Small dogs – The Mistakes
When choosing a guide, make sure they know the way…
The biggest mistake we make with small dogs is that we don’t empathize with them. But how can we achieve that?
Generally, there is a misconception that dogs belonging to small breeds are by nature… aggressive, ill-mannered, hysterical… Big mistake!
What is the reality?
To answer the above questions, I’ll tell you a true story. Boubis was a fearful-aggressive dog, meaning that when he encountered something that caused him even a little anxiety, he would attack. Boubis got anxious about almost everything… other dogs, strangers, sudden noises, cats, cars… Additionally, he didn’t want to take a bath, have his leash put on, be disturbed while sleeping…
Most people who met Boubis labeled him as a “small dog” which, according to the above, meant nervous, ill-mannered, hysterical… Even some of his family members, influenced by the words of friends and acquaintances, had formed this opinion.
Big mistake! Or, to put it more accurately, a big misunderstanding! Boubis was none of the above! He was simply fearful.
But how did he end up being fearful? And what does this have to do with other small dogs?
In general, all dogs coming from small breeds share a common hereditary characteristic. They are small-bodied. They live in a world of giants! If we do not realize this fully, there is a high probability that they will grow up under a condition of anxiety, insecurity, and fear which, due to the way we humans behave, leads to problematic behaviors, one of which is aggression.
How exactly does this happen? Time for answers.
Dogs from small breeds are not inherently nervous, ill-mannered, or hysterical, at least not initially. Our human behavior might lead them to that, however, it is not an inherited characteristic, it is inherited. That is, they are not born with this predisposition, we create it!
All dogs, small or large, react according to their experiences. However, small dogs, due to being extremely fragile compared to larger ones (especially breeds like pinschers or chihuahuas), are very likely, if we are not careful, to have dark experiences.
In Boubis’ case, his owners told me: “When he was younger, he was very calm. He didn’t bark, he sat quietly in his corner without bothering anyone, often we passed by him and he didn’t even turn to look at us. Everyone would hug him, pet him, cuddle him… until one day he started to get aggressive.”
Boubis was a dog weighing around 3 kilograms with a height of 30 centimeters. Every time someone hugged him, it was, proportionally speaking, like a 2-ton, 10-meter-tall giant hugging you.
Imagine sitting somewhere and around you there are people who are 10 meters tall and weigh 2 tons. Every now and then, one of them, without any apparent reason, bends down over you and taps you on the head with a hand 3 meters and 150 kilograms. Then, a member of your family, who is also 10 meters tall and weighs 2 tons, hugs you, squeezes you in their arms, and lifts you up and down in the air. Would you feel safe? Imagine this could happen at any moment.
When you eat, when you sleep, when you sit quietly and watch TV…
When would you calm down? When would you rest? When would you sleep?
Among the greatest needs of dogs (besides the need for energy) are the need to feel safe and the need for rest. Another thing that the owners of Boubis told me was that he went for a walk for 10 to 15 minutes a day, a little in the morning and a little in the evening (all together 10 to 15 minutes) to relieve himself.
Another great need of dogs is the need to explore, and this is only fulfilled by walking in new places. Unfortunately, there is the misconception that small dogs do not need walks. When a dog, small or large, has unmet needs, they will exhibit neuropsychological behaviors which fall into four categories:
• Aggression
• Depression
• Obsessions
• Flight tendencies
From the owners’ testimonies and some tests I conducted on Boubis, I concluded that initially, he had experienced some form of depression. However, due to some change in the environment (perhaps too many people came to the house or he caught the scent of a female or, simply, he was more tired or a little sick and at that moment he couldn’t tolerate much), Boubis displayed an aggressive outburst.
Through this, intuitively or consciously, he realized that he had an alternative way to manage his anxiety and fear: “I’m scared but if I attack what I fear, it goes away and along with it goes the anxiety and fear.”
At this stage, many might receive the wrong message (especially from me), that if a dog attacks, we should not back down. This is absolutely not true! When a dog, small or large, shows signs of aggression (growling, showing teeth, attacking…), we leave them alone and communicate with a specialist.
Aggression is the symptom; we want to correct what causes it. Otherwise, we will create more serious problems. After much discussion, the owners managed to “see through his eyes.” Once this happened, we started doing exercises to reduce the anxiety and fear he felt (not the aggression). Once Boubis stopped being afraid, he also stopped attacking.
It took us 3 months to make him feel safe inside his home. However, as soon as this happened, the need for safety was covered, and consequently, the need for rest. Boubis inside the house was a different dog (as you can see in the photo). He accepts other dogs, other people, and does not get anxious about loud noises. Now, what we need to do is to expand the circle where he feels safe outside the house… something that will cover his need for exploration as well…
If you want to be fair to your small or large dog, empathize with them! Try to understand what they see, what they feel, and, based on their size and experiences, what impact it has on them. It’s quite difficult, I know!
However, it will skyrocket your relationship with them and help you understand and solve many problems.
