SEEING THINGS FROM BOTH SIDES
In response to the article ‘Big dog, little dog… Does size really matter?’ (April issue)
I love and have always had both.
Small dogs are more likely to act defensively towards other dogs, thanks to being squished, chased, picked up, and shaken (and yes, this has happened to mine) by much larger dogs whose owners say: “He’s only playing”. So lots of work is needed to make sure they have far more positive experiences with well-behaved large breeds to try to prevent them turning into ‘snappy little rats’ as they are so often called by large dog owners.
Large dogs need to be taught they can’t ‘play’ rough with much smaller dogs and need good socialisation with them so they realise they are not rabbits, squeaky toys, or something else to rip apart, even if the owner of the small dog picks him up to try to protect him. Generally, larger breeds need more training to stop them being a danger to anyone else too, as an over-friendly large dog can still hurt or knock someone over, just by being over-exuberant and clumsy.
On the plus side, small dogs are easier to transport and you can fit more of them on your lap. They are also far less likely to knock someone over in an enthusiastic greeting, or pull so hard on the lead it causes injury.
Large dogs are more likely to scare off a burglar or attacker and there seem to be more larger breeds that are biddable and easy to train. I personally find large breeds more understanding towards us humans too. Jules Alexander, on Facebook.