You know, I've always had a fondness for little rat dogs, and it may be the reason I leave Ruger's hair a little long. As you said, most of my neighbors tell me how cute Ruger is, but many of the guys say he looks like a rat, and I should have gotten a hamster instead. To them, anything smaller than a Lab isn't a real dog.
To tell you the truth, it's always been in good fun, and I just smile and laugh with them. I know none of them would ever get a Yorkie, but then I would never get a Pitbull.
Just ignore the comments.