When I was in about 19 years old I moved out and I got a dog, a Labrador cross, “Lady”. I wanted a big dog so I could hug her. I wasn’t very keen on the little yap yap dogs.
She was awesome. I didn’t know much about training/socialising/puppy schools, so I just found and borrowed books to learn from. After all having a big dog you had to have them restrained and composed otherwise you would be pulled down the street. I wanted a well behaved and a happy dog.
She was so well trained. She loved other dogs and people, especially kids. I taught her tricks and everything I was so proud of us.
She got aggressive around hats and people of colour, which was so embarrassing when I took her out.
Anyway my relationship broke up and I went back home for a short time before I went out bush on a cattle station. Because they already had 10 working dogs I could not take my baby. She was about 6 years old and she stayed with my mum and dad, I was heart broken. Dad loved her and did everything with him around the shed. She got sick around 8 years old and we had to let her go.
So years went by and I ended up with Aura, a Mini Dachshund.
She is so beautiful and yes she’s a small yap yap dog.
Wow I sure did stuff up the training with her. She was so tiny when I got her and I was so protective of her. She died and was revived as a pup so this made me protect her more. I was not going to loose her.I didn’t let anyone else’s dog near her after all one bite from a dog would of killed her ( I thought anyway). I gave her lots of attention, played with her everyday, bathed her, gave her expensive good food, took her for car rides and walks and gave her bones to chew.
All the things that I thought little dogs needed. They didn’t need much training on a lead because they were small, they can’t pull you down the street. What damage would a little dog do? Boy, was I wrong!
Well she never really liked other dogs, she was not a fan of small kids and dismissed people if they wanted to pat her.
I taught her a few tricks which was cute, but everything else I did with Lady as a big dog just went out the door.
But I knew I had really made a huge mistake with Aura. Raising her differently to Lady around other people and dogs was because of my fear and my unknowing that all dogs need the same thing. All dogs need love, food , shelter, etc but they all need a teacher, some guidance and a purpose.
However if we found a long eared Guinea pig, a random bird, fostered chicks, possums or any other small animal she would be so fine with them.
I just let her get away with so much because she was little and cute.
I now know better and now at 10 years old I’m doing better at being a teacher for her.
We have grandkids now that she is weary of but she likes to be around them. She loves our two cats and she loves our other dog Karma.
So just because I work with animals does not mean I get it right all the time.
I’m not beating my self up about it, but I’m just aware of what mistakes I have made with her and am now trying to correct them.
So bottom line..
If you have a big dog or a small cute dog they still need to have a good teacher and a purpose.
They like games, walks, car rides, swims, good food, laying on your bed and playing with other animals just as big dogs do.
This makes for a happy pet and a happy home.