Thanks all for sharing your tips, feelings and experiences! It really does mean a lot to me because I do not know anyone who owns a small dog, much less, one of the smallest breeds. As some of you may be aware, Teddy has horrible anxiety and I had a bad experience with a 'trainer' and his advice which was generic and unsuccessful and this has led me to mistrust trainers since, apart from him, I have employed various 'professional techniques' which have been unsuccessful at best and damaging in some cases. I think I will check to see if there are any local 'dog groups' in my area which cater specifically to smaller dogs and may even entertain obedience training if it is small dog specific... It is worth another try. Until then, I guess I can only do what I am doing which is trying to minimize anxiety and physical harm during social engagements. |