsing trachea.  Use a harness & there's less chance of harming them.

I've always wondered too. 

But I guess the trachea thing leaves me wondering why any dog regardless of size would handle constant pressure on the trachea?  My I've got big dogs, but their collars are loose enough such that I can pull them over their heads so there is no pressure on their necks.  If we are walking and there is pressure on their trachea, I stop, wait for them to catch on, and work on polishing the loose leash walk in other ways.  I don't like to see any dog regardless of size or breed straining against the lead.

Lies I think the margin for error is much smaller with the small breeds with this.  Any pressure can be too much. And where as I agree that the ideal is that a dog never strains, I believe that is rarely achievable over an entire lifetime. 

janetmichel3009

it seems like whatever "we" small dog owners do, we cant make it right for the bog dog owners. you think it's horrible when we dont control our "yappy" dogs. but then if we opt to pick them up, to diffuse the situation, we are offending you.

personnally i will continue to pick up jason with any unleashed dogs or leashed, but not controlled dogs around. it is not fair to the other dogs to have to deal with my DA dog and it is not fair to my dog to keep him in a situation that makes him anxious. i will also continue to take him out in public. last thing i want is him becoming afraid of strange people as well. it is my way of avoiding a bad situation. personnally, i barely ever get to meet large dogs, especially when i'm with my own dogs. but when i see a large dog, i WILL pick jason up. yes, you MIGHT be in control of your large dog, but i dont know that, and i have seen how my dog's attitude can make another dog react, even though they have no prior issues with other dogs. it's just a dangerous situation. my dog could start something. your dog might finish it. and it would be all my fault...

no way will i let that happen.

Diffusing a situation is totally different then just picking up because the small dog owner feels threatened by the bigger dog adn what *might* happen. In most cases I've personally experienced the small dog and big dog interact, no aggressive moves from the big dog yet small dog attacks big dog...this has happened often to Markie, the dog in my siggy...once it was so bad as Ireached into unattach the Boston from my dog, the Boston bit me! Markie NEVER, while getting bit in his face, chest and legs, NEVER attempted to bite the Boston, instead he raised his head and attempted to push the Boston away with his front feet. It was amazing to consider after the excitment of it all. An AKC judge appraoched me afterwards and was impressed that the Boston was as lucky as he was, I commented that if it had been another dog, the outcome might not have been the same. I train and proof my dogs not to be animal aggressive as they MUST live together at my home, Am STaffs and Frenchies. Sure I have a dog who does not fit so well in the mix, he will attack all the dogs in hour mix except two, unprovoked and with determination to inflict severe pain or kill. You can see it in his eyes and his body language...he is a French Bulldog...surprised?

Known DA is something totally different, just as I am aware of the dog above. He can not be trusted on my property or off. I know this and I deal with it accordingly, does this mean he doesn't go places, see other sights, no. He goes out alot because he is a really fun dog, I just know his limits and his body language. I would never put him in a position where he could hurt another dog, small or large. I will not pick him up if confronted either. He is diverted, my dogs will always keep four feet on the ground and work to correct their behaviour. This is not an issue regarding small or big dogs in your experience, it is regarding DA and dealing with it.

I love big dogs.....love, love, love them.....

I was never drawn to small dogs for the reason that several posters mentioned.....activity level, being able to play hard and protection.......and the hugging of a big dog is the best......I am home alone a lot......and I just don't feel alone with my pack around me, we walk in the dark and I don't lock my house......I am simply not scared......