I wanted to blog a bit about working with small dogs.  I absolutely love working with small dogs.  So often small dogs don't get trained and they can become small terrors living in a big world.  Think about what it must look like seeing the world from the knees down.  It really must be scary even for the most confident dog.



I started the Small Dog Fundamentals class about 2 years ago and it's now become one of my favorite classes to teach.  Some trainers think that small dogs should not be in their own class and that they need to learn to deal with big dogs and the owners need to learn not to coddle them.  But if the dog is already feeling uncomfortable, I think that owners will coddle their dogs even more and that the dogs will feel more frightened.  In a small dog class, the dogs still vary in size from a 2 lb. Chihuahua to a 20 lb. Puggle or a 15 lb. Havanese.  They are still learning to cope with dogs of varying sizes but the truth is that the dogs are safer playing with each other.  The owners feel more confident and are not worried that a larger dog is going to trample their little dog and the dogs become more confident for the same reasons.  It's a win-win situation.   I have seen so many improvements in small dogs going from the timid dog hiding in the corner to the belle of the ball in 7 short weeks.  It's truly gratifying to me as a trainer.



As for the training, little dogs can have as much and sometimes even more energy than larger dogs.  They too need training and structure in their lives.  The are so happy to be doing something, using their brains and are so willing to learn. 



If you have a small dog with issues, you may want to consider taking a class specifically for small dogs.  These classes are being offered all over the country.  Be sure that the methods are positive reinforcement based.  This fall, I think I'm going to start small dog agility classes.  I can't wait.