Should Small And Big Dogs Behave The Same?

[Guest Clover]

Yes, big or small all dogs need training. I have come across both big and small dogs that are out of control. I dont put up with any crap from my 7.5KG JRT as much as i dont put up with anything from my 30KG Rottweiler X, and the BCs.

[LDR]

To clover .... - how GORGEOUS are your pack??

[silverdog]

...I am sick of owners of smaller dogs thinking it is ok for their small dog to rush up to mine, aggress and generally behave in an unsocial manner. If the tables are turned - I suspect the small dog owner would have a massive issue if my large dog ran up to theirs and acted in the same manner. I suspect I would have the council ranger on my doorstep before I could say boo.

From what I have seen, many large dogs become reactive to smaller dogs because of repeated instances of this type of behaviour.

...small dog owners that dont understand the consquences of their dogs actions. These actions & altercations from small breeds cause long term effects on our large dogs.

[persephone]

I believe all dogs 'should' be well mannered and be trained the same.....unfortunately it doesn't happen.

Many owners of small dogs (A K A perpetual puppies) never bother with the training ,as it's convenient to carry/spoil and pick up dogs which are either showing aggression, or acting scared.

[Aramiss]

I treat all my dogs the same, regardless of size. They are all expected to have nice manners, and they will get in trouble if they misbehave. However it is easier to let the little ones pull on the lead, because holding them in check is so easy, Morgan's lead training has been a bit more of a priority and he is a lot smarter then the others (sad to say ) So he is getting extra trick training because he is picking it up so easily, and he is enjoying it, where as the others never did, despite regular training sessions.

In all the important areas of dog behavior I expect the same things, and even though I have small dogs too, I see the same things you guys see, which is misbehaving dogs of all sizes and types running amok and causing problems for others and that is terrible and reflects badly on all of us, because Joe Public is seeing that too

[Sam&Saki]

Some DOLers may remember when my Akita had her chest ripped open by a Staffy.

My Akita has been attacked by small dogs 5 times now that has involved the smaller dogs actually biting her. Many many more times if you count being rushed, growled at, air biting around her face, etc.

If she ever reacted; that smaller dog would be dead.

I wish all small dog owners would realise that (a) small dogs CAN cause serious damage to large dogs and (b) letting their dogs get away with such aggressive behaviour to dogs so much bigger than them is VERY dangerous to their own dog.

I understand that most small dogs will see the Akita's naturally upright ears, tail, and ruff and interpret it as aggressive body language, however fear aggression is not an excuse IMO. Not an excuse for my dog being attacked and not an excuse should your small dog attack the wrong bigger dog and wind up dead. :D :D :D :D ;) ;) ;)

[sas]

All dogs should have a basic level of obedience and should have basic manners.

If my giant breed behaved the same as 'some' small breeds they'd be alot of injuries and probably a few court cases.

I think with my giant breeds that they have to have a higher level of obedience and manners because they are so big but just because you can pick up a small dog doesn't mean you should or let it get away with poor behaviour just because of it's size.

I think of my neighbours with 2 Malteses who are aggressive little brats who pull their owners down the streets - can you image if my Great Danes behaved like that!

Edited October 13, 2009 by sas

[sas]

I understand that most small dogs will see the Akita's naturally upright ears, tail, and ruff and interpret it as aggressive body language, however fear aggression is not an excuse IMO. Not an excuse for my dog being attacked and not an excuse should your small dog attack the wrong bigger dog and wind up dead. :cool: :p :p

I have a Great Dane with aniexty based aggression but there's no way I would ever put him in the situation where he could exhibt that behaviour that would injure another dog.

The thing is though if someone with a small dog rushed my dog and attacked my (on lead) dog, my dog defending itself if going to do damage and we'd probably be labelled the ones in the wrong.

Edited October 13, 2009 by sas

[raz]

If a large breed acted the same as a small breed it would be seriously frowned upon & deemed dangerous.

