Do small dogs really need training??

[gooeydog]

Why do so many small dog owners bypass training their dogs? A lot of small dog owners think it's a monstrosity for a person to train a small dog. The other day I had Annie at the field doing off leash work (heeling stays, and other stuff that's a little hard to do [i]on[/i] leash), and a woman came walking through the field with her little dog (looked like a "poo" mix of some sort) hauling her along on one of those flexi leashes. I put Annie's leash back on and had her sit, she was fine until the dog ran up to us, then she broke the sit to try to bite his nose :roll: . I corrected her (verbally), looped her leash over a tree branch, and walked off a few feet to play with her toy (by myself :oops: ). Once she was paying attention to me again and had more or less forgotten about the dog, I untied her leash and we did some more work (on leash). I had her sit while I threw the toy, then we went to get it together (since she was still on her leash), and played tug for a minute. we did this a few times, then the woman walked back up towards us so I had Annie sit again. On the way past us, the woman asked me why I was mistreating my dog. I asked her how exactly I was mistreating the dog, and she replied with, "he just wants to run and be free, but you're so busy with your little nazi doggy training camp that you won't let him do anything" :o . I said, "it's a "she", and would you prefer I just let her run loose so she can bite anyone or anything she likes and get ran over?". The woman said, " well if you didn't play tug of war with her she wouldn't be aggressive, and you shouldn't be playing rough games with a small dog anyway, it's not healthy for them to be flung around like that". When she said that, I couldn't help but laugh... if she had been paying attention, she would have seen that it was Annie "flinging" me around instead of me flinging her :lol: . She was already walking (being dragged) back up to the road, so I let Annie back off her leash and we played for a while before we went home. I just hope she was only walking her dog that one day, and she won't be back often, or we might have to find someplace else to hold our "nazi doggy training camp" :roll: .

[Horsefeathers!]

People like this can make me nauseous. Of course, small dogs need training. Too many people think that snappy, yappy behavior is "cute" in the little ones. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing about a snappy, untrained dog, regardless of size, is endearing at all. I have several small dogs, along with the big ones, and they ALL get the same obedience training. My toy Poodle travels with me EVERYWHERE I go and it was imperative from an early age that she learn how to behave properly. There is no way I would have a little playground thug on my hands.

It's kind of a pet peeve of mine, too. I have several groom clients with small dogs who exclaim, "I can't do a thing with him/her!" in reference to a little 7 lb. terror gnawing on them and running the household. These are people who believe you shouldn't "enforce" any kind of rules on these poor little delicate creatures. Be for real! I have no idea what makes people think this way. Many small dogs are very intelligent.... I guess just smart enough to train their knucklehead owners.

If this woman is so concerned about how you "mistreat" your dog by not just letting her run and be free with NO structure and training, I wonder what she's doing to make a difference in the grand scheme of things. I wonder if she's involved in any rescues, with her local shelter, stuff like that, instead of being a meddling playground busybody. I just believe there is a difference between someone truly trying to help and someone who is just an annoying busybody. Don't you dare find somewhere else to train your dog. You have every bit as much right to be there as she does and if she continues to meddle, tell her as sweetly as possible that her advice is greatly appreciated, but unnecessary and thanks for stopping by, see ya later and buh bye. No need arguing with her about WHY your dog needs training. If she believes that all dogs should be allowed to run at will and act as they wish with no structure, you'd only be trying to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Not worth it.

Sorry for the rant. Just the way people get aggravated about the buttwhistle boneheads that give all Bully breeds a bad name, I get frustrated at the neverending supply of jackasses with untrained small dogs who perpetuate the myth that all small dogs are yappy and snappy by nature, instead of by lack of training. :x

[Hobbit]

[b][i]"you'd only be trying to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent"[/i][/b]

Excellent point Horsefeathers! Good post, too --- totally with you!

And what about those people who think it's *cute* to sic their little monsters on everybody, including the cat. Their little foo-foo, untrained, unsocialized, bad breath, butt licking, yappy, biting, genetic monstrosity of a dog. I KNOW I need a nap today!

[Carolk9s]

:D :D When I first saw the subject here, I was ready to wade right in with a resounding YES! OK, then I read Gooeydogs post...SHEESH! What an absolute idiot that meddler is! Wonder if she has kids? Wonder if they have any manners? Doubtful.
What people like her just don't get, well trained dogs not only get to go places that untrained dogs cannot, they are WELCOMED and ENJOYED because they have been taught some manners.
I must be in the same camp as Gooeydog with the added horrors of 'making' my dogs learn and do agility and flyball. Guess I'm going straight to hell! :Fade-color

[Hobbit]

Carol --- we're all right behind you in a handbasket!

[corgilady]

[quote name='Horsefeathers!']Nothing about a snappy, untrained dog, regardless of size, is endearing at all.<snip>

I just believe there is a difference between someone truly trying to help and someone who is just an annoying busybody.
[/quote]


[b][color=blue]AMEN and AMEN!!!![/color][/b]

[anne3149]

I think the greatest thing you can do for your dog is obedience train them.
Once they understand what you want from them it makes life easier and more fun for them as well as you. People, usually with small, snappy dogs are just not doing the right thing by their dogs. I simply do not trust these untrained little dogs and leash my dog at the leash free park as soon as I see one of these little monsters approaching. Funny thing is that upon seeing my well behaved Rott, the owners of these badly behaved little sods will pick them up to prevent my big scary??? dog from attacking their little powder puff. Quite often these little dogs bite the owners too as they are being lifted off the ground.

[Bensam]

Over a lot of years I have owned big dogs, Afghans, Gordon Setters, Collies, medium dogs, Cocker Spaniels, Border Terriers, and small dogs, Miniature Pinschers mainly. All my dogs have been taught the basic obedience, sit stay, etc. and I must admit that my bigger dogs were all more consistantly obedient that the smaller ones. The reason for this was probably my own lazyness. My dogs have all been show dogs where they are on a leash for this all the time and know to mind their own business so the obedience was mainly for home and when I had them free running on the farm. The bigger guys just had to know to sit, stay etc when and where I wanted them to for both their own safety and visitors comfort, whereas if one of the smaller ones were not so keen to oblige, they could be picked up out of the way. See I told you my basic lazyness! But I agree, all dogs should know and obey the basics of good manners.

[Guest Anonymous]

I have to agree with everyone here. I believe that little dogs should be trained just like big dogs. My mom and her boyfriend have 5 little dogs and them dogs jump all over people, bite your ankles, one will bite your nose off just about when you bend down, and you pick them up and they bite sometimes. They don't teach them any manners at all. I have big and medium dogs and they all know the sit-stay and the down-stay.