Small dog syndrome

[R-Teddy]

SMALL DOG SYNDROME:

I have been watching a pet re-homing site on facebook an have noticed a lot of things. But one thing I have noticed most with little dogs are of people getting rid of their pets because of their behavior, which from description, seems to be bad cases of small dog syndrome. It really makes me sad because in truth, its the owners fault not the dogs.

It is a common mistake many people make with small dogs, especially toy breeds. They are so cute and little, we tend to baby them WAYYYY to much. They do things like jump up on people, bark and get possessive over their owner, and a whole lot of other acts of dominance and we say....awwww, isnt that cute. He is protecting me, or he likes you or whatever. But you have to stop and as yourself something.....


If my dog was a Pit bull, not a yorkie, would I still think thats “CUTE”??

If my dog was a Pit bull, not a yorkie, would I let him do that?

If the answer is “NO”, then you shouldn't be letting your yorkie do it either.

My first little dog was / is a Shih Tzu. I was lucky that someone warned me about small dog syndrome before I even got him. This being the case I started researching it right away. I did not want to make those mistakes that cause it. I was very surprised actually on all the different things dogs do that are “Acts of Dominance” that before my reserch, I never would have thought of as being so. For example,


*Sitting / laying on the back of the couch: this is an act of dominance. They are putting themselves up higher then everyone else. Saying, I'm the boss/ alpha of this house.”

*When sleeping or sitting an cuddling with your dog, you should never move yourself to fit around them, but instead get yourself comfortable and make them fit around you. Fitting yourself around them makes them feel more superior according to research.

*Apparently jumping up on your leg is an act of dominance.
Bull kicking is an act of dominance ( especially if they do it at times other then going potty.

*Some experts say that at meal time, you should feed the humans in the house before the dogs because the alpha of a pack usually eats first.

The list goes on. Now mind you, I do not believe in disciplining your dog in a ALPHA manner an showing them who is boss in that way. I believe in positive re-enforcement. This being said, there are still things that I feel you shouldn't let your dog do that do relate to being the one in charge, the alpha of the pack. I admit that although I know about Small dog syndrome, there were many things that I did allow my shih tzu Zeus do that I shouldn't have. But once I got Athena , my yorkie I realized letting him do those things were bad and I had to correct them. He was too possessive over me and didnt want me to pay any attention to Athena. He never got aggressive over her thanks god. In fact they got along very well and played. But whenever I tried to play or love on Athena he would try to get in the way and make me love on him instead. He thought he owned me, and it was my fault that he thought that ad I had to correct the behavior. I stopped letting him sleep above my head on my pillow, I stopped fitting myself around him when sleeping, I stopped letting him sleep on the back of the couch above everyone else. Yes, even with knowing those were acts of dominance, I let him do it before because I never thought it would really be a problem, or that he really thought he was the alpha of the house, until I got another dog an saw it for myself.

I had an experience that I admit heighten my reason for wanting to post this just the other day. I have two small dogs as I said, my shih Tzu Zeus and my little Athena who is a yorkie. But I also work for a Pit bull rescue. The other day I was walking my Pit Bull foster. He was very well behaved. We came in the same area of a little dog walking her small dog, a chihuahua. Her little dog started barking like crazy at us and using very aggressive behavior. Caesar, My foster Pit was however very well behaved and didnt even react to it thanks god. The lady owner of the little dog LAUGHED and thought it was funny.

EXCUSE ME?

I had to say it. “Mam, now if my dog, a pit bull, was acting an doing all of the same things your dog is doing right now, would you think THAT was funny?”

She just kin of looked at me funny and confused, so I went on.

I said, “ I dont think you would think that was funny. In fact, im willing to bet you would fear for yours and your dogs safety. You would probably at least THINK if not say out loud that I need to control my dog better, that I should keep him locked up at home. Possibly even go as far as to think my dog needs to be put down. But yet when YOUR dog does it, ITS FUNNY???”

“Im sorry, but I strongly disagree. Its NOT funny in the slightest. Although, yes, it is true that my dog could do a lot more damage then yours could, that doesnt make it any more ok. In fact, your lucky that my dog is so well behaved and I do have such good control of him. Otherwise your dogs behavior may have made him feel threatened and cause him to act aggressively towards your dog. Then Your dog could have very well gotten hurt or even killed. But yet I guarantee that its my dog that would be made to look the villain here and likely would get put down. NO, Its not funny”

the lady just hmph and walked away with her little dog.

Moral of the story....

