From looking at the messages on this board, it seems that there is a definite preference towards big dogs.  Just wondering why that is.  Why do at lot of you own the large and giant breeds? 

I love all dogs but the biggest I've owned have been border collies.  Truely lovely dogs, which I will always have a soft spot for, but I now have shelties instead.  As well as a papillon. 

I will list my pros and cons (yes there are a few) on owing smaller breeds and would be interested on your comments.

Pros

1.   Easy to take about with you.  Will fit comfortably on the back seat of the car and with the toy breeds can always pick them up if required.

2.   In general, longer lived.  To my mind dogs don't live nearly long enough so why choose a breed that will be old by nine when the smaller breeds tend to live so much longer.

3.   Cheaper to feed.  Even using the best quality foods will not break the bank.

4.   Routine treatments for fleas and worms work out cheaper for smaller dogs.

5.   Don't take up so much room in the house.  Can easily share a sofa with a couple of the shelties and still have room for me.

6.   Once adult, will generally take as much exercise as you wish to give but will be quite happy with a run round the garden if weather is bad or time is short.

7.   Cheaper to place in kennels if required.

Now for the cons

1.   Can be easily hurt, especially the toys. 

2.   Can be a bit yappy.

3.   Can squeeze through the smallest hole in the hedge or fence.

Can't think of anymore. 

Will be interesting to see what other people think. 

Don't know about preferences toward big dogs or small dogs, I like both and I grew up with both.

But for me it's emotive.  I've always had a thing about the GSD, as soon as I could walk.   I can't explain it logically; maybe I was one in a previous life. :-D

When I got my first GSD - that was it, set for life and I will not have another breed.
 
Being a large breed is just co-incidental, it is of no relevance to me. 

I grew up with a cocker spaniel (loopy dog) and then border collies but I don't always stick to the same breed as there's so many I like.  My employer has a GSD and she's often with me while I'm working and I look after her if he goes away.  Lovely dog but I'd never want one myself. 

My personal prefrence is mediumish dogs my biggest is a GSD and my rottie x. I dont dislike small dogs but there not my cup of tea. My border collies are my perfect breed, medium adverage size so they dont tower over me and if i step on them im not going to kill them. I do like alot of larger breeds but couldnt find it practical living with them and the same with a small dog.

I just love large breed dogs , i would never in my life settle for the wussy small breeds. They are just no fun , i couldn't see myself being tackled to the floor by a shih tzu. Longevity is not an issue , their is a pure white golden on my street who is 19 and lively. My bella is 12 almost 13 and is cancer free showing no signs of weakness. I think if i owned a smaller breed it would be stepped on before turning 1.

Smallest dog i've owned are sibe huskys. Others i have had are giant shnauzers , dobes , CC retrievers and bloodhounds.

our border is only small and he is great fun,easy to put in the car,easy to place on the vets tableetc but i also love the larger breeds and adore the bullmastiffs.

I love all dog's, but I much prefer the bigger dog's, I have been known to say the only problem with the pup we are getting is that it isn't big enough (Aussie)!!!

When we have our big house in the country, with some decent land (this is of course when we have won the lottery/robbed a bank!!) We will have a couple of Aussies and a couple of Newf's :D Oh and about 5 sofas so they can have 4 whilst we squeeze on to one :D If my hubbie has his way there may even be some Great Danes in there as well :D LOL I will have a zoo on my hands the way we are going :D

If we had a little dog in our house, especially one of the toy breeds, I would never be able to relax thinking that s/he was lost or hurt, it is just too manic in here for something as breakable as that!

I prefer medium size dogs. I'm not keen on tiny dogs - although I know a few that have lovely personalities and I would have no objections to owning them :) Again, I know some lovely rotties - but I wouldn't want them for keeps :) Very large dogs, such as mastiff types and newfies etc are not for me  - I like slim, active dogs :)

Daisy

Small dogs no fun!  You should see me trying to catch my papillon puppy.  She is so quick and lively.  We have nicknamed her Fagin as she is always running off with something she shouldn't have.  Tissues, t-towels anything she can get her paws on really.  As for the shelties they are what I would call a real family dog.  They love to be with you, whatever you are doing, and they just love to sit on a lap for a cuddle. 

>>They love to be with you, whatever you are doing, and they just love to sit on a lap for a cuddle.>>

Tyson is exactly like that too. He will follow me around the house all day to lie on my feet! :-) And he does 'try' to sit on your knee for a cuddle.......not so easy with a 6 stone pup!!!!!!! :D :D :D  

>I just love large breed dogs , i would never in my life settle for the wussy small breeds.

Ha! The great wusses of my dogs are most definitely the two biggest ones -the Golden and the Golden cross! Arnie the x will run a mile if he sees a small dog coming towards him.... My two litte dogs are totally fearless!

