Little dogs in a dog pack in off lead parks get amazing benefits
This is a mini case study of a cavoodle puppy that we are exercising and socialising for their owner. As you can imagine this guy is very cute and very small, He is also high energy and fairly confident, but like many of his breed he has a little bit of shyness in him, that wont resolve itself unless it learns to be confident in itself in an off lead dog park with all other breeds of social dogs.
He is lucky that in the pack that I take him in, they don't see him as a threat or overly week, they are social and just see him as a dog, that is in their pack. It was hard for his first time dog owners to give him up to someone else put their trust in a dog walker and the dog pack. Fortunately the reports and many images plus videos on facebook that I post have convinced them that this is the best course of action for him.
LITTLE DOG SYNDROME MYTH
I usually hear this from people with big dogs, often non social dogs that menace little non social dogs, but it is true there are non social little and small dogs, just as there are social ones.The little non social dogs are apparently suffering from an imaginary syndrome related to their size. The fact is that it is likely that they just haven't been walked off lead a lot and are scared which means they use attack as their defence strategy.
If owners of these dogs do take them to the park on rare occasions they are the first to pick them up when they overestimate that trouble is brewing, and they reinforce the dogs fears. The owner thinks they are doing the best by the dog, and the dog is protecting the owner, neither of which actually needs to happen in an off lead dog park. The dog gets to think this anti social behaviour is encouraged so it becomes even nastier.
This is not a balanced dog, or not fully the dogs fault, but it happens so regularly that a mythical syndrome has been created to almost excuse it or to show contempt for small dogs.
What little dogs get from dog walking
Walking a dog off lead should not be rocket science but it requires dedication to happen regularly and an owner who can balance when to protect their dog, and when to let their dog learn to be social and overcome any fears.Little dogs get exercise from walks and so are less bored, dig less, bark less and annoy neighbours less, just like large dogs. They get to be healthier mentally and physically than their non walked peers. And after a certain number of walks they learn to be so social and have no unreasonable fear, that they are free to just explore and play. If they have a single bad experience with an accidental knock over or a non social dog (little or large) they get over it. They dont carry it as a scar forever and a reason to be anti social.
Its funny that this is what all regular walkers of dogs, regardless of size, get from their social dog. but not every owner has the patience or are brave enough to push through their own irrational fears of letting their little one go. Those that do are rewarded infinitely in the type of dog their dog has become and how much more they get back from their little life companion.