And so it should - in either direction. My small dogs have been victimised in the local off leash park by larger dogs. The owner turned to me and said 'oh they're just playing'. Crap. I dont care what size a dog is - they're either well behaved or the owner is at fault. If one of my small dogs acted the same he'd be taken straight home and sin binned.

Its just unfortunate that IME all small dogs get away with this. The sentence you quoted was also refering to mine ALWAYS being on a leash when this happens to me !!

ALL small dogs get away with it? Mine wouldnt. And my dogs ON LEAD were rushed by a large dog off lead as well!! Right onto a busy road Stop generalising. Not all owners of small dogs are imbeciles the same as not all owners of large dogs are imbeciles.

[pie]

My dog has never rushed a big dog in his life, yet last week alone he was aggressively charged at and chased by two dogs on separate occasions, a sibe and a BC, both at training. Both dogs were off lead but shouldn't have been because the owners clearly could not control them.

It doesn't make me say ALL large dogs and their owners are out of control, just as not all small dogs and there owners are out of control.

The small dogs in my neighbourhood are all very well behaved. Some of the large dogs are iffy but that is the owners fault for not containing them adequately.

[RallyValley]

Thier used to be a SWF up the road from me who was so bad for this every time we went past it would snarl and nip at my dogs! It used to be allowed to roam freely too. One day my friends lab just picked the dog up and carried it around for few seconds... that shut it up. Of course the owner came when he heard his dog yelping and went mad... but we said to him show us where is he hurt? There was no puncture marks. Of couse the little dog learnt some respect for bigger dogs.

Its not little dogs that annoy me just people who let thier dog run up to yours when you are in an on leash area saying "Don't worry he/she isn't vicious"

Well my old girl is, which is why she is on a very short leash, if another dog gets to close to her and she feels threatened she may snap. The area where we used to walk was full of people with no respect for leashes or training and I was forever having to yell at people to control thier dogs!

[chichihuahua]

I'm a small dog owner. Of course, I believe that small dogs and big dogs should have the same kind of manners, I don't think that it's "cute" when my dog starts barking at strangers or at other big breeds and I get extremely embarrassed when this sort of thing happens.

However I also think that small breeds suffer from the "small dog syndrom" due to fear. My dog suffers from anxiety and when a big dog comes over to give him a sniff, he gets really scared and generally reacts by letting out a bark or two once the dog leaves (I keep him on leash when big dogs are around - well, most of the time anyway). I think because of this fact, it's hard to deal with this sort of behaviour as it's a catch-22 sort of thing - if you don't take the dog out to meet big dogs then he'll continue with the behaviour, however taking him out to meet big dogs result in people eyeballing you and getting that embarrassment factor in play.

In regards to treating big dogs as opposed to small dogs, when I got C, I was pretty adamant that I was NOT going to treat him like a small breed and I was going to treat him like a normal dog. However due to his size (or lack thereof) this can be hard too. I'm constantly worried that he'll get hurt, in social situations I worry that someone might step on him. If we were out walking and we came across a large dog on a leash, I cross the road because I don't know the dog and worry that if he lunges, that would be the end of C. Which in turn, probably adds to his lack of socialization around big dogs.

Children as well. I know it's good to socialize dogs with kids but my dog is 4kgs and I've had the most unfortunate experience of watching my 5 year old niece pulling his tail and picking him up around the neck and it was just horrific. Because of this he is scared of children and I don't trust children around him either.

I understand that you need to socialize your dogs with other dogs, but it can be really hard especially if you don't know where to start. Behaviorists are expensive. I'm looking at getting a professional help for C to try and curb his anxiety problems, but before that I was just trying to fix things by myself and it was very difficult trying to work out what to do. Most of the time I just avoid the situation and cross the road etc. If C lunges or barks I tell him a firm No but mainly I just remove him from the situation.

I think many small dog owners who have these kinds of issues aren't necessarily ignoring the problem, but more uncertain as to how to fix it. And like I said, socialisation is a catch-22 sort of thing. I don't know anyone who has a large breed and I don't think anyone would appreciate it if I took C out and let him charge at their dog repeatedly. And C has been rushed at too by big dogs - mainly in a friendly manner if we're at the dog park and I have him on lead, other dogs bound over to give him a sniff and he is TERRIFIED. Also because he is on lead he probably feels unsafe and helpless, but then if I let him off the lead he'll go into bark mode.

