Do people accept different standards of behaviour from different breeds?

[MonChoufleur123]

Interested in people's thoughts on this... Today in our village a dog that looked like a puggle ran at two children barking and snarling. The owner had it on a long lead but hadn't been paying attention and yanked it away just before it touched them. Last week in the park I saw a bichon frise who ran up and started eating a family's picnic while off the lead! And we have a neighbour who owns a pug that spends all its time barking and snarling at the fence when other dogs go past... In all the cases the owners just haven't seemed that bothered or embarassed Or attempted to do anything about it - maybe because the dog is small or looks cute? Are people more accepting of bad behaviour from Little or toy dogs do you think?

I was stood chatting to someone yesterday with my dog on the lead, a man came over with two Bichon Frise and stood so they could reach my dog and one snapped in my dogs face. The arsehole didn't even apologise. I would have been mortified if my dog did that.

The problem with any dog jumping up is not so much that I think I'm likely to be savaged by them as that I don't want my legs scratched or my clothes covered in mud or slobber from some strange dog.

When we meet people who want to make a fuss of my dog she knows to jump into my arms so that they don't have to bend down to stroke her and she isn't encouraged to jump up. Something she doesn't tend to do anyway as I don't allow it.

She's small and fluffy and weighs around 6kg so we get a lot of children wanting to say hello to her and she's been brilliant with one or two nervous ones.

Really interested to read other people's responses about random strangers encouraging dogs to be naughty e.g. jump up. I've decided on a blanket ban of any stranger saying hello/stroking our dog, I just say 'please ignore him' or 'please don't pet him'. He can still be unsure of men he doesn't know and I'd rather he didn't expect any interaction with strangers in public at all and just ignored them.

unfortunately when people see dogs jumping up (be it at them or their owners) they see a badly trained dog who is allowed to do what it wants. In turn that unfortunately gives dog owners a bad name

I don't think this is true at all. Who see a small dog jumping up and thinks its badly trained.I don't, its just what small dogs do. You just need to make sure the dog is not jumping up or approaching anyone they doesn't want it.

Fact is with a small dog either you have to bend down the pet/treat them or they have to come up. Most people (mostly not the owners) seem happy and encouraging to let the dog jump up to fuss them.

A big dog doesn't need to jump up, it's already in the same vasinity of your hand. If they do jump up it can be dangerous. Plus it must be alot easier to train out of them when every person they come across doesn't encourage them up.

People definitely accept bad behaviour in labs. I’ve got one and he is exceptionally cute (if I do say so myself) and people fall over themselves to give him their sandwiches, their own dog’s toys, send their toddlers running up to him and all sorts. It’s annoying, actually: it can undermine you as an owner and the training you’re trying to instill.

who sees a small dog jumping up & thinks its badly trained

Quite a few people surprisingly! Any dog jumping up without being asked (and even more so if they aren't then corrected) make me question the owner's level of control. I know quite a few people who feel the same, and the number of MN threads about 'out of control' dogs suggests many others feel the same way

To a degree, yes.

My experience of bad behaviour is from Rottweiler’s and Border Collie’s.

My Yorkshire Terrier is an angel. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

Auto correct has added those ‘ for some reason

Yeah, if I see a small dog jumping up, I think it's badly trained. I don't want it's muddy paws on me any more than I want a large dog's muddy paws on me.

Who see a small dog jumping up and thinks its badly trained.I don't, its just what small dogs do

No, it's what they've been allowed to get away with. Well behaved adult dogs (not puppies, they're still learning) don't jump up unless told to. Four paws on the floor is such an important thing to teach them but so many people don't get it.

Small dogs might not do the damage that larger breeds do, but that doesn't mean they they should be able to behave badly.

And yes, small dogs can still be wet and muddy. They can still nip and bite.

Isn't it up to you, what you allow in your small dog as far as jumping up is concerned? As long as you don't inflict it on other people. I don't think there is a universal rule that everyone has to abide by. If your dog is under control, what does it matter?

We have 2 dogs. A ridiculously well behaved loving border collie and a nasty little pug. She was the nightmare of the litter. Barks incessantly despite training continuously. Is vile to my border collie all the time and I don't trust her around kids. Thankfully she has blunt spoons for teeth so wouldn't do any physical harm but that's not the point. She has always been like it and I just have to be cautious constantly about who she's around. She's not allowed to be outside in the garden on her own. It's hard work!

But whether a small dog jumping up (and to be clear I mean put there front paws on someone's legs) is bad behavior is a matter of opinion.

My dog jumps up on me because I let him not because he is badly behaved. He doesn't jump up on strangers unless encouraged. That doesn't make him badly behaved that makes him a good dog for doing what he is told.

Anyone that judges a small dog and their owner for jumping up when there dog is clearly welcome to do so is clearly just a judgmental know it all.

Most people like a small dog to jump up so that can fuss them, especially when in the home. There is nothing wrong with that.

Really interesting thread. I own a labrador who is three and full of energy, Two things - I work really hard to train him and two, because of his size I am fundamentally aware that he could inadvertantly knock someone over OR damage their little dog. However, the people with small dogs I encounter are shockingly bad at doing anything to help! My lab was on his lead at 18 months old, was approached by a JRT off lead who launched at him and bit off the end of his ear. His owner wasnt remotely bothered and said he wasnt usually so snappy! My lab is three now and when I see a small dog in the park I recall him and put him on his lead - for the safety of their dog! Just yesterday I did this when seeing some kind of poodley crossbreed - they just let their dog run straight at him, launching at him, making my poor dog spin on the lead and me nearly lose my arm! I was so tempted to just let him off and let him splat the little sod - why do people with little dogs let them be so unruley? just because theyre small? Ive seen it time and time again and its always small dogs that seem the worse in my opinion. Mainly because theyre crossbreeds that people who dont really want dog hair and training commitments buy.

A dog jumping on command is totally different to a dog that jumps for attention imo

Can I just clarify that it is not just small dogs who are badly behaved. I have far more run ins with big dogs. Seems to be fair game to criticise small dogs and deem entire breeds as "little shits" but when it comes to bigger to breeds people object to them being generalised based on breed. Every breed has breed traits and every breed is influenced by its owner. It's hypocritical to object to your dog being stereotyped but then do the same to another.

User my experience is different. People label big dogs as dangerous/aggressive if they jump, but little dogs are described as 'little shits' in an almost affectionate way when they jump, like it's an acceptable character trait because they're cute

I was more meaning the tone on the threads in general. I find it's quite common for little dogs, especially terriers, to be labelled badly and described in a derogatory way because of people experiences. If someone does the same about a bigger breed, posters normally defend the dog and say it's the owner not the breed. You often see people complaining about their large breeds being stereotyped and how unfair it is and in the same breath insult an entire other breed as yappy little shits, for example.

This is an interesting thread with good points, just don't want it descending into breed bashing as some others do 😊

Ah i get you. Yeah as a bull breed person it irks hell out of me when people label them. I've had bad experiences with JRT (see above) but i'd never declare them dangerous the one i met just didn't like me