If you have small dogs, are you very wary of bigger ones?

Cinnamontoast

Cinnamontoast

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I don’t recall being this worried about Zak and Bear. I remember picking up Jake and Brig as puppies once when a couple of Eurasiers came running, not in a friendly way. Despite being tall, Mitch is not a stocky little thing like Goose and I’m definitely concerned about him being hurt. Do you worry if you have small dogs? I don’t think I could have a small dog!
 
I wouldn't have a small dog. I would be worried about tripping over them.
I've always had large/medium-sized dogs. I feel that, being tall, I can manage them more consistently.
Probably no scientific basis for that, but just my opinion
 
I have no choice with any new dogs as due to age cannot pick up a big or medium dog. My current big dog is now 15 years old and can no longer get in or out of rhe car. I cannot lift him(35 kgs) so need help each time. If I get another dog I would get small and old
 
I wasn't until there was a spate of little dogs being killed by larger dogs locally - mostly recently a small cockerpoo by an off lead Akita just up the road from me :( It's made me very nervous asp my terrier likes to be scrappy so he would take on a bear and not realise the risk he put himself in.
 
No, we used to have a couple of JRTs, it would never have occurred to me to pick them up because of another dog, they were fierce little things, because they were a) used to holding their own with our own bigger dogs (Labs, collie, collie-x and Rottweiler) and b) were used to having the back-up of our own bigger dogs.
I remember one hilarious occasion when one of the JRTs got out on her own, went bouncing down the lane barking (not sure, now, what at) and then looked behind and realised that she was on her own. She soon shut up and raced back home
 
danda said:
I have no choice with any new dogs as due to age cannot pick up a big or medium dog. My current big dog is now 15 years old and can no longer get in or out of rhe car. I cannot lift him(35 kgs) so need help each time. If I get another dog I would get small and old
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Could he use a ramp? I have problems hoicking Bear in the car at 26kg!

I know it’s not ideal picking up dogs when you’re worried about them being attacked, but they were puppies at the time. The Eurasier owner sneered at me, but honest to god, her dogs looked like they were going to attack. Funny the things you remember from nearly 20 years ago. I picked up Mitch on his first ever walk when a pointer came running. Luckily, she’s very friendly, given she jumped up at me to sniff him.
 
11kg and 13kg so not tiny but yes I worry. I'm fine with calm friendly ones, but even friendly over exuberant ones could injure mine easily. And ultimately they're often twice or more their size. I've told off other owners for letting their dogs front up with mine, and I'll growl and swing legs at anything I consider a threat.
 
I never used to be but after a few incidents in which off lead dogs have come barrelling up to us, grabbed my terrier by the neck and thrown him in the air, I'm very wary now. I do tend to pick him up if I think an approaching dog is looking iffy, and I have kicked a dog in the head (not intentionally - just swinging at it) when it carried on trying to grab him. Dogs that are dog-aggressive tend not to also be human-aggressive so it's worked for me so far, but the truth is I do it because I'm terrified and angry and honestly, who can stand watching their dog being attacked.
 
I have two Chihuahua mixes (both rescues). Only one I will pick up as he is dreadfully aggressive and we haven't been able to source a muzzle that stays on. He would antagonise even the friendliest of dogs so it's just not worth the risk IMO. The other just barks himself silly, but I don't believe he would ever go for another dog. They are both walked on the lead.
 
wren123 said:
I worry about my elderly Labrador!
Years ago my previous elderly Labrador got attacked and literally was brought down by two greyhounds. The owner managed to get them off her and she did survive. Bizarrely she was fine with other dogs afterwards but it terrified me and has made me nervous ever since.
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I had this with my oldies too - my late old boy had a neck/spinal condition, and my current old girl is very arthritic and pottery, a bouncy dog would easily take her off her feet and hurt her. She doesn't go much further than the end of the street these days and we still get the odd flexi-lead space invader I have to block.

I think regardless of size I'm just tired of having to second guess a dog's intentions and owner's level of control when one is allowed to come bounding towards us and therefore opt for being defensive in all situations, which makes me an anti-social dog walking curmudgeon, but I will not allow my dogs to be bullied and hurt.
 
Yes I am wary with my 2 heelers, both weigh around 7.5 kg but having grown up with GSDs have no fear, and in fact the older one has a bit of an attitude! I have picked him up in the past when out of control dogs charge over, its not so easy with the 2 of them so I just try and take evasive action.
 
I never used to worry till we had a springer attacked years ago by a husky type and a shepherd type. No teeth involved but she was bowled over and they used their claws on her stomach to the extent she needed stitches. We got a big dog after her for that reason. Our current dog is only about 8.5 kilos so although I'm always happy for her to say hi to big dogs I have stood in front of her if I'm not sure their intentions are good.. She loves big older labradors?
 
Sometimes I am worried. I avoid huskies, Doberman’s, staffies and there is a huge bull mastiff type dog near me. The owner is always very careful, has two leads and never let off the lead but I’m sure if that dog wanted to go she would never hold him. Mine was attacked by a border collie few years ago and it does make me more nervous. I normally have a good look around and if I see any strange dogs off lead I get well away from them. Met a beautiful English pointer puppy few days ago. He was very friendly but started jumping on my dog, who had a really bad back Nov time so I had to get hold of the puppy for his owner. If I have to pick him up sometimes I’ll do that. I don’t want a repeat of the collie attack, it was awful to witness and I couldn’t her off my dog. He’s 6.45kg, 14 inches tall
 
Why do big dogs get such bad press? I have a Great Dane - 63kgs. She is bullied by pretty much everything and she could easily flatten those ghastly terriers, shit-tsu and chihuahua but she does not, she tolerates their agressive behaviour. Meanwhile the owners think it is funny that their little darlings provoke such a big dog.Hopefully they will one day meet their come uppance.
 
sport horse said:
Why do big dogs get such bad press? I have a Great Dane - 63kgs. She is bullied by pretty much everything and she could easily flatten those ghastly terriers, shit-tsu and chihuahua but she does not, she tolerates their agressive behaviour. Meanwhile the owners think it is funny that their little darlings provoke such a big dog.Hopefully they will one day meet their come uppance.
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See, I don't think anyone is really thinking of Great Danes when they're thinking of big dogs.
 
My 11kg is friends with a couple of Danes, it's not a question of bad press, and I certainly don't avoid big dogs or anything but ultimately I am aware that my dogs stand to come off much worse in any altercation - even rough play. My girls are very chilled out and happy to greet other dogs and be on our way.
In turn I'm also conscious when we meet much smaller dogs that it is intimidating for them to have a dog that towers over them come bounding up - friendly or not, so I try and ensure my dogs don't do that.
 
When I think big dogs, I don’t mean giants like Danes. The Estrella in the park is extremely soppy. I think of dogs like labs, pointers as ‘big dogs’. I rarely see properly big dogs.
 
We tend to have big dogs and I find it's the little dogs that go for them rather than the other way round. I feel sorry for our current dog because other dogs we meet out walking are nearly all aggressive towards him. Our newish puppy plays with him and my sons lab runs him ragged round the garden, but that's about it.
 
Yes I have a 2kg chihuahua, tiny smaller than a cat! I'm careful where I walk her but I do let her off to play with my other dog a cocker spaniel, she is only 7.5kg but seems big to me! She also comes to the yard with me and loves the huge GSD guard dog, he lets her chase him! I do tend to keep her on the lead out and about as I think if she was frightened by another dog she would bolt.
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