Why is there a double standard?

[Smokeycat]

Why does society have a double standard for large and small breeds?

I have noticed that large dogs are held to a much stricter code of conduct by general society than small dogs. One example I have encountered is while in a pet store there was a chihuahua that barked and lunged at any person or dog that got with in sight. Most of the people in the store just smiled as they walked while the owner did nothing. When the dog started to bark at me and Kryten, Kryten looked at this dog, head tilted in confusion and then gave what I call his shut up bark. (He only does this bark after being barked at by a small dog and it tends to shut up). People turned and glared at me for that single bark. One even went so far as to tell me that I needed to train my dog.

Thank you to anyone who reads this, I really needed to vent. I starting to get to the point where I hate most small dog owners.

 

[Buddha's Dad]

The main reason is that I don't think anyone has ever been killed or seriously maimed by a small breed.
I know how you feel, Buddha has been snapped at by more than a few of the smaller breeds, and that was after the owner brought THEM up to my dog and said they were friendly! I don't have a problem with some of the small breeds, it's only the ones that act like they have small dog complex that really get on my nerves.
You should of told that person that said you need to train your dog that "he is trained, that's why he only gave a warning bark to the dog that was barking aggressively at him instead of easily ripping him to pieces, so maybe the other dog owner should train their dog"

 

[grazefull1]

double really sucks but i agree too when small dog acts up u can put in a bag r when it bite well u can defend againist it but with a large dog well its not as simple
its always going to be one sided between size(everything a small dog does i cute n every a large dogs does is dangerous)

 

[ruthcatrin]

Had this arguement a few times. Drives me nuts. Very few small dog owners train up their dogs to be properly obedient and it drives me nuts cause when thats done with a large to giant dog you end up in big trouble for the exact same behavior.

 

[masteneo]

the way i deal with irresponsible small dog owners is to loadly tell them , not ask them to keep their out of control dog away from me . not my dog. it puts them in a bad position that everyone around sees. then do like people do us, make nasty comments about irresponsible dog owners and how children can be hurt by that horrible animal.

 

[raechiemay]

It's not right. Being a person that owns a small dog & a giant dog, both of my dogs get disciplined the same way if they do something wrong. I actually have more concern over my little dog acting up then Duchess. Daisy has that big dog mindset & thinks she can take on anyone & anything. I don't think she realizes that she would lose miserably in most cases.

Anytime I go to petsmart with daisy people fawn over how cute she is & what is she & can their 3 year old kid pet her. I always say no bc that's one thing daisy doesn't know is kids. They make her very nervous especially kids that ignore their parents & invade Daisy's personal bubble as I call it. But I never get rude remarks or looks from people when they ignore what I say, reach anyway & Daisy snaps at them. Daisy is much like a cat. I tell people to ignore her & let her come to them. I'm sure if Duchess snapped it would be that she's vicious & I should know better than to take her out in public.

I forgot to add that when I got Daisy I did everything remotely possible to have her be a friendly socially accepted dog. She went to daycare, I took her EVERYWHERE & exposed her to all kinds of people. I did that nearly everyday for her first 2 years of life. With her approaching her 6th birthday, I hate to say it but she's become a little bitch. She's super friendly & loving with people she knows but anyone new has to go through the process of ignoring her then she has to decide when they're ok. Don't know if that's the yorkie in her or the dachshund.

 

[masteneo]

I have seen a few chiuahuas ( if i spelled that right) that even i could not get to be less snappy. This was do to them just being too nervous. it would take so much time and effort on my part to get a little guy like that straight. and the owners would have to change some of their behaviours . That almost always ends up being the deal breaker. Had one that would rather get rid of the pup before changing lifestyle. The little guys require more work imho than the big nasty mean beasts. That's again why i communicate like i do in public when it comes to small dogs. i am trying in a firm and forceful way to get Irresponsible owners to realize other folks wont put up with the mess. by the way guys i am dislexic as all heck. so pardon my spelling.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Raechiemay, I totally agree its possible, my BIL's family has a mastiff cross (CC x Golden if you can believe it), and a Shitzhu. The little one recieved the exact same training as hte big one, and although she's still not my favoritest dog ever she is definetly one of THE best trained little dogs I have ever met. The only ones I've ever met that compaired was a pair of Yorkies owned by the couple we bought our house from. Those two TINY dogs were incredibly well trained, they still yapped up a storm, but they OBEYED, promptly, every time.

 

[Marrowshard]

Oh vent away, it's what we're here for! This has pissed me off for a long time as well. We've got friends with a Bichon who is 5 years old and is just now learning "sit". It runs around wherever it wants to, bolts on a leash, barks at every other dog it sees, etc. Nothing vicious, but every time I see it I think "this would be totally unacceptable for Oscar to do". He'd be pegged as a bad dog with no manners but the tiny thing gets the "ohh he's so cute!" thing.
Drives me up the wall.

