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Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly  Do you really think toy dogs are stubborn or that toy dogs with much smaller brains don't have enough brain space in their tiny heads to dedicate to learning so have to have more repetition to effectively communicate to them what we want or expect? What would motivate dogs to be stubborn when they get a treat and us very happy with them once they do the trick or perform the command? Dogs are all about instant gratification so how does holding out doing something we want instantly gratify them? How does stubborn get them anything they want and why would they stick to it and forego a treat? I think toy dogs like Yorkies, toy poodles, Maltese, etc., just don't quite have all the ready brain power of larger dogs and just require more repetition to imprint the trick/command on their brains and get them to understand that we want them to do that trick again and again, which they seem to have problems understanding the need for. But once they get it there, they are quick to do it again and again when they get positive reinforcement and happy results from us. Later, just our pride in them and the bond we have motivates them.
Yikes! Haha!!! I didn't mean to rant on your thread or at you but am just trying to make a point on this public forum where many might read this thread. I certainly don't mean to pick on you! I, too, have used the term stubborn to describe a small dog's inability to learn a new trick quickly but having thought a lot about it since, I just wonder if we are too quick to brand our toy terriers, especially, with that term, dogs who honestly seem to want to learn once they are motivated and get the idea of what we want - I just think they are hampered by smaller, less effective brains than dogs seven, eight times their size; and once we accept that and deal with it, we train our toy dogs with more understanding, patience and love. Yorkies are very, very smart dogs once they understand what we are trying to communicate to them and no other dog can outwork them! |
The term "stubborn" as it pertains to the learning ability or obedience of any dog correlates with their intellect. In other words, the more "stubborn" a dog is, the more intelligent it is thought to be. This is why treat motivation is not enough sometimes and it is also why Afghan hounds, for example, are known for their stubbornness. It is known that they are highly intelligent dogs but, obviously, not toy. Therefore, stubbornness in any dog breed is not due to lack of brain power, rather, it is the very opposite.
Brain size does not = intelligence. Otherwise, human intelligence would average in line with the mean size for our brains (around 4lbs). We know that intelligence varies but the size of human brains do not vary much.
As a neurology researcher, I just couldn't pass this comment up! It is interesting to see how some of our perceptions come about!