Trust me, most small breed owners are aware of their dog's issues and are just as sick of it as you are!

Edited October 13, 2009 by reality_22

[MsBex]

Yes they should.

I am sick of owners of smaller dogs thinking it is ok for their small dog to rush up to mine, aggress and generally behave in an unsocial manner. If the tables are turned - I suspect the small dog owner would have a massive issue if my large dog ran up to theirs and acted in the same manner. I suspect I would have the council ranger on my doorstep before I could say boo.

From what I have seen, many large dogs become reactive to smaller dogs because of repeated instances of this type of behaviour.

It's a bit of a vicious circle in fact then! Chicken or the egg? ... small dogs reacting to big dogs who are reacting to small dogs.

From my experience I've seen an increased awareness in the average dog owner in behavioural expectations and socialisation.

Have had my puppy Cocker Spaniel for a month now, and heavily researched how to best raise him, but have noticed already that while he is confident playing with my sister's staffy and neighbours staffy x cattle, he does get unintentionally hurt on occasion due to his size. Have limited their play area so I can step in quicker, yet can see how easy it would be for a larger dog to injure (even unintentionally) a smaller dog and create a fearful dog starting the circle over.

Have also owned a staffy who was small DA. From my untrained parent eyes, I would swear he thought of them more as prey than fellow dogs

[Danois]

Yes they should.

I am sick of owners of smaller dogs thinking it is ok for their small dog to rush up to mine, aggress and generally behave in an unsocial manner. If the tables are turned - I suspect the small dog owner would have a massive issue if my large dog ran up to theirs and acted in the same manner. I suspect I would have the council ranger on my doorstep before I could say boo.

From what I have seen, many large dogs become reactive to smaller dogs because of repeated instances of this type of behaviour.

It's a bit of a vicious circle in fact then! Chicken or the egg? ... small dogs reacting to big dogs who are reacting to small dogs.

From my experience I've seen an increased awareness in the average dog owner in behavioural expectations and socialisation.

Have had my puppy Cocker Spaniel for a month now, and heavily researched how to best raise him, but have noticed already that while he is confident playing with my sister's staffy and neighbours staffy x cattle, he does get unintentionally hurt on occasion due to his size. Have limited their play area so I can step in quicker, yet can see how easy it would be for a larger dog to injure (even unintentionally) a smaller dog and create a fearful dog starting the circle over.

Have also owned a staffy who was small DA. From my untrained parent eyes, I would swear he thought of them more as prey than fellow dogs

Actually no - most big dog owners I know who have ended up with dogs who react to small dogs now avoid dog parks, off lead areas etc and have their dogs firmly under control.

There is an owner of a chi x who walks in the same area we do - it runs up to the big dogs yapping and carrying on and nipping at hocks. The owner's diversion strategy - call dog's name and when it responds, treats it. Next time it happens I will be pointing out that she has taught her dog to agress as it gets rewarded for it.

They ignore they fact that small dog under 5kg running around under the feet of a 60kg dog who is trying to see what the noise is about is a dangerous combination - all it takes is one misplaced paw.

[chichihuahua]

Yes they should.

I am sick of owners of smaller dogs thinking it is ok for their small dog to rush up to mine, aggress and generally behave in an unsocial manner. If the tables are turned - I suspect the small dog owner would have a massive issue if my large dog ran up to theirs and acted in the same manner. I suspect I would have the council ranger on my doorstep before I could say boo.

From what I have seen, many large dogs become reactive to smaller dogs because of repeated instances of this type of behaviour.

It's a bit of a vicious circle in fact then! Chicken or the egg? ... small dogs reacting to big dogs who are reacting to small dogs.

From my experience I've seen an increased awareness in the average dog owner in behavioural expectations and socialisation.

