My Aunt bred/showed them for years, also English Mastiffs. She didn't treat them any differently than the big guys. Very well behaved, sweet, they cured my phobia of small dogs. I think some small dogs should be considered as concealed weapons!

 Quote: connie sutherland

"The problem with small dogs is that it is easy to ignore bad behaviour. "

Yes, that is exactly the trouble, IMO. Dennis won't fall into that trap. lol

What are you talkin about, my dogs have lousy behaviour, spoiled rotten they are

my own particular experience with a fairly um, prissy toy breed,smaller dogs CAN be trained just a well as larger dogs, but not always in the same way.

people forget, these little guys are CLEVER, and will take advantage of you.
Now, im used to handling larger dogs, mainly bully breeds. One thing i have learned with my chinese crested is, he can take a pretty hard correction considering, and still look at me with piss and vinigar, but he will WILT if i give him a disapproving look.
many of the strictly companion breeds are like that, unlike some of the more um, driven terriers and ratters. They will live or die by your approval, so use that to your advantage.
these little guys take to marker training VERY WELL, they also decide to just blow you off just as much as the bigger guys, so when its time for corrections later on, these dogs are NOT breakable. so many people are afraid of collars on their tiny dogs, its ridiculous.

when i was workign in pet retail, i had a lady come in with some toy breed, who informed me that her vet and breeder said her dog should NEVER EVER wear a collar, not even for the tags.she wanted a harness. i recmmended a collar for tags, and around the house, and she could use the harness for walks(since she was dead set on it), but apparently, even just wearing a collar, no tension, will damage these guys necks.

yeah, whatever.

these little barking cats are tougher and smarter than we give them credit for.

Well I don't know what I'm going to do now, my neighbor just had a stroke this afternoon, his wife needless to say is distraught. I'll wander over there in a few days

 Quote: Dennis Jones

Well I don't know what I'm going to do now, my neighbor just had a stroke this afternoon, his wife needless to say is distraught. I'll wander over there in a few days

Wander over tomorrow... I'm sorry to hear this Dennis.

I'm sorry to hear about your neighbor. Wander over tomorrow and ask if you can help take care of the dog while she's at the hospital visiting. This way the dog will be behaved enough to act as her husband's comfort pet when he's well enough to return home.

 Quote: Elaine Haynes

Wander over tomorrow and ask if you can help take care of the dog while she's at the hospital visiting. This way the dog will be behaved enough to act as her husband's comfort pet when he's well enough to return home.

This is a wonderful idea! Hope he is feeling better.

I'm helping my friend's daughter train her self propelled teddy bear (Pomeranian puppy). It's actually picking up the basic OB pretty easily, even with a ridiculously nervous temperament.

Tammys comment about 'concealed weapons' made me remember a story Jack Shastid told years ago. Jack (and Gerry Roach) bred Bullmastiffs and wrote "THE" book on them. Jack told of sitting at his desk when the family Min Pin trotted by....dragging the .38 that normally lived in their bedside drawer. He thought a split second then took chase since he flashed through trying to explain to the police how the little dog shot his wife! He found the dog in his bed with the gun. A little digging also revealed bunches of ammo, some chewed, some not. The little guy was preparing for a siege! The didn't know how he got into the drawer. But he apparently had a gunpowder fetish.

In the late 70's I put a CD on one. I was just out of college and was very proud of that accomplishment. Benji did it in 4 trials with a 1st, 2nd, and 4th place. He DQ'd on one . Didn't hear my first 'come' because he had his head turned.

I have 3 currently: Cleo (12), Suni (4), and Zippy (2). Zippy is completely untrainable (Shit-for-Brains is his nickname) but he is so friendly EVERYONE loves him. He never saw a stranger -- human or animal!! He LOVES kittens and will even let them 'nurse' on him....

But I digress. Sure they can be trained -- just like any other dog there are geniuses and there are idiots. I would say, however, that there are far fewer geniuses in the breed as a whole than say -- a working breed. But they EXCEL in being sturdy little lap-dogs. We take Cleo camping with us and she's always ready for a hike!!