Little dog/Big dog people

I have to say that I do see A LOT of very badly behaved small dogs and it irritates me just as much as if they were large dogs. The dog across the hall in my apartment complex is a Pekingese who barks her head off all the time. [&:] She has this shrill voice that just carries for miles it seems like. [&o] This dog is an obnoxious brat that pulls on the leash, chews on the leash, barks at people constantly even in the car (I've seen them in the parking lot and driving by). [:-] I think it really is true that most people with big dogs train them and the small ones get away with murder.

I don't think it's a difference in the people so much as the perception when you own one. I think when most people get a big dog they automatically know that they're going to have to do at least some training. It really is much easier to "cheat" with a small dog. I know I've been guilty of picking my guys up when we're walking to the car and I don't feel like working manners. That said, I do expect my little guys to behave. They have to "wait" for their food, "wait" before coming inside, sit and "wait" before they can go after I take their leashes off, move out of my way instead of me stepping over them, etc. I grew up with a big dog (Golden Retriever) and I was the sole caregiver, took her to obedience classes, etc. so maybe I just learned the "big dog" mentality? And I'm not implying that ANY of the small dog owners here are the permissive ones that I'm talking about, because I definitely haven't found that to be the case.

ETA- on a side note I also pick my dogs up or give a very wide berth if there's a big dog. I found out the hard way that I need to. The first lesson was when a girl said that her German Shepherd was good with other dogs, so I let it come over. The dog swooped in over him in a second. [] No greeting, just on him like a hawk on it's prey. The girl still insisted that her dog only wanted to sniff him, so I stupidly listened to her and ignored my own instincts. So holding Gingerbread I let her dog sniff him and the dog immediately snapped at his face! [] It's a good thing that I have REALLY fast reflexes. I jerked away the dog only got Gingerbread's topknot. The girl apologized up and down and she felt awful. Things could have ended VERY badly that day. After that I was a lot more careful and yet there was ANOTHER incident. This one wasn't as bad, but still a close call. I was walking down the trail in my complex and a guy with a Lab mix was walking towards us. I had Gingerbread on my right side and as we passed the dog it lunged for Gingerbread like he was a cat or squirrel. [] Again my reflexes kicked in and I said "nooooo" put my knee out right as the dog was lunging; the dog brushed against my leg as the person pulled back on the leash.

So yeah, I'm very careful with my little guys. It's the opposite of them being my protector. I have to protect THEM. [] And I will say that if ANY size dog is off leash and out of control I pick my dogs up. Just the other day two Jack Russells had gotten loose and the owner was trying to catch them. They were barking and growling at us and as one of them ran over I picked my dogs up as fast as humanly possible. Even a small dog can do damage if they just run in an attack.

Not all big dogs are untrained, agressive monsters waiting to hurt small dogs.  One bad experience does not the sum of life make.
 
I know what Willowchow is saying.....large dogs darned well better be leashed, trained, and passive at all times in public, while little dogs often are allowed to get away with all kinds of stuff because they are little and cute.  This of course, is not the fault of the dog but rather of the owner who thinks that everything their little dog does is cute.
 
One of my clients is a print shop and I stopped to pick up some stuff one day.  Normally the gsd is there and they put a big sign on the door when she is so that no one is surprised.  Heidi was on vacation with her mom so the LITTLE dog came in.....said little dog doesn't come in when Heidi is there because little dog aggravates the snot out of Heidi and won't leave her be.  Now, as I'm signing for the stuff, little dog walks up and lifts his leg and PEES on my foot!  Now, adorable little guy, and we'd had a good interaction but I guess he didn't want to see it end?  I was not at all pleased.
 
No one would even think of taking a gsd that did something like that to their place of business.  It's no more ok to bring a little dog who jumps on folks, aggravates other dogs and pees on people.
 
It isn't the dog or the size of the dog, it's the lack of training.
 
Having owned cockers for many years I have to say that's probably the low end of my comfort scale....really little tiny dogs make me nervous because I'm so darned clumsy I truly am afraid that I'll break them.

