Are little dogs harder to train than huge dogs?
I’m a expert dog walker as well as pet sitter with 8+ years of experience in the pet service industry. As such, I’m surrounded by dogs of different breeds as well as sizes on an almost everyday basis. From Chihuahuas to mastiffs, I’ve seen them all!
One thing that has stuck out throughout the years is that smaller dogs are (usually) less trained. as well as as a result, little dogs tend to be more obnoxious than medium as well as big dogs, in my opinion.
So today, I offer advice on exactly how to train little dogs as well as I’m likewise looking into possible reasons for this discrepancy.
I mean, are little dogs truly less trainable or is this just a stereotype? If you have a little dog, please speak up in the comments! I want to hear from you! as well as of course, all of us understand lots of huge dogs that are obnoxious as well as not well trained.
More than likely, smaller dogs just get away with more mischievous habits since it’s manageable, provided their size. Do we expect different behaviors from little dogs vs big dogs? I think, generally, we do. Let me understand what you think!
Training a little dog vs a big dog
Are you prepared to take a peek behind the scenes with me as a dog walker? For starters, I can tell you that out of the 200+ dogs I’ve dealt with over the years, about 1/3 are little dogs. Of those, only about 10% are well behaved. These 10% are the ones who online in houses with relatively well-behaved larger dogs.
Now, let’s take a look at the different behaviors I’ve most commonly experienced in little vs big dogs.
Behaviors in little dogs vs big dogs:
Common behaviors in little dogsCommon behaviors in big dogs
Pull as well as zig zag on walks. commonly walked on retractable leashes. training tools are never used.
pull less as well as are usually expected to walk on one side only. If they pull, they’re walked utilizing a tool that avoids strong pulling (training collar, head collar, no pull harness).
Jump on people. The habits is usually motivated as well as thought about cute.
Jumping on people is much less tolerated. I’m normally instructed not to enable it as well as to utilize commands like “no” or “off” to discourage it.
Demand bark for food, treats, as well as attention.
Demand barking is not extremely common. If it occurs, it’s not rewarded. Food as well as treats normally have to be earned by performing a specific technique or behavior.
Poor habits at feeding time, including snarling.
Feeding time is more structured. many dogs are asked to sit before they’re enabled to eat.
Play on as well as guard furniture by growling.
Crated if not enabled on furniture. Guarding isn’t allowed.
Nip people. sometimes thought about adorable as it’s seen as trying to protect their owner/handler.
Nipping or biting is strongly discouraged as well as not typical at all.
Small adorable however unruly little dogs on a couch vs calm German shepherds on a couch.
Small dog pulling on a leash vs a well-behaved larger dog on a walk.
Are little dogs harder to train than huge dogs? (Not likely!)
Judging from these behaviors, it’s simple to presume that little dogs are harder if not impossible to train than larger dogs. however what’s important to comprehend is that all dog training starts with us humans wanting to train our dogs.
After all, dogs come into this world essentially as a blank canvas waiting on our human input to show them what we expect of them.
And now we’re touching on one of the root triggers of untrained little dogs, which is that people expect different behaviors from different dogs. I’m generalizing here, however people normally want their little dog to be a lapdog, as well as their big dog to be a completely well-behaved pet guard dog.
Consequently, lapdogs don’t get any type of obedience training. That’s precisely why they normally don’t have any type of limits as well as run their homes.
Now, there are small-dog owners who discover a few of their pups’ extreme tendencies annoying. But, they put up with it since they don’t believe the habits can be stopped.
At the exact same time, they likewise don’t go out of their method to discover a solution since the issue habits is more workable with a smaller dog. A little dog can’t do as much damage, right?
But it’s important to comprehend that training requirements for little dogs are really similar to those of big dogs. That’s since both belong to the exact same species, have four legs as well as two ears as well as enjoy pleasing their humans, regardless of size.
Yes, you guessed it, I’m alluding to the truth that all dogs can be trained as well as that it’s not harder to train little dogs!
What does the research study say, are little dogs harder to train? We’d like to hear any type of research study you have found. We discovered the article below that states smaller dogs are less likely to be trained, however it’s not since they are harder to train. It’s since people are less likely to train them!
Article from Psychology Today.
Small dogs can be trained just like big dogs
It can take some getting utilized to the idea that your little dog can be trained just like a big dog. To assist you with this, you can technique your brain a little.
