Why is it always the little ones!!
How many times when we are out and about do we hear the small dog, barking and being over excited not listening to their owner’s instruction. We often stereotype this behaviour by suggesting it’s always the little ‘uns, they just don’t listen!!! Just why are there behavioural differences between larger and smaller dogs, with the small dogs being viewed as more excitable and anxious? To find out more, studies have been carried out in this specific area (Christine Arhant: University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna). For the purposes of statistical analysis, the dogs were divided by size, arbitrarily classifying as big dogs those who were larger than 44 pounds and as small dogs those who were less than this weight. The data showed three major behavioural differences between the small and large dogs whose owners were surveyed:
Small dogs were less obedient (for example, they are not as reliable in responding to common commands like “Sit,” “Down,” and “Come”).
Small dogs were more excitable and pugnacious (more likely to bark or growl at strangers, visitors, or other dogs).
Small dogs were more anxious and fearful (easily spooked in strange situations, or when exposed to loud noises like thunder and fireworks, and nervous in the presence of strangers).
These results seem to confirm the stereotypes about small dogs, namely that they are less obedient, and more excitable, scrappy, and skittish. But why is this?
Some may attribute this to genetics but during my time dealing with dogs I can honestly say that the owners of small dogs with behavioural issues all appear to follow specific traits, in that they are more compromising when their small pooch performs an undesirable behaviour. Let’s face it when many of the issues first surface, they all appear to be easier to tolerate and are so often rewarded with a little cuddle or a soothing word. Trust me they don’t go away on their own and, in many cases, worsen, leading to a life of unnecessary stress and heightened anxiety for the dog. Their small size also makes it very tempting to pick them up but the result is that they often become over attached and seldom learn to stand on their own four feet!
Just because they are smaller it does not make them less able to carry out a life as a dog, which is exactly what they are. They still need to have clear leadership, still need to be trained without compromise and still need to learn to deal with the outside world in a non-fearful way. This in essence means doing exactly the same as you would with a larger breed: effective and early (8-12 weeks) socialisation; training of basic commands, including the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ commands; consistency with the training i.e., not compromising just because they are small; providing leadership both in the home and in the outside world; and finally not underestimating their capabilities (just because they are small it doesn’t mean they will not enjoy a game of fetch or a swim in the lake.
Of course, there are many small dogs that are wonderfully behaved and cause their owners no problems whatsoever and equally there are many larger dogs that cause all sorts of mayhem!!!
Roy Young BCCSDip.AdvCanBhv