Marianne

You wouldn't be able to step on my breed even though it probably fits into the smallish breed. ( WHWT)

You can sit out my backyard and hear a pin drop they are so quiet ( well as long as my neighbours red setter is not out the back yapping its flaming head off) Even when it is yapping mine just happily lay around.

Attack you lay on the grass for 1 min and let them loose. you couldn't get up :-D

I don't think you can call Terriers of any breed smal dogs really :D  Except maybe Norwich and Norfolks?  I think the main problems are hwen people who are after a little lap dog own them, as they rarely have the character suitable for a Terrier.

100% right of the approx 30 terriers I trim only 2-3 are wild little monkeys and would eat me if they could catch my hand quicker than I move it ;-)  the 3 of them are owned by people who have babied them, never trained them and let them rule their lives.   Mine know I am the boss and not to cross the line :-)

One of my young dogs when I put them at night to bed acts up and won't come out of the garden , when I finally  say " that's it" in a loud voice he runs straight in his bed :-)

I love larger dogs. And i fell in love with all the characteristics of the Mastiff, so i got one. ;-) And, even though he is only 5 months old, i couldnt imagine being without him!! :D I do like all sizes of dogs, but i couldnt imagine having a small breed....just not for me. :-)

With the exception of Staffs, which are just so cool, I can't abide terriors. And small dogs just seem so precious and spoilt. I look at them tucked under their owners arm and think, may as well get a hamster... Out of all small dogs paps and shelties are probably the least irritating but I've got two big collies (22 and 23 inches at the shoulder) and a little one (19") and I have to admit it took a while to get used to his smaller size but I am getting there. I grew up with an enormous GSD and that is what I wanted when I ended up with Laddie, but then he got me into obedience, then I morphed into an agility handler and collies were the only way to go really. So I ended up with two more after him. But I am edging more towards a Terv next as too many collies can seriously damage you health, whereas Tervs just damage your mental health! :D

why on earth are collies the only way to go? There are some fab ABC dogs out there running at all levels, lots in senior. I believe there is also a lurcher in advanced! I run ABC's & regularly beat alot of collies. In fact when I won out of starters there wasn't a collie even in the trophies! I think its an awful attitude for people to get a dog just to win with if they don't even like it as a breed!

muttsnutts I'm not saying other breeds are no good, a friend of mine runs a Beardie and he won her out of Starters and is a thousand times better than my collie. (who admittedly is disabled by his cr*p handler.) What I meant was, for me it had to be a collie as the only other breeds I could, at the time, ever entertain owning were GSDs and Sibes. Now I also like Tervs so would think about getting one next. I don't own collies just to win rosettes, I also love the breed and anyone who actually knows me will tell you that.

Hi Colliesrus,

that wasn't aimed at you, but there are people out there who just get collies cos they think they are easy & they will win for them. I don't doubt that a really good collie will probably beat most other breeds, but (as I am sure you know!) collies aren't easy & don't come ready-trained. There are probably more mediocre collies on the agility circuit than anything else! Our dogs should be our pets first & foremost & winning (if you are lucky) comes 2nd to that!

BTW, your friend obviously has good taste - Beardies rock! (can you guess what I run??)

My personal preference is for medium-sized dogs; labradors, dalmatians, pointers etc. Anything much smaller is likely to be too yappy and get trodden on/fallen over.

Surely there's some small dog people on here somewhere!

I suppose, technically, I would come under the category of small dog owner.  However, mine don't yap, they wouldn't be tripped over, and you certainly can't tuck them under your arm.

My own personal preference isn't for large or small dogs but for spitz breeds - whatever size.

At the end of the day it's all personal preference, what you can live with. 

I live with a newf and a greyhound who is even taller than the newf at 30" and now I consider them to be average size dogs becuase I am so used to being around them so it comes as quite a shock when I meet actual average sized dogs like labradors and dobes and realise just how big my dogs are.:) I now would be hard pushed to own even these size of dogs because for me were dogs are concerned the bigger the better.

I also know that one of the reasons I dont particularly like small/tiny dogs is because these are the only dogs that I have ever been bitten by. I very rarely let my children ask if they can stroke small dogs but like today in the park if they see a rottweiler they would like to stroke I am quite happy for them to ask the owners if they can.

Nikki

>likely to be too yappy< LOL JG are you kidding.