~Marrow

 

[musicdeb]

Ditto to what everyone has posted. At the shelter, the small dogs are more apt to bite than the big dogs. We had a little toy poodle who was adopted today that it took us 2 days to pick him up from his cage because he growled and showed his teeth. I worked with him yesterday and it took about 10 minutes for me to pick him up to walk him. I put him back in his cage and knelt down to say goodbye and he growled and showed his teeth. Little shit!

 

[jcook]

Ha this is something that totally grinds my gears. It is so annoying to go to a friends house and their little dog is just jumpy all over you and barking non-stop. I have friends that got little dogs and basically the only training they did was potty training. I understand why little dogs are easier to handle than big dogs but I find myself being annoyed by little dogs a lot. Part of the reason why I got a big, opps, I mean huge dog ha. With that said, I will say I have met some really awesome little dogs that were really, really, well behaved. Its all about the owners, and I think small dog owners can get lazy when it comes to training because its easier for them to ignore the little 5 pound dog that is jumping all over them than it is to take the time to actually train them. Mastiff owners dont really have that choice lol. But I wish people would recognize that the 5 pound jumpy dog is just as ill behaved as a 100lb jumpy dog. Like someone else mentioned, it's not cute just because they are small.

lol im so glad this a mastiff forum, I rarely express my frustration with small dogs because it could easily offend a lot of people lol.

 

[Smokeycat]

It is so nice to know that I'm not alone.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Nope not alone, I despise irresponsible dog owners but irresponsible small breed owners the most.......I encouted this yesterday when I took Stone to get his shots. I also encoutered people that want "tough" dogs but can't control them....

 

[Rugers-Kris]

You are definitely notalone. I have a neighbor (a couple houses up) that has two Shitzu looking things that run free in the yard and every time I walk Ruger by there they come running and yapping thier stupis little heads off and I have to shoo them away while I walk by with him as the owner screams across the yard ..."Come here!", "Come back".....Over and over. I had told him before that I don't appreciate his uncontrolled dogs and his answer is "They don't bite" or "That's just the way these dogs are". Of course I gave my opinion loudly but the truth is, he isn't listening. What a pain. I change up our walks everyday just to keep it fun for Ruger but I have pretty much stopped going that way and it pisses me off because I shouldn't have to!! :-/

 

[ruthcatrin]

My husband's neice (from the family I mentioned above with the Shitzhu) announced yesterday she wants a chihuha. Sigh. I know they'd train the damn thing right, but, just, no. Thankfully I wasn't the only one with that reaction. Her father wants an EM lol

 

[jcook]

I think I also have a harder time developing a strong bond with little dogs. I dont know why, I had one for 17 years, but I already feel a connection that is 100 times stronger with my 5 month old mastiff. lol

chihuahua's are literally my least favorite breed. And they are so popular here in San Diego...

 

[Cody]

Yup.
Drives me batty. I am very verbal however to small dog owners who glare a my dogs while theirs are lunging and gnashing their teeth.
Usually inthe form of speaking tomy dog ie; no Aurora, you can't be friends with that dog, it is obviously aggressive and has NO training. It is definitely not a good dog like you. Must be said loud enough to be heard over their self righteous scowls and the high pitched screams of their dog. Hehehe
Oh, and there actually have been quite a few infant deaths due to small dogs.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Hahah Cody, I wish I could say what's on my mind but I don't have a good filter.....

Chihuahua's, Lhasa, Shih tzu's, Bichon, are all popular here. There was one lady yesterday that had her little Shih tzu in a dress with a lion cut.....DX

 

[Robtouw]

I admit I am guilty! I look at little dogs differently then larger ones. I simply don't understand the attraction to the little yipping, snarling, biting little things and don't know what to do with them. I have always been comfortable with large dogs Little guys are cute, but not for me! I have yet to find a large/giant breed that I fear. There are two breeds that I have had bad experiences with and as a result do not trust. Bigger dogs tend to get more press for negative issues that are usually traced back to the owner's treatment or lack of.

When was the last time a teacup chihuahua attacked and killed someone's neighbor or was the prime subject of a dog fight? People who watch the media and believe what they promote who are not animal lovers automatically assume that the "dog" is the criminal or the "breed" is dangerous instead of looking at the entire picture and understanding that it has acted as it was expected (taught) to do so or as it was neglected, abused or scared or defensive. I would love to see harsh penalties for pet abuse. Instead of putting down the dog that was fighting in the ring, euthanize both the dog and its owner.

Also, I've noticed that small dogs usually are not well trained. They are held, carried or pulled on leashes. I have seen a few that were exceptionally well behaved, but most are allowed to just run and be "cute".

I am very opinionated! No offense to little teenie dog owners, if they make you happy keep them! Everyone has a preference, I will keep my giants!

 

[ruthcatrin]

The smaller terriers for example can be quite dangerous if not trained. They could definetly be a threat to an infant or a toddler, and I wouldn't want one latching onto my ankle thats for sure. Probly wouldn't kill me, but maimed for life would be quite possible. Especially working lines. These are the dogs bred to go down small holes after vermin, including badgers, some of which are quite dangerous!