Have had my puppy Cocker Spaniel for a month now, and heavily researched how to best raise him, but have noticed already that while he is confident playing with my sister's staffy and neighbours staffy x cattle, he does get unintentionally hurt on occasion due to his size. Have limited their play area so I can step in quicker, yet can see how easy it would be for a larger dog to injure (even unintentionally) a smaller dog and create a fearful dog starting the circle over.

Have also owned a staffy who was small DA. From my untrained parent eyes, I would swear he thought of them more as prey than fellow dogs

Actually no - most big dog owners I know who have ended up with dogs who react to small dogs now avoid dog parks, off lead areas etc and have their dogs firmly under control.

There is an owner of a chi x who walks in the same area we do - it runs up to the big dogs yapping and carrying on and nipping at hocks. The owner's diversion strategy - call dog's name and when it responds, treats it. Next time it happens I will be pointing out that she has taught her dog to agress as it gets rewarded for it.

They ignore they fact that small dog under 5kg running around under the feet of a 60kg dog who is trying to see what the noise is about is a dangerous combination - all it takes is one misplaced paw.

I think that's a bit unfair. That owner sounds like she is training the dog to recall... whether or not it actually is doing more harm then good is another issue, but to me it sounds like she is at least can control her dog to some degree, or is trying. I think you all don't seem to see this but not everyone is a behaviorist or have had numerous dogs or have a huge amount of knowledge in terms of dog training.

[Danois]

No there is not great recall - its name is repeated several times and the treat waved in front of it.

[Souff]

All dogs need to be trained and taught some good manners.

However, what we really need is for people to understand that dogs think differently to humans, and try to see the situations through a dogs eyes.

It also helps if you know something about the breed, and also about the background of the dog.

All dogs will behave differently to others, and size is just one small thing in a myriad of other things to consider.

If you find somebody's dog annoying, stay away from them. Why make your life, and your dog's life, a misery because another owner is a goose?

Souff

[bakemono]

I reckon everyone would love to own a perfect dog. And in the perfect world all dogs behave the same, perfectly stable and socialised. But there's no perfect dog without enough training, and training needs enough commitment, time and dedication. People will only train their dogs to the level where they're sufficiently satisfied and unfortunately the threshold level is different between small dog and big dog.

A nip to the hand by a small dog would (sadly) be tolerated by the owner, while a nip by a big dog will flare the red alarm. There's greater urgency for big dog to understand manners, since if they don't, they'll probably get dumped by their owners. There are more big dogs out there waiting in the kennels than small dogs.

I have respect for people in this forum who try their best to teach and learn with dogs, no matter the size.

[charlie mouse]

Speaking in the defence of the small dog owner.

Hi, I have a small x breed who sadly has what is commonly known as small man sydrome, he is very happy and playful with dogs he knows but when faced with a new dog becomes very fearful and growls, barks and lunges at them.

I have taken him to training since he was 10 weeks old (he is now 16 months old) and he is doing very well, he keeps up with the border collies and goldies in most things but his grumpyness often lets him down. I consider myself to be a responsible owner and try to avoid putting him in situations where he gets stressed but sometimes these situations are out of my control. I have gates at the front of my house and when i am out my dogs are kept in the garden, we often have escapee dogs wandering past and pestering my dogs from outside the gate (which makes my little guy worse) so i am now considering fencing off part of my garden so my dogs can no longer get to the front of the house which would be a shame as they love to sit and watch the world go by.

I have just got back from walking my little dog we avoided the beach as there were a few dogs on it and opted for a small empty park. I was working on our healwork (onlead) when a lady came up with her big dog off lead the dog came trotting over to us as i looked up in horror she called over saying its ok she wont hurt your dog and my reply was yes but mine will hurt yours please call her off but of cause she didnt my only option was to drop my lead run off calling my dog in a playful manor in order to get him to follow me and not get grumpy with the big dog which thank god he did and calm was restored.

I agree a lot of small dogs get away with murder compared to big dogs but from someone who has spent the last year trying to get the grumps out of her dog please dont judge every owner.

[charlie mouse]

Reality 22 have just seen your post