Small Dogs, Big Personalities

by Jay Anderson⁽³⁹⁾
Puppies For Sale Site

There are many oxymorons in the world: jumbo shrimp, accurate estimate, even odds, a little pregnant, and then there’s Presley, the Chihuahua. Presley is one of many small dogs who contradict their diminutive stature with their HUGE personalities. Who knows why small dogs like Presley sport such big personalities - maybe it is the doggie version of a Napoleon complex. Perhaps it is his way of trying to find his place in a pack that he views as far larger than himself. Or maybe, you can write it off as being one of Nature’s mysteries, or God’s “cosmic sense of humor.” The point is, a dog like Presley is proud, quirky and complicated to train - and that causes problems.

Toy breeds like Maltese, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Dachshunds and many others all can be quite a handful when it comes to training. Why is that, and how can you handle it so that your dog doesn’t get spoiled? Presley, and other small dogs like him, are often viewed as prissy and bad-tempered. This, sometimes, is just because they are not trained trained properly. This is not fair to Presley, to his small dog compadres, to you, or to others who may be deterred from buying a small dog because of a bad experience. You would not want others to miss out on the opportunity to let such a big, loving personality into their lives, just because your dog is not trained right, would you? Plus, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation like Presley’s before you realize the importance of training.

Presley’s Big Problem

Just what is Presley’s situation? Well, Presley lives in a friendly neighborhood, and so one of the little neighbor boys came over to play with Presley, who was tied up in the yard. When the boy picked him up, Presley nipped the boy on the hand, and even drew blood. The boy’s parents agreed that it was partially the boy’s fault, since he approached Presley and picked him up without asking, but Presley’s owners were distraught. This was one of a few warning signs that Presley had shown lately - chewing, peeing in the house, barking uncontrollably, and now nipping. They had always let Presley do whatever he wanted, they never felt right about swatting him on the nose or finding suitable ways to correct his behavior when he was so small, and now they were paying for it. Presley began an intense training regimen immediately after the incident.

Where to Do His Business

To teach Presley, or any small pooch where to do his business, try to take him to the same spot in the yard each time when you take him out. Make sure to walk him up down and all around that spot each time until he finds a place he deems suitable, and don’t get impatient. If he learns that spot is his spot, he will be happy to mark all over it soon enough.

If he pees or poops in the house, clean it up right away, and especially make sure to neutralize the smell - white vinegar works well for this. Small dogs often do their business in the house to mark their territory. Because they are small, they are not as able to defend their territory, so they are much more vigilant about keeping it marked. Removing Presley’s scent - and believe that if small dogs have big personalities, they have a big smell to go along with it - will teach him that it is not his territory to mark. Spraying some of your own cologne or perfume in the area may help him understand that it is yours.

When To Do His Business

Small dogs have small bladders. Presley may be peeing or pooping in the house because he is not getting out often enough. Try to take him out routinely - once ever 1 ½ hours or so - so he knows that his potty needs will be met. Some dogs with nervous temperaments are actually nervous because of the fear that their needs will not be met - food, pott, and otherwise. You will find your dog’s mood improved by this assurance.

Have pee pads available in the house for emergencies, and reward Presley for using them. Small dogs are smart, no joke. If you are interested in trying to teach Presley a signal to give when he wants to go out - he can be taught to wait at the door and bark, or even ring a bell when he needs to go outside.

Chewing

Small dogs are going to chew. This is how they clean their teeth and entertain themselves. You can not control if they chew, but rather what they chew. Make toys and treats readily available to them, and make sure that these toys don’t resemble anything you don’t want them to chew. If you have kids with stuffed toys - don’t give them stuffed chew toys. Don’t give them chew toys shaped like shoes or people food. Raw hides, deer antlers, ropes and squeaky balls are all good choices to ensure no confusion. You can’t get mad at Presley for mixing up a toy shoe and a real shoe.

Nipping

Nipping is unacceptable. Period. A light swat on the nose is sufficient punishment for this. If you are not comfortable with that, when Presley nips, pick him up, and place him gently on his back on the ground. Nipping is a display of dominance and putting him in a submissive position reaffirms your position as pack leader. But careful, this takes practice. The idea is not to hurt him, but show him that despite what he has been led to believe he’s not the boss. Firmly say, “No.” and hold his mouth closed for a moment with your fingers. Nipping is never okay.

Don’t play games with Presley that teach him that nipping is sometimes okay, because he is not likely to learn the difference.

Barking

Barking is constant battle with any dog, but especially with a small dog. They are one of the canines for which the adage, “A dog’s bark is worse than his bite” is true. Small dogs are territorial and defensive, but much of their ability to scare anything away is in their bark. Therefore, it will be a constant battle to discourage this behavior. There is no one right answer, as every dog responds differently to different training. Do not use shock collars on small dogs. They bark when they are alarmed, and so, when they get shocked they will bark more and get shocked more. Shock collars are quite cruel to them for this reason and are highly controversial. This author is not convinced that the end justifies the means.

PuppySchool

If you are having trouble training your puppy on your own, or maybe you don’t have as much time as you would like, look into signing your dog up for puppy school or training classes. This is helpful not only because you have a professional instructor to help you when you get stuck, but also your dog learns good habits for his interaction with other dogs.

So, at the end of the day, training a small dog in a way that meshes with his big personality can be difficult, but it is essential for that personality to be “put on a leash” as it were. Small dogs are viewed in a negative light when they are not trained properly, and it is just not fair. For one, imagine if a big dog nipped a little kid like Presley did. Chances are, the dog might be in big trouble, maybe even put down. Letting a small dog get away with things because he is small is tempting, because overall, there is not much damage he can do, but your little dog will inflate the wrong parts of his big personality if you don’t train him properly. You don’t want to be left with a spoiled, unfriendly dog, and no one to blame but yourself.

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Article submitted Monday, July 04, 2011 & read 88 times.

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