I have to say that I don’t personally hate small dogs, or love all large dogs.
The main problem non dog people have with small dogs – so I have been told, is that they are yappy and bitey.
The point I make is that the dogs I have been involved with that are small are neither yappy or bitey, because they are social and confident and get walked.
If you have a small dog, over protect or under walk them, then they will have fear reinforced and since everything is bigger than them, the way they will express their fear, is to try and seem larger than life, to be aggressive and ward off all other things.
They are doing what their instinct tells them is necessary to survive and if the owners have allowed it or reinforce it by picking them up every time they sense an problem, then it will continue and get worse.
How has the small dog problem gotten worse
A lot of people have small dogs because they live in apartments, but this is a massive mistake if you don’t intend on walking your dog twice a day mostly off lead. It will lead to dog mental and physical problems regardless of size.
Originally small dogs were used for a purpose on a farm and they did their job and got rewarded. Then sometime a few hundred years ago many small dogs got taken inside of houses and well meaning old ladies sat the dogs on their laps and patted them like cats, not realizing that dogs like to be on the ground too and to meet with other dogs, because they are a pack animal.
They got fed the wrong type of food full of grain and slowly but surely went insane as they lived 100% in a humans world not the dog world that would make them happy.
Dog Behaviorist – do all small dogs go insane?
No, and while the treatment and environment has a lot to do with it, so does the breed. Regardless what some dog trainers will like to tell you, it is always wisest to chose a dog for purpose.
If you want a small dog, and you are not going to exercise them, and they are not going to get exposure to other dogs, BUY A CAT.
If you get a small dog for a family but space and exercise time is limited, the amount of craziness of the dog, of how much it will bark and attack things is related to its socialization level and how often you go to parks with it off lead.
There are some smaller dogs, that have low energy that cope with lack of doing good dog things than other small breed dogs such as terriers that are usually high energy and need to work for a purpose. The more passive, and bred for lounge activities a dog is, the more likely it wont go as far insane and become dangerous, than say many small terrier breeds.
I do not want to name specific breeds here, as I dont want to be responsible for irresponsible owners getting these breeds, and thinking its ok to mistreat them by not socializing them. But this article might give you a little more understanding of what dogs need and why not all small dogs have to be problem dogs.