Here’s what you can do: just pretend your 10 lb pup is a 60 lb Labrador, or much better yet exactly how about a 100 lb Mastiff?
You don’t want him to jump on your guests as well as pull your arms out of your sockets while out on a walk, right? You likewise won’t pick him up as well as bring him around in your arms when he starts barking.
What it comes down to is that you don’t want to enable any type of habits in your little dog that you wouldn’t accept in a big dog.
Next, make a listing of behaviors as well as goals you would want your big dog to exhibit, then transfer them onto your little dog.
The very first few products on your listing may consist of obedience commands like “sit,” “down,” “stay,” as well as “come.” next up might be polite greeting of people who come to your home, no jumping or leg humping, as well as polite leash manners.
This bit guy below is Normie, a Shih-Tzu who’s half blind however still happy to perform a sit pretty trick in exchange for a treat!
Normie lives with his huge German shorthaired sibling Tab, which is a reason why he’s a well-behaved bit fellow. Their owner has the exact same training requirements for both dogs. The dogs are stretching in sync in the photo below.
now let’s take a look at exactly how to inspect the training products off your list!
Resources for training a little dog:
First of all, pick up a dog training book or ebook like Lindsay’s 50 dog training tips – Your training issues solved Now. She provides tons of down-to-earth dog training tips as well as guidance on your journey to a well-behaved dog. utilize code MP20Mutt for 20% off.
Additionally, indication up for a fundamental obedience class at a regional dog training facility. The benefits of taking a class are the socialization aspect, directions as well as supervision from a expert dog trainer, as well as the monetary commitment you make. It’ll keep you inspired towards your goal of completing the class as well as keeping up with your regular homework training assignments.
Basic dog training tools are one more great investment. tools that come to mind are training treats, a treat bag, a non-retractable, 4-6 foot common leash, as well as potentially a crate if you desire to crate-train your pup.
Why dog training tools are helpful
Simply put, dog training tools make your life easier!
A treat bag is so much more practical than digging into your pockets for treats. It holds your high-value treats like cut up poultry or hot dog, or anything fishy or smelly like eco-friendly tripe treats. The smellier, the much better since your dog will want to get to that smelly goodness!
Just make sure to hand out small food benefits since little dogs fill up fast. You likewise don’t want them costs as well much time eating the treat. get Mighty Paw’s treat bag HERE.
The only time I suggest a retractable leash is for recall training purposes, meaning when you teach your dog to find when called. For other activities like walks, hikes, as well as trips to the vet, groomer, or pet-friendly stores, I suggest utilizing a common leash that won’t get you or your dog tangled or hurt.
The reason why I’m suggesting these approaches is since they’re precisely what I did when I very first started discovering about dog training.
I bought a number of dog training books, armed myself with above listed dog training tools, as well as signed up for a fundamental obedience class. My boxer-mix pups [turned out to be] extremely well-behaved, so it was money well spent!
Reasons to train your little dog
Much like training standards, the benefits of training little dogs are the exact same as those of training big dogs:
Polite behavior. This is the most obvious benefit. everybody appreciates a well-behaved dog, regardless of size.
Bonding. spend high quality training time with your dog as well as you’ll produce a stronger connection with him as he looks to you for direction as well as guidance. You’ll be able to effectively interact with your pup!
Mental exercise. Your dog exercises his brain when he concentrates on figuring out what you’re asking of him. This contributes to a more balanced specify of mind as well as enabling him to relax calmly. Dogs who aren’t asked to exercise their brain are more imbalanced as well as have pent-up energy as a result.
Safety. You can actually save your dog’s life with a solid recall as well as the capability to sit or lie down on command. For example, it can keep him from running into a hectic street or choosing a fight with the neighbor’s dog.
Now we’d like to hear from you!
Now that I’ve shared my thoughts on why a lapdog can be a well-behaved lapdog, we’d like to hear from you!
Have you effectively trained a little dog? Also, please ask us any type of concerns you may have in the comment section!
But first, let’s do a quick recap:
All dogs benefit from obedience training, regardless of size.
Small dogs can as well as want to be trained, just like huge dogs.
Dog training is easier with the right support system.
Use books, dog training classes as well as tools in your favor.
Trick your brain into believing of your little dog as a huge one.
Happy training!
Barbara Rivers composes on a regular basis for That Mutt. She is licensed in raw dog food nutrition from Dogs naturally magazine as well as the author of three ebooks about balanced raw dog food. She is a blog writer at K9s Over Coffee.