First, being picked up. Everyone seems to want to pick up those little dogs. And it's not just their owners! Unfamiliar people seem to think that it's okay to pick up these little dogs when they meet them. I find this incredibly rude and potentially risky. Many little dogs don't enjoy being picked up by their owners, let alone a stranger. Folks need to wait for those little dogs to approach them and indicate that they'd like to be picked up. And if they don't, then don't pick them up. Period. Just because a dog is "pick-up-able" in size, doesn't mean that they want to be carted around in someone's arms or shoulder bag. While I have certainly met some dogs whose legs are essentially useless as they are never on the ground (lol!), for the most part, dogs like to be on the ground and moving at their own pace. I had one client tell me that her little dog never came when she called him, but would come to her husband when he called the dog. She started telling me that it must be because the dog views her husband as "the alpha." First off, that's ridiculous; you know how I feel about the alpha thing. It's misleading and doesn't even apply here. The dog came readily to her husband, and to me for that matter, because we didn't try to scoop him up and smother him with kisses when he did. It was as simple as that. I needed to train this owner to call her dog to her, reward the come, and NOT pick the dog up. It took about 45 minutes of recall on a long line for the dog to get over his PTSD about being picked up when he approached his female owner. Once he realized that he wasn't going to be picked up, he relaxed his posture and would come close to her to get his treat for coming when called. Her homework? Long line recall, high value treats, and no picking up the dog. Instead, she can sit on the couch or in her favorite chair and wait for the dog to approach her and climb in her lap, which he does quite regularly. Like any dog, he likes to make that choice on his own. Big dogs don't have this problem; we can't scoop them up when we call them. We can, however, still make coming a negative if we always do something the dog doesn't like immediately following that recall. So, for example, if you always call your dog and then leash him up to go home, he'll stop wanting to come to you as he doesn't want to leave where he's currently located. If instead, you call your dog, reward them, and then send them off to play again, even for just a few moments, your dog learns that coming when called doesn't necessarily mean the end of all fun.
Let's circle back to those kisses as well. While little dogs seem to bear the brunt of the hugs, kisses, and squeezes, medium and large-sized dogs aren't immune to this kind of attention either, it just doesn't seem as prevalent. It's not often you see someone run up to a Rottweiler and throw their arms around the dog's neck, smothering them with kisses. You'll see it daily, however, with little Maltipoos and Cavaliers. Is it that Rotties don't like hugs and kisses and those white fluffy dogs and Cavaliers do? Not at all. It's just that many of those smaller dogs have learned to put up with it, increasing their threshold of tolerance for rude human behaviors. Again, some dogs love hugs and kisses (probably because their owners do), but waiting for a dog to offer that type of attention first is the key. Consent isn't just something that needs to be given in human interactions; we need to wait for consent from dogs as well.
One last note about little dogs that sets them apart from their larger compatriots. House training. Many smaller breed dogs are more difficult to fully housetrain. I've had people tell me that it's because those little dogs have smaller bladders. While it's true that they do, that's not the whole story. In our human desire to breed smaller and smaller dogs who are more "puppy-like" in size for their entire lives, we are also (perhaps inadvertently) breeding for the retention of other juvenile characteristics beyond just size. Neoteny is the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood. So traits like those domed foreheads on Chihuahuas and big eyes on Cavaliers, those are the result of breeding for puppy-like traits being carried on in adult dogs, so examples of neoteny. Circling back to house training. What's a common issue dealt with in puppies? House training! So these small breed dogs often take longer to house train, or for some breeds are never fully house trained, as adult dogs. It's the trade off for those other juvenile characteristics folks love so much in their small dogs.
I'm looking forward to my follow up appointments with the Terrier mix and the Poodle. My guess is that their recall will have improved. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there haven't been any other snapping/growling incidents associated with being picked up and coddled. Giving dogs choices and waiting for their consent keeps those dogs AND the humans safe.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
This is McIntosh. He was a West Highland White Terrier and my first dog. He was a whopping 22 lbs. when full grown, so technically pick-up-able, but not something I ever recommended. While he was game to wear a ribbon, hat, or coat, particularly for a photo op and a treat, he was not a lap dog. His preferred position was the the back of the couch, not a lap, nor someone's arms. And we respected that.
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