Your small dog may be acting afraid or even aggressively toward larger dogs because they are afraid. We observe the lunging, barking, or snapping at larger dogs as a result. It appears from this behavior that little dogs think they are bigger than they actually are.
What can I do to stop my dog from barking at large dogs?
Six suggestions from professionals on how to stop a dog from barking at other dogs.
- Change your course.
- Recognize the emotions that your dog is expressing.
- Walk as you normally would.
- Train your dog to be distracted.
- Teach your canine companion to focus on you.
- Attend a dog training class with your dog.
How can you prevent a little dog from attacking a large dog?
Many professionals think that this behavior can be motivated by fear. Can you imagine how vast the world appears to them from that vantage point? They are much smaller than us and acutely conscious of our relative size in comparison.
There are several ways in which these fear-based reactions can appear:
- Hyperactivity, enthusiasm, and sometimes yappy behavior
- jumping up onto other people, dogs, or higher objects
- barking or snarling at individuals or canines
- Shaking
- Lunging
- Snapping
- Avoidance techniques include ducking or concealing
- opposition to orders
Learned Behavior
There is also the possibility that dog owners are promoting and reinforcing this behavior. Small dogs, after all, don’t pose as much of a threat, and the actions of their owners are frequently more forgivable. In essence, they are escaping detection by disregarding the jumps or growls. Even unintentional rewards like reassuring words, cuddling, sweets, etc., could be used to encourage it.
Increasing your awareness of your own conduct is one of the finest methods to train your pet effectively. Ask yourself: Do I want to continue acting in this way? Should I give it praise?
How to Handle Small Dog Aggression with Dog Training
Dog owners who train their pets can manage small dog aggression. It can improve your dog’s interactions with you, your family, and other canines. Here are some ideas to get you going:
- plan your time for training
- Make sure the family is on board with the instruction
- Make rules and boundaries for your dog.
- Be reliable.
- Reward the conduct you want to continue witnessing.
Carefully Introduce Your Small Dog to a Big and Friendly Dog
If this is the behavior you desire, you must put effort into making it easier to live as a small dog in a big dog world.
Follow your tiny dog’s cues and move slowly if possible. You don’t want to endanger either dog. To ensure that you and the other owner are in charge of this relationship, make sure leashes and collars are tight. Future interactions may benefit from this exposure and become simpler with time.
Try Exercise
Small dogs are really energetic! Keeping them moving can be beneficial. More casual encounters with various places and animals may also help lessen anxiety and panic. Your small dog can benefit from this exposure if you visit a park (or, if it’s mature enough, a dog park).
The globe is a vast and lovely place. Just picture how majestic it all appears from ankle height.
Why do smaller dogs growl at larger ones?
When the dog is facing forward, these dogs do nothing; instead, they patiently wait for the large dog to pass by. The little dog shifts into attack mode once his hindquarters are clearly seen. The huge guy has just “gone away,” in the small dog’s eyes. The goal was achieved. They almost seem to be patting themselves on the back in pride.
Breed Predisposition
The little terriers in particular are affected by this. The Latin word “terra,” which meaning “earth,” is where the word “terrier” originates. They were given this name because they were frequently utilized to labor in tunnels to catch prey. Terriers were carefully selected for their “gameness.”
This produced resolute canines that would persist in the face of difficulties. For little working terriers, this meant having the confidence and initiative to handle life-or-death circumstances in their interactions with vermin.
According to Dawn Antoniak-Mitchell in the book Terrier-Centric Dog Training: From Tenacious to Tremendous, these dogs typically have a low arousal threshold, which allows them to move from being absolutely calm to full-blown combat mode rapidly and with very little provocation. She also says,
When the conditions are appropriate, “[terriers] have no real concept of their physical stature and will confront a larger animal in the blink of an eye.”
Additionally, it can be quite challenging to convince a working terrier to listen to you once he is aroused and prepared to chase, fight, or kill.
It sounds like you? The genetic makeup that gave rise to this breed’s tenacity and bravery may not only apply against larger animals like dogs, especially those who approach too quickly, but also to vermin.
Dawn-Antoniak- In fact, Mitchell says that this gameness trend was so well-liked that in the past, terriers were supposed to become excited at the sight of other dogs in the showing ring, and this served as the ultimate “evidence” of the right terrier temperament!
Chihuahuas, like terriers, are renowned for being “small in size but huge in spirit.” In fact, many people compare them to terriers in terms of their lively, assured, feisty, and fearless nature.
Unsolved Behavior Problems
Due to the common misconception that small dogs are incapable of damage, behavioral issues in small dogs are frequently disregarded.
Owners of little dogs frequently undersocialize them and may be too protective, picking up their pups whenever a large dog approaches. Due to their lack of socialization, these dogs end up being excellent candidates for dog-on-dog fear aggression. Again, it’s critical to get assistance if your dog exhibits any signs of aggression or reactivity, whether they come from a tiny dog, medium dog, or large dog.
It has been established that little dogs are particularly vulnerable if they are not under control and have a propensity to pick conflicts with the bigger dogs, whether as a result of heredity, poor socialization, or a case of “small dog syndrome.” Keep your tiny dog secure if you have one. That means he must be restrained at all times while on walks (avoid retractable leashes), and he must live inside a secure, well-fenced yard.