People PLEASE, whenever your babies are doing something and you stop and say, “Awww isnt that cute”. PLEASE PLEASE take a moment an ask yourself, “Would it still be cute if he was a pit bull?

I dont want to see anymore babies being re-homed for the mistakes their owners make.

Also look up online and research SMALL DOG SYNDROME. I only barely touched on it here.

[Lovetodream88]

I agree that to many people don't train there small dogs but I disagree with the alpha thing. I doubt my dog thinks she is alpha because she lays on the back of the top of the couch. I do think dogs sometimes try to dominate people but I do not think my dog sees me as another dog. I baby my dog like crazy but I still train her and she is still a good dog. I disagree with comparing pits to yorkies as well there is a whole lot more training that does have to go into pit as well as the owner then a yorkie.

[DBlain]

my last yorkie was killed by a large dog because of his own behavior. I tried for years to correct his killer instinct towards other dogs but was never successful. So for the most part I kept him away from other dogs and would just pick him up when we would encounter other dogs, but he would fight me tooth and nail to the point I was afraid he would snap his neck from fighting me so hard. Training classes helped a little, but even the trainer said he was one of the most difficult dogs he ever worked with. Because he was only four pounds you could not use things like restraint collars and he lacked any desire to please, so no matter how hard we worked on things like sit and stay, he only did it when he wanted to, he was not food or toy driven and cared little for praise and attention, in fact he did not even enjoy much petting and cuddling. If he had not come from a good breeder and I got him at 4 months of age I would have thought he might have been abused or something. Also had he been my only dog I would have only blamed myself, but I had three before him and one after him and they were all trained and socialized the same but he was different. You are correct though regardless of the size dogs should be trained and for the small ones it's often for their protection more so than the other person or the other dog.

[DBlain]

I think one of the reasons dogs can be trained is most are driven by things like the desire to please, or be praised or the reward of a treat, but when a dog is not driven by any of those things I think training is so much harder. I often notice when members here are complaining about the difficulty of training their dog they will also say that they don't care much for treats. Lola will do almost anything for a treat or a toy, she has been so easy and does almost nothing wrong so she has required very little training and almost no discipline, but Kirby the pup I had before her seemed like every day he was in trouble for something

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I agree that to many people don't train there small dogs but I disagree with the alpha thing. I doubt my dog thinks she is alpha because she lays on the back of the top of the couch. I do think dogs sometimes try to dominate people but I do not think my dog sees me as another dog. I baby my dog like crazy but I still train her and she is still a good dog. I disagree with comparing pits to yorkies as well there is a whole lot more training that does have to go into pit as well as the owner then a yorkie.

I just used a Pit as an example, perhaps I shouldn't have. I mean BIG dogs.

Also perhaps im using bad wording by saying alpha. Im not sure how else to describe it. but there are things that pack animals do that show dominance over other pack animals. that is just natural. But that doesnt mean you have to use the ALPHA or PACK leader means of training. I would in no way recommend using training methods such as turning them over on thier back or anything lie that to show your dominance over them I dont agree with that type of training.

As for the disagreeing with sleeping on the back of the couch as showing dominance. Well first of all "I said this is what experts say, but there are alot of controversy in what experts say. I can only speak for myself in that I saw a huge difference in how Zeus acted towards letting me play with athena after I stopped letting him do these things.

It doesnt necessarily mean that they think they are superior over you, but the otehr dogs as well. It can go both ways.


As for difference of training for say a BIG dog verses little dog, Other the the fact that the dog is much more powerful, so yes you do need to know how to handle that power, im sorry, but I do not see the difference.

But were allowed to disagree. I respect your opinion.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by DBlain

I think one of the reasons dogs can be trained is most are driven by things like the desire to please, or be praised or the reward of a treat, but when a dog is not driven by any of those things I think training is so much harder. I often notice when members here are complaining about the difficulty of training their dog they will also say that they don't care much for treats. Lola will do almost anything for a treat or a toy, she has been so easy and does almost nothing wrong so she has required very little training and almost no discipline, but Kirby the pup I had before her seemed like every day he was in trouble for something

Oh I agtree completely. I in no way am trying to say all problems are the owners faults......lol. Sometimes it is the dog, an the owners do everything they can to correct it, seek professional help ect.

But there are certainly cases where it is because of the owners letting them get away with too many things and not training them properly.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by R-Teddy

I just used a Pit as an example, perhaps I shouldn't have. I mean BIG dogs.

