I don't want to hog up the subject but being I started it, maybe it will be ok. I've read every post a few times. I never pass up a chance to learn about dogs, they can teach us so much. I don't think little dogs fasination to attack big dogs is unique to little anckle biters. I don't think it's a feeling of false security that their person will save them. I think it's in all dogs. Our two dogs used to fence fight the neighbors German Short Hair Pointers until the neghbor said she didn't like them to do that. OK, I told our dogs, "No more runem". After a couple days, no more fence fight. The neighbor had about eight dogs but only one, Brusier, was big and dominant. Our Pit wouldn't run any of the pack expect Bruiser. Bruiser was the biggest GSHP I've seen and would of had our Pit for lunch but he was the only one the Pit would challange. He would lay in wait for # 1, Bruiser, to join the fence fight, he didnt care about the rest. . Our Son brought his Rottie out and the Pit and "bones", Buddy, wanted a piece of him..... My wife was walking the Pit when some little neghbor dogs got loose and crowed and barked at Mr. Pit. The wife was petrified, she thought our dog would kill them all but the dog just ignored them. She proceded with her walk with the little mutts harrassing our dog who was trying to avoid them.. What is it about dogs of any size wanting to bite off more than they can chew?? ....Or have I go it wrong?... IMO...
* This post was
edited 07/19/12 11:06pm by Jerrybo66 *
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Please, By NO means am I making any judgement about them, dogs or folks, I just thought it was funny and wanted to share. You think your dog's smarter than mine and I think my dog's smarter than your's. We all understand and that's the way it should be. All dogs are great, size doesn't matter
You may think your dog is smarter than mine but I KNOW my dog is smarter than yours.
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Please, By NO means am I making any judgement about them, dogs or folks, I just thought it was funny and wanted to share. You think your dog's smarter than mine and I think my dog's smarter than your's. We all understand and that's the way it should be. All dogs are great, size doesn't matter
You may think your dog is smarter than mine but I KNOW my dog is smarter than yours.
I guess everyone is intitled to there own opinion..Even if it's wrong... .
* This post was
edited 07/19/12 11:24pm by Jerrybo66 *
I just think dogs don't really have an understanding of size... The first time we brought our Beagle pup over to our nieces house and the Beagle was sitting on my lap. As soon as their 120# lab saw that, she jumped right up into the nieces boyfriends lap.
Another example was my friends who had a 10# Shei Tzu and a 140# Bull Mastiff.... The Shei Tzu was definitely the leader of that little pack!
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Code2High wrote: The reason little dogs challenge big dogs in public isn't that they're small so they think they're big, or have Napoleon complexes, or whatever. It's because they haven't been taught proper manners in public and how to either greet or ignore other dogs. It's unfortunate, but a lot of people seem to think it's okay to have a badly behaved little dog out in public. Properly trained, little dogs are as capable of behaving well in social situations as any pittie. But they do have to be trained and there is this idea among a lot of people with little dogs that it isn't necessary, or that the behavior is somehow cute or funny.
Certainly though not everyone does that. I've seen little dogs out in public that are well behaved and social. My little dogs wouldn't challenge a pit in public.... they've got one of their own to pound on every day of the week.
I do agree with this...we have never allowed our little dogs to go after larger dogs or even exhibit the aggression, it is stopped immediately.
It was an issue at first with Bubba with a couple of particular dogs, he gets along great with most all dogs whatever the size but...
we use our finger to zap him in the shoulder with sound from us and it stops right away, takes his attention off the other dog and back where it should be.
I don't know what it is with smaller dogs but it is neither cute nor funny but some people do just allow the behavior and it baffles me as to why.
I'm embarrassed when Maddie acts all big and bad in public. We've not had her very long, so she's a work in progress. I know it's a terrier thing, but I don't care. I insist that my dogs, no matter what their size, act decent in public. My former bigs dogs (lab, Chipper and boxer, Duke) were much better behaved, without nearly as much training, as the yappers we have now - lol!
I think the little ones make lots of noise as a defense mechanism, since their size won't help them, in case of emergency.
I firmly believe that many of the smaller breeds of dogs suffer from a condition known as "LDS". This is from no fault of their own, and although interventional training helps alleviate the condition, it never really goes away. Gretchen has been the target, many times, of LDS afflicted dogs. All we have to do is go for a walk in any campground we happen to be at, and the odds of encountering at least one LDS dog are high. As a matter of fact, in is not uncommon to encounter two or three at a time, as they seem to like traveling in packs.
BTW, to the OP, we have had similar experiences at our local Petsmart. I usually tell the LDS moms and dads that Gretchen prefers chicken, so not to worry . . . . . .
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Add a couple who dotes on the dog and treats Foofie like a "baby" - the strongest correction the dog gets is a half-hearted "no-no", which it chooses to ignore because in its opinion, it's rapidly escalating to Leader Of The Pack Status. Why should you bother to train a tiny dog when you can simply scoop it up if it's not listening to you, right??? The owners think it's funny when "King Foofie" demands a treat. Funnier yet when His Royal Highness challenges a big dog - "oh look, Foofie's trying to protect me because he loves me so much"
Now all you need is a door left ajar or a dropped leash; plus either a busy street or a large dog with quick reflexes - and Foofie is a goner.
Deb and Ed M wrote: Here's my recipe for disaster:
Take a small dog - let's call if "Foofie"
Add a couple who dotes on the dog and treats Foofie like a "baby" - the strongest correction the dog gets is a half-hearted "no-no", which it chooses to ignore because in its opinion, it's rapidly escalating to Leader Of The Pack Status. Why should you bother to train a tiny dog when you can simply scoop it up if it's not listening to you, right??? The owners think it's funny when "King Foofie" demands a treat. Funnier yet when His Royal Highness challenges a big dog - "oh look, Foofie's trying to protect me because he loves me so much"
Now all you need is a door left ajar or a dropped leash; plus either a busy street or a large dog with quick reflexes - and Foofie is a goner.
Can we call the dog "Peanut" instead of "Foofie"? I've always thought Peanut was a cute name for a little dog.
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All dogs are great, size doesn't matter 
I've always thought Peanut was a cute name for a little dog.