We have only had the dogwarden called to us once in 5 years of having our daytime run out back.. it was the day my husband couldn't take Blue ( the lab) with him to work. She was only left about 2 hours with the Westies and she howled the place down.  :-)

I think it all comes down to how you raise them :-)   the guy at our ring craft has 2 Dalmations and Jezz do these pair never ever shut up. I love them but I tell you I could strangle them , I have to take pain killers when I come home honestly LOL ;-)

You seem to misunderstand what I mean by 'yappy'. I don't mind a dog vocalising - I just find a high-pitched noise painful. So unless a small breed has an unusually-proportioned voicebox, it's likely to make a high-pitched noise. For that reason I prefer a larger-dog's voice, no matter how often it uses it!

And even terrier-owners told me, after our recent burglary, to get a small dog, because they make so much more noise than big ones. They should know what their own dogs are like!
:)

Hey you :-) I wasn't being cheeky ;-) just joining in :-D

>They should know what their own dogs are like!<

of course they should and I am only of those people :-D :-D   Owned both a boxer and a lab and westies .

I can honestly say that if someone was being burgled and I could bet my weeks wage on it if you were 100 feet from the house you would hear a large dog barking far greater than a small dog. The loudness of a large dog barking is so very much greater. Honestly :-)

If Blue our lab barked it use to echo round the scheme where as if one of my westies barked you could only hear it around the houses close by Honestly :-)

Maybe westies don't have the high pitch bark you mean I am not sure but we have always had to be careful of the lab barking rather than the westies because it is just so so loud.  Almost like a mini earth quake :-D :-D :-D

Well done Tam it's about time someone stood up for little dogs. Having been a regular reader and occasional poster on this forum I have become more and more dissillutioned with the responses that are given to people with small dogs, it's no wonder the majority of posters have big dogs all the little dog owners have moved on to friendlier places. Which is a real shame considering it's supposed to be here for advice and HELP.

On that point I think I will now move on to more friendlier places aswell.

CAZ, your reply landed behind mind not sure why as I have small dogs :-)

Sorry Blue it wasn't directed at you personally :-) just the few members that are openly hostile to small dogs.

That depends on your definition of 'small', doesn't it? There are very many staffy enthusiasts on here, and they're physically too small for lots of people's taste. I've not seen many people being 'openly hostile' to them! ;)

This is a thread about people's preferences, remember. There are no right or wrong answers! :D

Not just talking about this thread I appreciate everyone has an opinion, I know a number of people who have stopped using CD because of the general attitude to small dogs. I started a thread about how to protect my small puppy from possible harm by other dogs and it turned into an anti small dogs thread, and I never got the advice I wanted.
Like you say we are all allowed our opinions and that's mine :-)

Caz the main reason I have seen for people prefering larger dog's, is because they are worried about stepping on/tripping over a smaller dog. I don't think that means people are being hostile, just that they wouldn't want to hurt a little dog.

The other reason I can see is the 'yapping' that inevitably comes with a smaller dog, surely people have the choice as to whether they like to hear a dog yapping or barking. Certainly in my experience smaller dog's do tend to yap more often than a bigger dog will bark, I am not saying this is true across the board, of there will always be small dog's that don't make a sound and bigger dog's that bark all day, but I think it is more likely to be the other way around.

>I don't think that means people are being hostile, just that they wouldn't want to hurt a little dog.

Exactly, Natalie. I can't see what's so wrong with that, personally :)

Seriously this would be a great worry to me, as my eyesight is poor (am registered blind), I am also very clumsy.  The very velcro dogs also would drive me nuts for this reason (by BSD did) as I would always be treading on them.

I am not as clumsy as I thought I was, I am the only one in our house that hasn't stepped on the cat - yet!! But, I wouldn't trust my little boy with a small dog, the cat screams and then runs and hides, a dog would probably give him what for!!! Obviously it would be my little lads fault, but that doesn't mean I want him to bitten! So the answer is, not to get a small dog!

I don't see myself as hostile to little dogs, I see them as having more disadvantages than advantages for me to own. 

I don't think that prefering another small pet to a tiny dog means that I don't like small dogs.  I in fact often feel rather sorry for them.  Just like some of the Macho breeds they suffer at the hands of the people that are drawn to them.

It is too easy to own too many of them, and for them to literally be treated like caged rabbits.

When you see cases of neglect where lost of dogs are kept in cages in tiny spaces they more often than not are the small breeds, simply because someone woudl notice some mastiffs bellowing their misery.

They are treated like toys/babies rather than the canines they are.

They often have owners unwilling or unable to train them to be nice well adjusted dogs.

Many of their owners are afraid of bigger dogs, so their small dogs are the same and are then in great danger when they act fear aggresively from a large dog that takes exception.

The toy breeds and other small dogs that I know owned by large breed owners invariably have super manners, but the housetraining still seems to be an issue.