Also perhaps im using bad wording by saying alpha. Im not sure how else to describe it. but there are things that pack animals do that show dominance over other pack animals. that is just natural. But that doesnt mean you have to use the ALPHA or PACK leader means of training. I would in no way recommend using training methods such as turning them over on thier back or anything lie that to show your dominance over them I dont agree with that type of training.

As for the disagreeing with sleeping on the back of the couch as showing dominance. Well first of all "I said this is what experts say, but there are alot of controversy in what experts say. I can only speak for myself in that I saw a huge difference in how Zeus acted towards letting me play with athena after I stopped letting him do these things.

It doesnt necessarily mean that they think they are superior over you, but the otehr dogs as well. It can go both ways.


As for difference of training for say a BIG dog verses little dog, Other the the fact that the dog is much more powerful, so yes you do need to know how to handle that power, im sorry, but I do not see the difference.

But were allowed to disagree. I respect your opinion.

The whole alpha thing has been debunked. Hopefully Brit will see this and post her links for that. There are certain situations and things I have heard from responsible pit owners that you just don't risk and don't do with a pit that you would say with even a lab. You have to know what could set these dogs off and you have to know what there breed responds poorly to.

[Lovetodream88]

The biggest thing that bothers me with small dogs is the potty training.

[R-Teddy]

I also want to add that I think threes degrees of like "Sleeping on the back of the coach." If I fall asleep on the couch, both Zeus and Athena want to lay next to me. but often there isnt enough room for them both to do so. So one of them will sleep on the back of the couch. but typically they dont sleep there, only in cases like that when there isnt enough room. When its a case like this, I allow it.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

The biggest thing that bothers me with small dogs is the potty training.

Oh heck yeah. thats the hardest one. they are a pain. although my Yorkie is much better about it then My Shih Tzu.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

The whole alpha thing has been debunked. Hopefully Brit will see this and post her links for that. There are certain situations and things I have heard from responsible pit owners that you just don't risk and don't do with a pit that you would say with even a lab. You have to know what could set these dogs off and you have to know what there breed responds poorly to.

As for the alpha thing. You agree im sure that there are things that dogs do that is" just being a dog". Do you not think pack animals do pack related things?

I know many responsible Pit owners to that say they are no different then any other dog. Its how they are raised, but they have a really bad rep because of the people that raise them to fight or dont train them at all as you should any dog. so whose right?

Let me ask you this, do you think it was ok for that lady to Laugh at how her dog was acting on our walk and think its funny and ok for him to do it?

[Cha Cha]

And all this time I thought my dogs were using the back of the sofa to see what I was doing in the kitchen, or to see out the window. Heck, they get up there just so I don't have to bend down to love on them. Now I see I've been trained.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

The whole alpha thing has been debunked. .

I certainly will read those links if she post them. but does this mean you dont think pack animals are going to do pack type behaviors? I mean Im sure you believe ogs are going to do things that are "just being a dog" Like marking and bull kicking to spread their scent. thats just being a dog. so wouldnt dominance be another thing that's just natural to do for some dogs? Wouldnt they see their family, both human and animals alike as being a part of their pack? Im just trying to understand what your take is on it. Im learning to an like to keep an open mind.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Cha Cha

And all this time I thought my dogs were using the back of the sofa to see what I was doing in the kitchen, or to see out the window. Heck, they get up there just so I don't have to bend down to love on them. Now I see I've been trained.

ROFL....thats funny

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by R-Teddy

As for the alpha thing. You agree im sure that there are things that dogs do that is" just being a dog". Do you not think pack animals do pack related things?

I know many responsible Pit owners to that say they are no different then any other dog. Its how they are raised, but they have a really bad rep because of the people that raise them to fight or dont train them at all as you should any dog. so whose right?

Let me ask you this, do you think it was ok for that lady to Laugh at how her dog was acting on our walk and think its funny and ok for him to do it?

But I do not think dogs see us as another dog. There is training that I have been told is much more important with pits then other dogs. I have also heard it's not nessisarily good for them to go places like dog parks although here they are not allowed at the dog parks. I don't nessisarily think it's funny but for all you know that dog was a rescue that had previous issues that maybe being worked on. Sammy my moms rescue yorkie would occasionally bark at and occasionally snap at another dog and there was one or two times it was slightly embarrassing or that it was so much of a larger dog we laughed because we deal by making a joke of things instead of getting upset and we could not figure out what was causing it. When we did we took the right actions to try and fix it. There is always two sides to a story though. There is not always a certain right and a certain wrong there is lots of gray.