ORIGINAL: glenmar

Not all big dogs are untrained, agressive monsters waiting to hurt small dogs.  One bad experience does not the sum of life make.

I understand that, but with a strange dog I have no way of knowing which ones are going to be safe around my small dogs and which ones aren't. I am NOT going to take a chance with my dogs lives.

I totally understand that, but I'm hoping you won't let the bad experience color your perception of all large dogs.  You'll miss out on a lot if you do.  My large size crew are such sweeties, and Tyler sits so patiently at the old folks home so that the folks can pet and love up on him.  It's not the size....yes, temperment is involved, but TRAINING, regardless of size is so key to everything.

ORIGINAL: glenmar

I totally understand that, but I'm hoping you won't let the bad experience color your perception of all large dogs.  You'll miss out on a lot if you do.  My large size crew are such sweeties, and Tyler sits so patiently at the old folks home so that the folks can pet and love up on him.  It's not the size....yes, temperment is involved, but TRAINING, regardless of size is so key to everything.

I'm definitely not doing that.[] We encountered a giant Newfoundland on the trail a few weeks ago and after greeting him for a minute I was just fine with him sniffing Gingerbread. In the distant future when we have our own house and yard I'm seriously considering getting a Saint Bernard. I've looked into Standard Schnauzers, GSDs, Dobermans, Bullmastiffs, and a few other breeds and so far I think Saints are the most compatible with me and our little family.

 I consider myself a large dog person. I love many of the hunting and working breeds. I prefer (owning) the short haired dogs or the wire haired dogs. As for the smaller breeds I do not dislike them but would most likely never own one unless it was one of the terrier group.
 
 

While there are many breeds I'd never own and don't think are "pretty" or whatever, I do think it's true that ultimately dog people like DOGS, and dogs are dogs, be they big or small I would say I'm a sighthound person who happens to like Goldens- not a "big dog" or "small dog" person. All my dogs are 21 inches tall or taller, though (Whippets, Goldens). I had a Schnauzer growing up and will always love them because of her. I also like Basenjis (have owned one) and shelties.

I have a very strong preference towards large dogs -- ideally the dog should be tall enough that I can touch/stroke it's head without bending down.  Don't know why, but that's the size I like.  I have a feeling it's all related to the horses -- I just like big animals.
 
I do like the other extreme of the spectrum, though -- pocket puppies suck me in like you wouldn't believe.  I don't know if I could/would actually own one, but you can't stop me from cooing & playing with them when I see one.
 
My parents have a Scotty & a Westie, so Luke is definitely more used to hanging around dogs smaller than him.  At agility, though, we always hang out with the large dogs that are in our jump height (20+).  I find that I don't relate to the small dog handlers at all; at least the ones at my training center.

I like dogs just in general, if they have nice temperaments and are fairly well trained. But for me to have living with me, I just like the big ones. I don't know why. I like that I can do a full-body snuggle with them. And I think to some extent, I do like the challenge.

Definately the weight limit on rentals bums me out because I seriously just do not get it. Smaller breeds are far more prone to housetraining issues than larger ones, and people tend to not put as much emphasis on the housetraining when all you get is a little puddle instead of a giant ocean, but several little puddles adds up pretty quick. A little dog can chew a baseboard just as well as a big dog. A little dog can bark just as much as a big dog (believe me, our last rental was a duplex shared with some college kids who had a beagle!). Trying to find a rental that would accept Conrad when we moved back from Maryland was a serious challenge. For some reason, the two cats were fine and dandy (though cats can do much more lasting damage to a property than dogs owing to their NOXIOUS urine), but a 90 lb. dog? All of a sudden people were hanging up on me. He's crate-trained!!! He's never even in the house alone uncontained! But nope, no one wanted to hear anything about it. He was too big, end of story.

Wow am I glad I own a house now.

I like little dogs, big dogs, and *gasp* cats; I must be a freak.
 
Seriously though, in my experience, everyone I have met that is really a dog person likes all kinds of dogs.  I love my Papillon, I plan on getting a Golden when I buy a house, and I adore Danes.  Right now I have a Papillon, before him, I had a Golden Retriver.  Both were trained.  Both I expected manners from. 
 
