To be perfectly blunt (er when am I anything BUT?) I honestly think this "widdle baby dog" stuff is all in people's HEADS -- not in the dog's minds. My very first dog was a peke/pom mix -- and I trained her to do all the same things my 50 pound poodle/terrier mix did. She just fit in my bike basket easier than Pip did. (no joke)
Our dogs always go -- and we take ONE dane-sized crate with us so all stay in one crate while we're gone (because we don't leave them for very long).
Most hotels/motels now really don't have huge issues -- sometimes you get people a bit weird about "dangerous dogs" (*sigh*) but otherwise it's all the same.
Little dogs can sometimes be a bit of a concern over not getting out of the way the same as a big dog -- but honestly I find big dogs more difficult to navigate around than smaller ones.
It's honestly mostly in how you deal with them and what you expect from them. My "little" dogs aren't allowed to be any more barky, full of attitude or unpleasant than my other dogs -- regardless of size.
For ME, my #1 reason for the size of my dogs has to do with ME -- I truly have a **huge** issue that I don't think people should have a dog bigger than they can carry. If you gotta get a dog to the vet -- injured, very very sick, etc. -- you better be able to lift that dog. Because they ALL get old. Ultimately somebuddy is gonna get sick.
Our dogs and our rescues will likely get progressively smaller if at all possible simply because I gotta be able to get them TO the car and IN the car. I routinely have to carry Kee Shu and I literally put her in a shoulder bag because I need *both* hands going down my own steps (just FOUR but they are there!) so a purse I can hang over my shoulder keeps it "do-able". If I had to carry Billy I *could* -- I can put him in a swaddle and tie him to me.
Ms. Socks was a boxer/pit mix -- and my days of a bigger dog like that are o-v-e-r. I'm not going to ignore a dog's health care just because I physically can't lift them to get them help.
I'm not scolding anyone -- remember, I'm somewhat handicapped myself so this is a huge mega issue for *me*. But ... I'm the one prone to shove this in folks' faces -- maybe people love a bigger breed, but if they are also older and know they can't "lift" the dog (even if they do it together) then I think it's a bit silly to take something on you know you can't handle.
BTW -- look into one of those foldable fabric crates -- if you teach them to respect it, it can absolutely rock for travelling.
I'm not saying don't get a smaller dog -- but no matter what size you get -- just treat it the same as you treat the others, expect the same out of it -- don't hover and snatch it up JUST because you can. Now if the dog is in phycial danger (like Pirate was when attacked) then pick the dog up. But just picking a little dog up to avoid having to train it -- that's a human problem not a dog problem.
Did that make sense??
And btw -- Prissy -- my pom/peke mix who was my first dog? She used to ride on my shoulder (front legs in front, back legs in back) and thot it was THE awesomest place ever
But both Tink and Luna (opposite ends of the size spectrum really -- Luna's only a "little" dog because she's sawed off. Tink's only a little dog because she has to stay trim to fly thru the air (it's a pixie pug in training RULE you know). But both of them have been to the Miss Callie School of Hotel/Inn training for dogs.
That means I don't let them bark at hotels/motels -- I take them down to reception and SIT THERE (with a bag of treats). Every new person who comes in from the street I say 'see -- now they have to go see the People in Charge before they can stay ...." sure enuf -- everbuddy goes to the front desk ... checks in and walks awy with a key (or walks back out the front door).
Then I say "See -- the People In Charge said it's OK! So.... no barking!"
Yes, I do this over and over -- I reinforce the quiet behavior but make the dog SEE (yes I expect some dog logic here) that it's those folks at the front desk who have the POWER. Soooooo you can't go down the hall and bark -- NOR can you bark in the room, cos if peoples are outside your door -- it's because the PEOPLE IN CHARGE said it was "ok".
I repeat that phrase ad nauseum -- in reception, outside, in the halls, in the room -- In fact I take them TO the people in reception to "meet" the People In Charge (and often I set this up before hand so they know to tell them 'No barking now ..." and then treats and a "good JOB -- good no barking!!" when we go back to the room.
I've only had to do that typically twice with each dog. And now we have dogs who don't bark in motel rooms. Now -- that carries over at home. I'm in a city where barking is just plain NOT kewel -- so nobuddy can have a barkfest at home either.
Doesn't matter their size -- it's all the same rules.
But it is darned fun to carry a dog on your shoulder tho!