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Small dog syndrome. Leash reactivity.

I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
This is really me taking a moment to vent.

Why is it ok for a shitzu to bark and lunge at the end of the leash, but not a mastiff type dog?

My dog can do the same thing. Despite his size it should not be acceptable.

I told a woman that's the type of behavior that can get her dog killed. A highly reactive small dog can be a trigger for a larger dog- who could very easily slip a leash or get loose from an owners hand.

It's really a double standard that frustrates me. Especially as I worked extremely hard to address my dogs leash reactivity/aggression at 3mo old.

I tend to walk past people with my quiet mastiff while their dogs are popping off and say "it's always the little dogs" while I shake my head.


How do you all address the public.
I'm adamant at maintaining a peaceful and quiet dog who does not react. But I also know dogs are not machines. They aren't bombproof.

We'd hate to be responsible, but we also realize when we are the aggressor or the recipient of the aggression.


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I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
Small dog owners don't correct the behavior because the dog is little and manageable.

What they don't realize is that they are ultimately jeopardizing the health and safety of their dog.


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MM1234

Well-Known Member
Small dog owners don't correct the behavior because the dog is little and manageable.

What they don't realize is that they are ultimately jeopardizing the health and safety of their dog.


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I agree. People don't see small dogs as threatening, so they aren't motivated to train them. They think it's cute (when it isn't).
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
I absolutely agree and that is one of my biggest pet peeves as well. It is also the reason why I have a general feeling of dislike and distaste for little dogs. Honestly it isn't the dog's fault it is the owner's fault for not putting in the work to make their dog well behaved.

And yes the little dog's who get aggressive towards my dogs are a big problem. Diesel is an absolute angel with most other dogs. But, he doesn't like bullies. He really really doesn't like bullies.He doesn't like to see other dogs being bullied and he doesn't like being bullied. He actually has gotten pretty good at ignoring that behavior now but when he was going through training that sort of behavior would set him off (vocally only thank goodness).

Now Kahlua I worry about even more. She has a very dominant/alpha personality and expects other dogs to treat her with respect and deference. She is fine with them as long as they don't threaten her in any way. So yes we are working on training her to be bomb proof just as we did with Diesel. But, I know how she thinks and I know that as much as we train her there is never such a thing as completely bomb proof.

On the other side, those little dogs can be a threat no matter how harmless the stupid owners think they are. Cerberus (my senior dog who passed this year) was always an absolute angel. He would never hurt anything and was the most gentle loving soul you could possibly imagine. We went to visit my husband's dad once and his dad has a little dog (a yorkie) and brought Cerberus with us since he was always so well behaved. The darn yorkie full on attacked him. He tried crawling under my chair to hide from it but the stupid thing is so little it chased him right under there biting at his face. I grabbed the stupid thing and gave it to Sean's dad before it could do any damage but if I had not been right there to react quickly I have no doubt that thing would have done as much damage as it could to my Cerberus and he never would have defended himself either. That little dog is lucky it was Cerberus he did that to because I don't know how many dogs would allow themselves to be attacked, bit etc. and do nothing to protect themselves (other than try to hide).
 

7121548

Well-Known Member
I agree. People don't see small dogs as threatening, so they aren't motivated to train them. They think it's cute (when it isn't).

And the reactivity is always really bad because the owners coddle their little dogs. It's rampant.
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have a chihuahua and my dog is always well behaved when I walk him. I don't know why small dog owners think it's ok to have a demon on the end of the leash. It's irresponsible and more importantly the owner is setting the dog up for issues.
 

MM1234

Well-Known Member
I have a chihuahua and my dog is always well behaved when I walk him. I don't know why small dog owners think it's ok to have a demon on the end of the leash. It's irresponsible and more importantly the owner is setting the dog up for issues.

I agree! My mom has 3 Chihuahuas but hers are really good & are not reactive on leash. There are good small dogs out there, they just need owners to take the time to show them how to act.
 

season

Well-Known Member
Handle your business. Who cares about others. As long as you are doing right by your dog and not bothering anyone then don't let it bother you. You can't control others but you have total control over how you choose to react/respond. That is 100% in your power.
 

