When it comes to most things, I’m a man’s man: I like my beer, my sports, my Madden Football video game, and my dogs.My two small dogs…that weigh a combined 22 lbs.
That’s right: I love small dogs.
Didn’t always love them. I grew up around big dogs. Had a Doberman once, in fact. I think that’s a pretty manly dog.
I always thought big dogs were the only “real” dogs, and that the little one were nothing more than just yappy little ankle-biters meant to be carried around in the purses of rich people.
Flash forward to 2004: I’m in the passenger seat of my soon-to-be wife’s car, driving away from a San Diego animal shelter with a little 8-lb Papillon wrapped up in my arms like a baby.
Surprisingly, nearly five years later, despite my continued ownership of this micro-pooch, I still like beer and sports.
Nowadays when I see a cute dog, I react the same way, whether the dog is a big ‘ol bruiser or ankle-ish height.
It seems to me that many people make the mistake of not treating little dogs LIKE dogs. Pick them up all the time, treat them like babies, let them get away with murder just because they’re small and “harmless.”
It’s no wonder people think they’re yappy and annoying! In most cases, their owners made them afraid of the world!
Something else I’ve noticed: Sometimes little dogs bark and get all crazy defensive because they don’t want big clumsy humans stepping on them–really, can we blame ’em for that? Some people just have the wrong energy around little dogs. Think about it: If something ten times your size came walking up to you like it JUST might step on you, you might start kicking, punching and screaming “AHHH! AHHH! GET AWAY FROM ME!”
In other words, all that yapping is a defense mechanism, man!
Hey, it’s totally fine to have a preference for one dog size over another–just give the little guys a chance. I did, and it’s given me a whole new perspective on dogs.
At the end of the day, whether we come home to a Great Dane or a Pomeranian, we all use that same silly voice to greet our big and small pooches when we come through the door.