"smaller" dogs

There are advantages to both big and small dogs. I love that i can walk my dogs at night and people are afraid of them, lol. BUT, big dogs=big poop, more food, not very much space in the bed and in the car, and like everyone else said more expensive meds.

When i had JRTs it was so much easier to put them in the bath tub!! I can pick up K&W, but i can (obviously) only do one at a time and i can't really hoist them too high.

A reminder of the comparison of a small, medium, and large dog.  And then the large dog versus the giant dog.

For me size don't matter, had them all here.  I forget about the size until I see them side by side in a picture.  As for food, depends on the dog, its activity level.  You would expect my Danes to be big eaters but that is not the case, I would say they eat the same as a medium size dog.

DPU I love your photos!!!

I think is a perspective thing, as Karen said. I think Thor's food is not like a sacrifice, he ates an 18kg bag in a month + 1week and the size of the poop... well, I have never used two bags to pick it up! Bags on board bags are the ones we use and we make a knot easily.

I love what Erica said about Casey, because that's the way dogs are supposed to be... I can't stand a yappy snnapy dog, any size!!

Calinisima

DPU I love your photos!!!

Me too!  Isn't that a gorgeous group of dogs?

Joyce

Smaller dogs are easier to care for and if I ever get into weightpull I will get a smaller dog. But they are also easier to accidently injure, me being so clumsy would always be worried about stepping on their paws all the time.

I always considered myself a ... "large" (now medium) dog person, loving both Misha's parents, Ringo and Beautiful, who probably weigh/ed 60-70 lbs. But then I met Mutt, Misha's full brother from Beautiful's first litter. That dog was a monster. The largest dog I'd ever seen, and I instantly fell in love with him, and he's half the reason I got Misha! I love having a big dog, though I wish he was more confident, convincing your 90 lb dog to get into, or out of, the car when he's more powerful than you and only 20-30 lbs lighter than you... it's a feat.

Would I ever own smaller dogs? Absolutely. I didn't think I'd like terrier-sized dogs, but ALOK's dogs have shown me that with proper training terrier types can also be great dogs, if not, at least, more space-conveinent. (can't spell...)

My parents have a very small dog and there is definitely the convenience factor.  He's so little they can take him anywhere, has tiny poo, and requires very little food.  Cruiser is medium at around 35 pounds and Sophie is large I guess at 68 pounds.  I think my fondness leans towards  large dogs, especially since the trend right now is towards teeny tiny dogs.  I get a lot of negative comments about having a big dog, one person asked what breeds she was and than followed that up with "too bad she's so big though".  Whatever.    I like the fact that even though she never met a stranger and will lick you to death before biting, people are a little bit intimidated by her.   

I used to be a "big dog person", the bigger the better. I liked German Shepherds, Dobermans, Saint Bernards, Mastiffs, Akitas, etc. It was only when I started working with dogs that I found I prefer the smaller ones. They're easier to handle and it doesn't hurt if they step on your foot or wag their tail against you. I think Pit Bulls and Great Danes are the worst about that.

Plus, small dogs are easier to take places, they eat less, collars, leashes, toys, crates.... pretty much everything for them costs less.

I like medium, typically.  30-40 lbs is perfect for a dog.  Convenient but not too small.  Small dogs though, I have come to adore after living with them.  I will always have a papillon.  Size isn't an issue for me, it's personality.  I like an active, fun dog with a friendly personality.  It just happens my favorite breeds are in the medium-small range.  (I like the herders mostly)

I do like the way my brother can just put his Scottie in a carrier when they fly and he can just scoop him up if needed.  And, if he misbehaves on leash it's not a big deal he can't pull them over or anything like that.

 I have two small dogs. Both leap into my arms, on command. Emma on the right, and Ena on the left, always. Before Emma, I had only large breed dogs and prefered them. Now? Not so much. I still ADORE my Dobies and Pits, Boxers, Danes, Borzois, etc. I don't want to live with another big dog, though. It's just wayyyy too easy to live with these little girls. Emma has had to be carried, in many situations, and it's easy for me to handle. Ena had to be carried, last week, because the mud on the ground was too deep (ok, so she's a prissy hairless dog.... and? LOL). They're perfect lap dogs, and the bending doesn't bother me much. I don't have to bend far, from 5'3", LOL.

Of course, I groomed a Bearded Collie, today, and brushing that full, gorgeous coat was pure bliss. I was telling a friend of mine this weekend that I'd have an Afghan JUST to brush it. I can get a Powderpuff, though, and be just as happy.

 I like all dogs, regardless of size. :) There's just different advantages and disadvantages to everything.

The collies are SO much easier to train to heel- I'm really starting to think it's a height thing + a trainer laziness/klutziness thing- I spend MUCH less time bending over. (target sticks help but aren't the same thing as a hand target). I'm going to enjoy showing Mal in agility but I don't really enjoy showing him in the breed ring- it's just HARD. At the same time, I don't miss showing a 40 pound table breed (the Cardis!) either. Lizzie's size (13ish pounds( is very nice for portability and taking her places- it sure would be easier to have a whole house of spitz to take to shows. :P  

 I haven't owned a giant breed yet, but there's a number of larger breeds I'd like to own someday. I'm sure I'll find things I like and don't like about that size as well. :)
 

 I just like ALL my dogs.
 

willowchow

I do like the way my brother can just put his Scottie in a carrier when they fly and he can just scoop him up if needed. 

I envy small dog owners because of this!

I didn't realize how good I have it with my girls until I joined the SAR team I'm on.  Suddenly I realized how much more they spend on equipment, how hard it is to fit large crates in anything other than a giant SUV, etc.  My teammates are jealous that I can fit Z's crate in the back of my little hatchback with the rear seats up and I spent a good $5 less on her lighted collar and will save much more on her next harness and other equipment.  It's also underlined how valuable it is that I can carry her if she gets injured in the back 40 somewhere at practice or on a search.

I think Maggie is the perfect size - big enough to be threatening to door to door salesmen or neredowells on walks, but small enough to carry and small enough she fits into smaller sizes of everything.  She's 19.5" at the shoulder and 33lbs - I like my dogs leggy lol.

Showing a teensy dog *is* nice! Ena is fairly quick to groom (though that is more breed than size related... I'm sure it takes hours to groom a toy Poodle for the ring), and I do NOT have to run to gait her. That thrills my little heart like you wouldn't believe. It's very easy to put her on the table, too.

Also, in rally, Emma can take ight courses very quickly, due to her size (and flexibilty, she backs around me on all the lefts). She beat a BC for first this weekend, on time. Same score, Emma was faster, so she got the giant bag of cookies