I've just come back from another training class where me and my dog have been made to feel like lepers simply because he is a small dog in a class of dogs three times his size - a rottie tonight for e.g. My Westie is 13 months, well socialised and no angel but not too bad either but the other owners seem distinctly nervous about the thought that he may come anywhere near their precious dogs and make them nervous. I know in my heart of hearts that small dogs can make some large dogs nervous but equally large dogs can bowl a small dog over and my plucky one has certainly had his fair share of over exhuberant dogs sitting on him or rolling him over. My view is that I want my dog to get on with all dogs, and tonight I have run out of patience with yet another owner feeling nervous about the presence of my dog possibly upsetting their dog. Incidently when our trainer let them play off lead they were fine and well behaved with each other but the owners still persist in their views.

I'm just letting off steam tonight. I know there are many points of view and I'm usually very tolerant but I'm just fed up.

aww, my huge hulking dogs love playing with little dogs :) seriously if a little dog wants to play, mine will lie down so they are the same height :D  My sister had a little yorkie who used to run the length and breadth of Maddie while she tried to 'catch' him with her mouth! :D If Mad couldn't see him on my sisters' arrival she would check out her bag to see if he was hiding in there but as soon as he came in she would immediately lie down so he could run over her. :)

I found your post amusing as normally in my experience over the years it has been the other way around.

I suppose I am lucky owning a medium size breed :D

I thought that it would be the other way around too. Perhaps I have just been unlucky but the 3 training courses I have attended have had only large dogs in it! The other week when the trainer let my westie play with a rottie the rottie tried to hide under a chair, face towards the wall! Have you ever seen a rottie try to squeeze themselves under a plastic chair!!!:rolleyes:

It's all a question of proportion, I suppose. Last week at training a Rott/Mastiff bitch decided to lie down on top of my Kerry- who was also lying down.

Fortunately for all concerned, he chose to interpret this as an amorous advance.

Blokes, eh? I suppose we're all the same at heart...

Rod

I like my GR to mix with all types and size of dogs but have to admit that I am a bit wary around small dogs but only because I am well aware that my exuberant GR could do a lot of damage if he knocked over a smaller, more delicate dog. He is very friendly and loves to run with other dogs but can turn on a sixpence which is not so good for any small dog running with him if they happen to be in his flight path. Perhaps the big dogs at your training class are worried that their dogs could inadvertantly damage your little fella.

You should come to my club - it's all about small dogs there. There is a clique of CKCS and the big dogs are the outcasts. My dog is pretty good with the little ones. He usually lays down so they can say hello but I do feel I have to watch carefully to make sure little ones don't get trounced. Good for your Westie for getting in there and being a friendly boy. :-D We do have one large dog at the club who has a problem when the toys and small dogs start yipping. We're not sure but we think they might start sounding like a squeeky toy and she gets very excited. ;-)

Are the other owners perhaps wary because of the breed. I judge every dog we meet as an individual and they all get a chance but about 95% of the Westies we meet bite first and say hello never. Can you tell them your dog loves meeting other dogs and is very friendly (though you'd think they would know that if they're in your class) I hope you meet some friendlier people at training.

My GR loves dogs of any size or shape unless they are bigger than him, then he is on his best behaviour!! We have a Westie and CKCS in our street which he loves.

Mine is exactly the same - until she met Max last week a whopping great big gorgeous GSD. It was all about showing the underside of her belly then....

I can sort of understand them as I know i am always woried about small dogs mingling with mine in case mine damage them accidentally with their sheer size.....and although ew have a verysmall terrier mine are used to, i am very wary of small dogs rushing up to them as they really find them scary!

I simply can't understand how some people call themselves dog lovers and then act like this. Separating small dogs and large dogs like this is no better than separating humans by their nationality or color. I love dogs and that means ALL dogs...... small, large, hairy or hairless.
When I took my Chihuahua to puppy classes he was obviously the smallest one, but nobody ever made me feel uncomfortable. We were all friends and all dogs got along just fine.

