I firmly believe it is a little dog thing, to prance. They know they are soooooo damn cute and they play it for all it's worth. I have had a Toy Poodle, a Yorkie and now a Shih Tzu that prance. They are just as pleased as can be with themselves, 'cause they know they are loved, cute as a button and always get attention-- no matter where they go. Dumb dogs..........they are NOT!
This is one of the reasons I am so upset when I see the abuse that puppy mill dogs used for breeding go through. Those poor animals look so pathetic. Many dogs are used as breeders at puppy mills, but a large majority of them are "little dogs", because they are so much in demand. It just breaks my heart when I see dogs that are supposed to be little loving animals whose sole pleasure is to love and be loved by their owners. Become starved, disease ridden, pathetic animals. Who are used until no longer useful and then killed.
However back to the original question.....the only small dog I have ever had that did not prance--when happy, was a tiny, tiny Chihuahua. Although she was a sweetheart, very smart and lived to be almost 14 years old. She was bred much, much too tiny. She never even reached 3 lbs, her whole life. We loved her dearly and she lived the life of a princess, believe me. But she was like a premie infant that you constantly had to watch. Her health was overall good, but we we still had to watch her like a premie baby. She was prone to upper respiratory and ear infections. So we had to watch every cold draft, etc and could Never take her out, without a sweater/coat from Fall until Spring.
All my small dogs, except 1; haved pranced when they were happy and content. None of them had/has any type of knee displacement. |