To strongly dislike small dogs

All dogs are ultimately down to their owners. I have a small border terrier. Good as gold. Never barks (or yaps) except when she’s dreaming. She’s impeccably trained, has excellent recall and is extremely well mannered. My neighbour on the other has has a Vizsla. It’s barks literally, continuously. I have to have my back door and windows closed so I don’t have to listen to it while I’m watching TV on an evening. Her owner says “it’s what dogs do”. So. Her big dog - total arsehole. My little dog, no bother whatsoever.
I don’t think you can generalise the way you have.

I have a small dog. He's almost 13 now. He chases cats, squirrels, likes most dogs. Loves humans. Loves his walks and I take him to different places all the time to give him variety. Loves dog puzzles. Likes digging on the beach or in the garden. Loves his ball. Loves squeaking his toys. He went to puppy training when he was a pup. I taught him loads of commands myself. He's a very fast runner especially if his prey drive is activated. Loves following scents and marking his territory. Likes to look for hidden treats. Likes burying and unburying things.

Yes he is very cute to look at but not a lap dog at all. He is bossy, funny, opinionated, demanding, happy, joyful, friendly, adventurous. There is so much to him that I didn't realise when I got him. He's also brave and protective. When younger he seemed to be very clever (for a dog). Less so now that he is older and tired.

Which other things should he be doing to be a 'proper dog'

I actually find lots of big dogs quite boring. My little dog seems to have so much more personality but by all means please do provide the job description for a 'proper dog' so I can ensure he is doing anything he is missing.

He used to be full of energy and after an hour of mad running at the beach (including digging and ball throwing) he would still not want to come home. Now being an older chap he does get more tired so I have to take this into account.

Your post is just plain daft.

Totally unreasonable.

He’s going through the “teenage period” so is rather feisty at the moment, but he’s a good little lad!

Sort of know what op means - chihuahuas and similar are bony and rat like. But miniature sausage dogs and corgis are cute, and many of the small dogs posted on here. Edit to add the miniature poodle and cairn terrier are adorable (but I would class as more small-medium).

I love retrievers especially flat coats. I have 2 large breeds and you have to be so much more responsible because of preconceptions of the breed. My two are big softies. I don’t mind small dogs apart from the high pitched yapping. On saying that, my girl has been attacked a few times whilst on lead by small off lead dogs with no recall.

What's not to understand?

Different people like different things.

Some people like Ed Sheeran. I think he's shit.

Because, you know, opinions.

Here's anther opinion for you, OP - it's really twattish to use terms like 'proper' dogs.

Just judgey bollox.

I’d never own a dog I couldn’t pick up, that said my little dog can be a dickhead at times.

Terriers aren’t for the weak 🙈😂

I love dogs with a personality and fun so I have a Springer

We had three GSDs corner a woman in the nearby park. They were put down. If I’m going to be cornered by dogs I’d prefer they were small yappy ones.

Mine have tended to believe they knew better. Knew all the commands but weren’t sure why they were expected to follow them. But adorable characters. One used to announce that evening meetings were overrunning by standing in front of the vicar and barking.

They are v easy to transport

I like all dogs, big and small.

Apart from Staffies. Because I’m scared of them.

I’ve had dogs of all shapes and sizes. Currently have a small
and a large dog and both are gorgeous and well trained. The small one is a trained assistant dog and the large one has done gun dog training so both well socialised and trained

YABU. I've met just as many untrained and terribly behaved larger dog breeds. And the issue with those is that they cause more damage and cannot be scooped up as easily by their owners. I love dogs and have my own small, non yappy, elderly dog. But the majority of dog owners are entitled arseholes.

Have a Lhasa apso and a golden retriever. The golden is so nosy. Always up barking at the window when someone goes by. He then sets the Lhasa off! He’s a dopey big lump but so loveable and chatty!!

Your wish is my command. Lola, my Peekapoochi 🤣

Agree.

@Cappuccino5 We have a terrier and he’s been trained extensively (and we revisit training regularly). He certainly isn’t left at home unstimulated all day. My husband works from home most of the time and on the odd occasion he goes to the office, our dog goes to ‘dog day care’ for a few hours (this is probably every third week). Terriers need huge amounts of exercise - he gets 3-4 hours a day of walks. He is very much loved, is the centre of our family, and we have clear routines and rules for him.

That said, he is a terrier, and he does bark sometimes. We’ve trained every other bad habit out of him (he has excellent recall, for example, and responds to most commands very well) but no matter what we do - including working with a professional dog trainer - he does still sometimes bark. It’s in his nature and is a feature of the breed that we see often, although it varies as each dog has a unique nature.

He’s incredibly loving and loyal, and clever and sweet. We accept it as a feature of the breed and just make sure he’s on a lead as required as a precaution.

ETA: Yes, reasonable to dislike any dog you like, but not reasonable to assume that owners of small dogs don’t work hard to train them.

Love all the pug pics

My childhood dogs were cairn terriers. Such a lovely breed, loyal and friendly and a bit bolshy. Lots of personality. Yours is gorgeous.

I’m bemused by the phenomenon of large men and small dogs that they dote on.

My name is a clue as to the dogs I prefer, and I have never really been keen on small dogs. I think in the main it is because they tend to be yappy and poorly trained, and when I had my greyhound it was small dogs that would go for her.

@YeOldeGreyhound
no he isn’t called Teddy!
His name is Lorcan.

I had two lakeland terriers.

They were proper cheeky fuckers but were bloody good at all the things that mattered, like coming when called, being remarkably tolerant of children that insisted on trying to cuddle them, not being arsey with other dogs etc.

They were too bloody clever for their own good though and could climb like mountain goats. One of them learned to bridge the gap between the chairs at the kitchen table and the worktop, and would get on the worktop to steal anything tasty. I moved the table a couple of feet to prevent this.

I came home a couple of days later to find that one or other of them had pushed the chair over to the worktop and climbed up there anyway.

I suspect it was the male, as he was also the one that could open doors, even those with round handles. I never caught him in the act, so have no idea how he did it.

Please say he is not called Teddy. These dogs always seem to be called that.