Dog Training – Do Little Dogs Need Training Too?

Why should I train my dog? He is so small and cute and for sure he is not dangerous! I have a neighbor and she thinks, that her sweet little Tiny is only ‘playing’ when grabbing someone with his teeth. It is true, that the dog is careful and normally doesn’t bite, but I am the mother of a three year old boy who loves dogs. Unfortunately my little son is not afraid of dogs at all, which means if he sees a freely running dog, he wants to play with it. Especially if he sees my neighbors’ dog, he wants to fool around with the dog. I always stay close by and the dog already realized, that he better behaves if the mother is around, as it happens from time to time that I have to grab that little fury fellow in order to prevent him from getting too enthusiastic.

When I talked to my neighbor – a sweet and friendly lady – about my concerns she was surprised. She said, that the dog had never bitten a child (which is true, but this doesn’t stop him from biting adults) and that I am obviously able to handle the dog (of course – I am much stronger and taller!), so there is no real need to train her little pet; dog training is so cruel and breaks the will of the dogs and she wants her dog to live happy and free.

Hearing this answer, my mouth drop open: she is an intelligent and educated lady and treats her dog like a baby! My neighbor firmly believes in educating children and teaching them the difference between right and wrong, but with her dog that’s something else. Somehow I am able to understand her. If Tiny sits in front of me, looking at my plate, pretending to starve any minute, it’s really difficult to stay strong and give him nothing else but a strict “No!”

I asked my neighbor if she thinks that Tiny had the intelligence of a small child. “Yes, of course!” was the immediate reply. “Well,” I said “then look at my son. He is a happy little boy, free to explore his surroundings, not afraid of anything; as you know I am a very strict mother. Do you have the impression that my son’s spirit is broken?” “No” she replied “he seems to be as happy as a little boy can be.”

“He is” I confirmed “and you know why? Because he knows exactly what he is allowed to do and what he isn’t. I think Tiny would be more happy if he knows exactly where he stands and if he learns to be obedient.” “Oh, but he obeys!” my neighbor was about to proof the dogs’ obedience: “Tiny! Come here!”

Tiny was sitting in her garden, sniffing at something, pretending to be deaf. “Maybe he can’t hear me?” my neighbor felt uneasy. “Tiny is about ten steps away. I can even hear him sniffing. He just doesn’t want to come.” I tried not to be too offensive “If you open one of his tins, he will come running.”

That is exactly where the problem is located: dogs that are not trained only do what they want to do and what they feel like doing. Especially with small dogs, which are often very nervous, a wrong movement can scare them and they feel like biting. If a small dog bites it is not as dangerous as if a big dog bites, but still the bite can do some damage. That’s why it is important to train even small dogs and they will be much more adorable too.

A trained dog is much more relaxed, knowing where he stands in the pack, feeling even more loved and taken care of. Does it require some effort to train a? Yes, it definitely does, but the results stand for themselves: a happy dog and relaxed neighbors! Guess it’s worth a try.



By: Angelika Juritsch

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