Good points :) Like some people who live further down my road who bought a pair of either lhasa apso or shih tzu (can't remember now) and proudly told me that they didn't need walking :(

Daisy

Valid points, Brainless.
:)

I assume the old gent is now dead, but used to meet this old chap walking his lityle yorkie miles and miles.  He used to own my breed when he was younger and got the Yorkie as a neighbour had promised to take him in if he should become unable to look after or excersise it.  It was a superfit little dog with lovely canine manners, because it was treated as a dog.

Our neighbours across the road have a mini WHD and a papillon cross. They are out in all weathers across the fields and are definitely treated as dogs - not small dogs. But then, until a year or two ago, they lived with a rottie :D Our other neighbours have a pug and a lurcher - it must be the fittest pug in Essex, gets walked a few miles every day :D

Daisy

Oh here we again, generalizing as usual. Most of do take our dogs to training, and maybe surprising for you to know take it seriously.
Most of do not cage our dogs, yes they are dogs not rabbits. Certainly not caged. So why should you feel sorry for them.
They have walks just as bigger dogs do and are treated in the same manner. I find your comments yet again patronising.Well done. You made your case a really good one.
Small breed owners are contstantly stereotyped exactly as you have done.
We are well aware of the issues relating to our alleged fear of bigger dogs. Not the case, most of us with small breeds are more than willing to allow our dogs to mix with bigger breeds, and it's about time you changed your sterotypical attitude. ~we all have to be resposible for the actions of our dogs- big or small and ensure they are bought up with good manners as should the owners. Just as you have said brainless you have  categorised small breed dogs in having good training but not housetraining unless they are owned by an owner who has got a big breed too. Where on earth do you get your information from exactly?
As for the spelling mistakes on my previous post- they were all cut and copied as members have typed them originally.

If you re read my post I stated that even the well trained ones still generally had an issue with housetraining.

I also said that the small dogs like their large counterparts attract people who have no business owning a dog, any size dog.

Both the very large breeds and the very small attract some very inadequate kinds of people.

Of course there are plenty of GSD, Doberman, Rottie and Staff owners who are sensible responsible owners as ar the vast amajority that own small breeds, but there are enough of the steryotypical owners to give the breeds their respective reputations.

I have freinds that won wonderfully trained papillons, Poemranians, Toy Poodles etc, but in the latter two breeds have found them devils to housetrain and keep them from messing indoors if they don't want to go out.

Don't see the point to the tiny/toy breeds as would as soon have a cat or go back to breeding and showing the Rabbits.

may as well get a hamster

These are the type of comments that I find are not very helpful.

But they are my view.  If I wanted a small pet it wouldn't be a tiny dog, just the same as I wouldn't see the point in owning a minature horse..

I appreciate it's your opinion you don't want or even like small dogs but it's the comparing them with a rabbit or a cat or a hamster it's like telling me my dog is worthless and doesn't deserve the same respect as your dogs. That's how it makes me feel anyway.

Exacly my point Caz, Well done!!!
Brainless, what make you think your opinion is far greater in value than others? It's still patronising, still the same old chestnut. Don't you think that we are really fed up with comments like yours? That's my opinion.

Big dog V small dog,Sheltpap back to your point ,it's whatever makes you happy. Maybe get one of each!?

Sheltpap's original post asked why people preferred large or giant breeds. Why get so uptight when people answer the question?

Tams,

Sheltpap wasn't asking which s/he should get (at least I didn't read it that way) they were just interested in peoples views - which is what MOST people have put forward. I don't think one person has said they HATE small dogs, they have done exactly what the OP asked for, given their opinions on the pro's and con's of owning small or big dog's.

>Don't you think that we are really fed up with comments like yours? That's my opinion.

That was a question not an opinion, and I for one am not fed up with Brainless' opinions/comments/advice so the answer to your question is no actually! :D

Cazz,

Brainless wasn't for one minute saying that small dog's are worthless, she said if she had the inclination to get a small dog she would get a rabit etc. instead. Why is it so hard for you and Tams to see that sometimes not every body likes the same thing? I am sure there are people who wouldn't want to live with the pup we are getting, but I wouldn't shout them down for it! There are some breeds that I would be put off just because of the look of them, but no one has ever had me strung up for it! For goodness sake, can I ask if you own any larger breeds? And if not, why not? ;)

Yes I have had medium size dogs, Lab, Bc and Shepherd X also had A yorkie and a westie and I loved them all.
But again your missing the point.
I guess you'll never get it so I'm giving up, just go easy on any new members who own small dogs, they have feeling too.

Caz,

Would you mind pointing out exactly when I was disrespectful to small dogs - or their owners - please? It is only so I can understand where you are coming from, because up until now, I haven't seen anything that I would think is disrespectful to anyone who owns a small dog.

Many thanks :D

Nat.