Also, anyone who says that as a rule big dogs tend to be better behaved certainly haven't met the majority of Labs in my town.  If frustrates me that this topic is big dog owner vs. little dog owner.  In actuality, it should be good dog owner vs. bad dog owner.  The breed/size has nothing to do with it.  The difference is one of responsibility of human beings.  It annoys me just as much when a little dog is misbehaving as it does when a big dog is. 
 
Just a side note, the only time I ever pick Jester up on a walk is when an offleash dog is charging at him.  His feet remain firmly planted on the ground in the presence of any on leash dog, or off-leash dog that is minding his owner. 

I completely agree about rentals... my landlord says he'd MUCH rather rent to a serious dog person with four big dogs (like me) than to a pet owner with one little dog. In three years there has never been ONE complaint about my dogs, they do not bark EVER, even if somebody knocks. They are crated if not 100% reliable alone when I am gone, and my house is clean. He also says he agrees about cats- they can ruin a place in a way that nothing but gutting it can fix thanks to their urine. Most of the people in this block of houses/flats have multiple large dogs, because it's cheap and they welcome big dogs. They have made a good living being known as the "big dog complex"

ORIGINAL: willowchow

My issues aren't with the breeds of small dogs themselves it's the owners.  For some reason my dog needs to be on a leash, trained and housebroken but little dogs get a free pass.  It doesn't seem right.

 
I think that Lori was saying that for the most part, smaller dogs (in my experience as well) are given more leeway and people think it's "cute" when small dogs act up.  I'm not saying that those of us on idog agree, just in general some small dog people don't train or work with their dogs, and those dogs act up.  When a large dog acts up in the same way, it's incredibly dangerous-imagine an untrained Great Dane snarling at your Bichon-scary thought isn't it?  Yet if that same Bichon was snarling at the Dane it's cute.  Wrong answer. 
 
I think that's what Lori was referring to.  One set of rules, for the most part, for large dogs and another set of rules, for the most part, for small dogs.
 
 

Since those "rules" (unspoken unwriten rules, not speaking of laws) are based on primitive fight or flight response...that has kept humans alive and kicking on the planet for a good long time...I think that's going to take a lot of doing to change.
 
Size matters when it comes to assessing a threat or potentially hazardous situation...period. If something does NOT frighten you you will NOT react the same. Asking people to show the same fear, or lack of fear when there's simply not the same threat...is a bit much. JMO tho.

Just a side note, the only time I ever pick Jester up on a walk is when an offleash dog is charging at him. His feet remain firmly planted on the ground in the presence of any on leash dog, or off-leash dog that is minding his owner.

People with small dogs should not need to apologize for picking up their dogs to avoid tense or even dangerous situations. Training is great and Rascal and I are doing a lot of it, but until your dog is 100% the time for "practice" IMO is when you control the situation, not when you're at the mercy of whoever or whatever you might be randomly passing while on a walk. Picking up a small dog does not automatically mean that the owner is size biased or creating a spoiled monster.

 I pick up Rascal when we're about to pass another dog in close quarters. I pick him up if someone seems frightened of him. I pick him up when we're about to walk near children. And I'm sure you people with large dogs who complain constantly about the off-leash or ill-mannered dogs in your area would pick up your dogs if you were able to, too.

I woke up hoping the thread would be better today. I know the forum is mostly for big dog stuff, but I would like to be able to enjoy talking about dogs. This is the only forum that is often sad to read.

Dogs of all sizes can wear a tshirt etc if they want. I read the post about dog dolls. Really is hurtful. The big dog people hate being treated badly, little dog owners do too. Wish we had a rule about it.  We should be helpful and not hurtful. Dogs should bring out the best not the worst. If little dog people want to have fun with the little ones, that is fine. Many little breeds were bred for spoiling and companionship just as big breeds for other things.

Life should be fun as long as the doggie is loving it.[] So serious all the time on most threads. We can all lighten up I think.[]