Little dog syndrome

[Nakisha]

They’re dogs, not robots… every dog has banana’s growing in their ears now and then.  ;D But nothing happend, no harm done… Both dogs just didn’t listen properly. Nobody got harmed. The only bad thing was the response from the ShihTzu-owner.

Besides, if you’re afraid your dog was bitten, the first thing to do is check, right? I wouldn’t go up shouting at someone before I examinated my dog!  ::)

Accusing you and your dog was wrong, Dodger didn’t bite the Shih. He scared him a little, but that on itself can actually be a good lesson for a little dog; big dogs cán be dangerous to them, if they’re not friendly. Hopefully, the owners learned from it…

[Sweetypye]

Unfortunately it could also be a bad lesson, in other words the next time the little dog might want to get in first……………….. :educated: :hurt:

[kizkiznobite]

i understand where you at laura…and i know you always hold your hand up to any mistakes and then do your very best to correct…but SP is right in so many ways….and yep it hard when there is automatic breed discrimination…but it is a fact of life…

i have a newish client…she used to have a boxer…a nice chirpy well balanced boxer …well cued as a pet dog…not a problem….folk would avoid ….folk would cross the street, refuse to let dogs play with  etc etc…she now has a manic EP pup of 1 year old. (drop dead gorg but manic maudish bless her)…a bouncy daft un trained manic run to anything EP that barks and sings in face …has poor recall off folk and dogs…covers you in muddy paws…lively …thats all fine with folk…..she just a puppy, she lively, she blah blah….sad folk accept that and not a ‘stable’ black and tan….but true….

and nakisha…no they not robots…even my highly cued dogs are not robots….i dont do robots…i do highly cued dogs ….but they have manners and they know when under cue or not….and when they not they still mind their manners within the boundaries of the dogs they meet greet and play with because that the way they been raised….sometimes we have to protect them from themselves…and that means the chance to assess strange dogs and their owners…that is not robotic….that is common sense….

and as for the ‘lesson’ of the little dog…what if that is now a classically conditioned response to any big dog….that is not a lesson any little dog owner should have to cope with…what if that CRS is one of defense aggression…..what then ….when the next big daft dog that is friendly gets a serious injury due to that ‘learnt’ response? …..as my dog got so injured…..what if the bigger dog only got a UCS as a result of such an attack and then met the next little dog…..

because for the record…the only time anyone of mine has been seriously injured by a strange dog was a JRT…and yep… i had to repair that…and yep i know how, it my job to….and Val will tell you the otherside of the coin…..vals wee girlie was badly injured by a bigger dog….and val has had to work at repairing that….all dogs have the potential to injure/harm all other dogs…aint the dogs……it the humans….

we have to protect them from themselves…it our duty…and that means dogs under control….no dog should just run up to another dog regardless if you allow it then you are not protecting your dog…pure and simple….

you done good laura…think of where you was at with lado and then think about now…just some fine tuning…just some faster reaction from you to chose the right cue for the right scene….just a  bit more looking to cue from the lado….as for the guy…i guess it was a stress reaction…and i know you been there too….

give dodge boy a hug from me x

[Val]

I seem to have started a long topic here.
Laura you know that I know HOW much work you have put in with Dodger and how well you have done, I just cannot stand it when folks do the big dog small dog thing, to me a dog is a dog wharever size and all should behave and be well mannered.
Most of you know my three pekes were attacked by a cocker spaniel that none of us saw coming they all got bitten Victoria had a fractured front leg and three operations to save her eye Shishi was badly bruised so was Mel who at the time was only a pup I am sure her coat saved her as she was picked up in this dogs mouth and shaken it took a lomg time to repair them mentally after that Mel has never been as bold since, she has to know a dog really well before she will play with it.
This sort of thing can happen to any dog any size, it made me look at cockers in a different light I can tell you
Val

[Author]

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