Little dog syndrome is a non-scientific term that suggests that small dogs are more likely to show specific behaviours, including;
Barking at other dogs on walks
Not listening or following cues
Nipping and biting
Whines for what they want
Jumps up at and barks at people
Personally, I don’t ever use this term, as I believe it suggests that these small dogs…
are genetically prone to these behaviours
Are guaranteed to show these behaviours
Will never stop or reduce these behaviours.
The truth is that while smaller dogs ARE more likely to show these behaviours, none of the above is true.
The true cause of little dog syndrome, and the reason that small dogs are more likely to show those behaviours is….
The owners allow / tolerate it.
Every dog in the world would have ‘little dog syndrome’ if they were allowed to get away with it.
But bigger dogs typically don’t get away with these behaviours, simply because they are bigger. Barking on a walk would scare people, jumping up could injure someone, not listening could be dangerous, as could nipping and biting. With a smaller dog, these behaviours tend to go unnoticed, or even defined as ‘cute’.
And that’s where the idea of “little dog syndrome” comes from.
But there is a solution!
TRAINING!
Whether you hire a trainer or learn to train your dog yourself, positive reinforcement training will make the world of difference! You, and your dog, do NOT have to suffer with little dog syndrome!
If you're curious about getting started with dog training, make sure to grab my FREE "Top Ten Tips for Training!" on my website: Dog Training | Mucky Pups Dog Training and then check out my services to see what I can offer you!
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