TWW

Well-Known Member
Handle your business. Who cares about others. As long as you are doing right by your dog and not bothering anyone then don't let it bother you. You can't control others but you have total control over how you choose to react/respond. That is 100% in your power.
Agreed.
You can't control what other people and what they do.
I've had a few run ins with people with overly aggressive dogs/ leash reactive dogs, small to large.
It's why I put so much time into his training, because I do not wish my big puppy to be at fault.
 

I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
Is a big dog at fault if it causes injury to a smaller dog?

Who would be held LEGALLY responsible if a big dog merely reacted to an aggressive dog who instigated and escalated the situation?

Ideally you're only in control of your and your dogs actions. If your (small) dog engaged in behavior that threatens its well being is the owner at fault?

I agree. Keeping a cool head as a large and potentially dangerous dog breed owner is paramount.

We (large breed owners)?knowingly accept a greater responsibility




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I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
I guess what I'm asking is what/who would qualify as negligent?

"When, as a result of dog owner negligence, a dog causes personal injuries to another person or his dog (property damage), the negligent dog owner has breached his duty of care. That breach makes him liable for the victim's and his dog's injuries and resulting damages." -injuryclaimcoachdotcom


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MM1234

Well-Known Member
Handle your business. Who cares about others. As long as you are doing right by your dog and not bothering anyone then don't let it bother you. You can't control others but you have total control over how you choose to react/respond. That is 100% in your power.

I agree, I pretty much take this stance. I was walking my dog last night & we walked past a very reactive small mixed breed. I didn't stress, I simple continued on very matter of fact & told my puppy "watch me". While my puppy was "watching me" I was giving him treats & he completely ignored the reactive smaller dog. I use reactive dogs to proof my training. ;)
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
I think all dog owners should be held to a greater responsibility to keep your dog under control.
Very true, but this doesn't happen often at all, especially with small dog owners. I see way more controlled med to big dogs than little dogs and the owners that look for training are rarely for little ones.
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
I agree that it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to keep our dog's controlled and to train them not to react to the poor behavior of other people's dogs. That said, there are situations when you can't simply ignore the behavior of the small dog for example if the small dog (or any uncontrolled aggressive dog) is not leashed. I have more than once had to tackle or pick up someone else's dog at risk to myself in order to stop it from causing injury to my dog. My dog in each of these situations has remained in control and well behaved. However, these situations are still extremely stressful to both myself and to my own dogs.

Thinking back to each incident I have come across my dogs have been 100% well-behaved angels to the point where if I had not intervened I fully believe they would have allowed the other dog to hurt them. And that is where my own rage at uncontrolled/aggressive dogs come in and that is why I personally can't simply ignore people with aggressive and uncontrolled dogs whatever the size of the dog may be.
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
I always have to laugh when I see a large man being pulled around by his little dog. They either blame me for having big dogs that are causing theirs to act up or they are amazed that I can walk Kryten let alone walk him with Jiggers. When asked how I can do it my answer is training. Kryten is too large for me to do anything without him being willing so being well trained in obedience is the only way to keep him safe.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
... I use reactive dogs to proof my training. ;)

Me too! These are "challenges" that are great for added training opportunities! I normally tell Denna to "leave it" and "ignore the rude dog"... and hand her a treat as we walk calmly by. :)

I have yet to be attacked by a little dog... but Denna has been attacked by two mid-sized dogs... one, I was hoping against, but also expecting (our neighbor's lab, two doors down, I had previously seen attack an intact male dog), and the other was a friend's wheaten terrier, which was very unexpected. In both cases, Denna did engage with a LOT of noise and showing of teeth, but in both cases the only injury was wet, slobbery fur. She also dis-engaged quickly once the other dog's owner had them in hand. She shook it off and went back to being her happy-go-lucky self, while the other dogs were a mess... at least the terrier was... poor jealous dog. He goes everywhere with his owner, too, often off-leash, which was why I was so surprised by his very, VERY bad doggie-greeting!
 

MM1234

Well-Known Member
Me too! These are "challenges" that are great for added training opportunities! I normally tell Denna to "leave it" and "ignore the rude dog"... and hand her a treat as we walk calmly by. :)

Yup, that is exactly what I do too! Since Bruno is now going through a "butt head teenage phase" (LOL)....he has been a bit too attentive to reactive dogs. He doesn't get crazy or anything but he will turn his body to look at them, I can easily reel him back in with "watch me" though. So now I start telling him to "watch me" a few seconds before we get closer to approaching dogs so that he doesn't even want to look at them. ;-)