Rjj's bestest mate is my small Cavalier,JD, & his No 1Girlfriend is a Blue Great Dane who JD also fancies(along with 99% of the rest of the dogs/bitches he meets mind you)

We have a big GSD girl who adores the cavaliers as well

We have a Chihuahua Ory and he's the biggest brute in the class! LOL His owner is working really hard on his aggression problems and he's making very good progress but sometimes he does feel the need to walk up to the Rotties and give them a few choice words.

If there is one thing walking in the local park has taught me is that being a dog owner does not make a person a dog lover.

Yes I am learning a few things now that I am a dog owner. I have just taken mine to a "sleepover"with the person who may be looking after him when we are on holidays. He has gone haring off with a collie cross, a dalmatian, labrador and 2 cute 1 year old yorkies -  he looks so happy. He won't miss me but I will miss him!

Lori, I know quite a few terrible chihuahuas, but I also know a few terrible Dobes, Spaniels, Airedales and so on :rolleyes: ...... the problem with small dogs sometimes is that their owners don't realize they need just as much work and efford to socialize them as the large dogs. They think that just because they're small, they can get away with anything.... wrong!!! they are just dogs and they need to know how far they can go! Mine is a complete angel and you wouldn't believe how many times I've had people coming to me and telling me that's the sweetest chi they've ever seen.

are you refering to me Ory? I dont imagine you would be to pleased when one of my 9 stone hounds accidentally trod on your chihuahua & broke its leg.

I get nervous when small dogs are around not because I think that mine is more precious or anything like that but in case he got too excited and harmed a small dog in any way as Anton my youngest SWD male loves pups and small dogs.

Diane, How are the poms, are you still coming at the weekend, i sent you an email but never know with my server a the moment what gets thru.

Hope all is better now with poms and Humans, was looking forward to you being there.

Tons better today thanks and pooing without any pain, yeahhhhhhh !!!!!!!!  Yep looks like we are back on for weekend unless they go downhill again.

At Cheshire Show tomorrow with the gang, Just had to take Lastar to the water park to bath him as my shower has packed n, just hope that he doesn't smell!  Will have to go to mum and dad's to make him nice and fresh for the weekend :d 

Alex and Xandra are coming too with Ricky aren't you Alex, I know that you are appearing on here now and again :d  I've also just talked Les and Lynda with his litter brother Marley to come so they are coming and camping over on Saturday but then they are at a dog show in Derby Sunday morning.  May also be getting the tri boy to come too,  The other family with the dog that was a very pale tri aren't able to come.

Thats good, it'll be nice to see everyone, hopefully Archies brother and sister will be there,dont know what Amber will look like tho
I have got a real stinky summer cold, courtesy of Katie, I'll just have to drink more wine wont I.

perrodeagua......exactly my point!!!

my leo has a chihauhau girlfriend
he lays down to let her say hello, and loves her to leap all over him.
he's the same with the hamster.

i think the BIG dog owners at your club are just being over cautious with the little dogs which can cause problems when there older, not liking small dogs.the trainer should be mixing them more and teaching control methods.

Actually, I wasn't refering to anyone in particular ;)..... I was only saying that we shouldn't judge breeds just because they're large/small, but try and see evey dog as individual.... I LOVE all breeds and all dogs, it's the owners that scare me sometimes!

One thing thats annoying me recently is owners of small dogs who think it's perfectly fine for their dogs to try & atttack mine just because he's large. For instance I had my dog off lead in a field the other day when two small dogs approached him & started biting him, luckly he stuck up for himself after a few bites & the dogs ran off but the owner just carried on & didn't even appologise!!  then later that day i was walking him when I met a women with a terrier, she asked me if mine ws friendly to which I replied yes & then hers tried to attack poor boris! she then went on to say mine doesn't like big dogs!! I'm just worried boris is going to become scared of other dogs & turn on one soon then I'm sure that would be a different story! 

My husband experienced a similar thing with a westie, my dog was onlead when a westie came running over growling and trying to attack my dog, the owners were doing nothing to stop it until rightly or wrongly my husband put his leg out to keep the westie away from my dog. Then they came over complaining he was going to kick there dog. Wether or not it had anything to do with size i don't know.