Dogs of all sizes

As you all know I love just about all dogs; it makes absolutely no difference to me what breed, color or size a dog is. A dog is a dog and the heart of a dog comes in many shapes and sizes. In my training and my photography I have met everything from the tiniest of pocket pooches to the grande size of the Great Dane, Mastiff and Borzoi. I believe the tallest dog I ever met was an Irish Wolfhound way back in my early days. But a close second would be a very handsome Great Dane obedience client of mine that I quickly fell in love with.

I have worked with far more mid-sized to very large dogs due to the fact that very small dogs tend to get away with alot more unwanted behaviors. Afterall an aggression problem from a 150lb dog is going seem like much more of a problem than a 4 lb dog with aggression issues. The same goes for a dog who just won't housetrain; you're going to notice accidents from a 200 pounder much quicker than a 6-7 pounder.

But when I do get a call from a tiny canine guardian; it is either for a problem that has been going on for sometime or a guardian who wants a very well behaved small dog. Funny, no matter the size; a dog is a dog. Many tiny canines suffer from "in your arms" behavior through no fault of their own. Pocket pooches tend to be carried around alot making them much more susceptible to guarding guardian behaviors. How many people have met nasty little dogs in the arms of a guardian?

I remember attending a frisbee event with Tilley several years back where I witnessed a tiny Toy Fox Terrier with her tiny frisbee leaping and landing like the rest of our dogs. She had a huge heart in that little body and it made no difference to her that she was a mere fraction of the other dogs sizes. She had high drive and determination. And I applauded her guardian who saw her as the dog she was and not a fashion accessory.

I agree you must take more care to protect the tiny dogs but not allowing them to be real dogs is a true injustice. These little sized down canines have just as much right to do all the doggy things that dogs love to do. It is much easier for these little guys to join us on our daily adventures and exercising and entertaining them is on a much smaller scale as well. Heck they can go swimming in the kitchen sink; larger dogs need to hit a beach for a swim. But the tiny guys would love to go to the beach and check out all the smells and environment.

Tiny dogs should have the same amount of training and behavior modification as larger dogs. So should they be allowed to take part in dog activities that suit their stature. Obviously they are not going to be able to Skijorn or maybe not flyball because of their weight but they can do agility, frisbee, obedience, lure coursing and go to ground. They can do it all.