Lots of heart. Although small dogs’ hearts beat from 100 to 140 times per minute versus large breeds, whose resting heart rate is between 60 and 100, all furry family members have big hearts when it comes to the love and loyalty they give us. Whatever size dog you choose, be sure it’s the right fit for your personality and family’s lifestyle so all of you can enjoy a great life together.
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Breed size is just one factor that helps shape your best pal’s temperament. How we treat and train our furry friends prominently affects their personalities. Big or small, it all comes down to teaching your pooch that you’re in charge. Quick tip: Start by always entering and exiting the house before your dog.
• Small = big bark. The good ol’ Napoleon syndrome: making up for their small size by overcompensating with their barks. Who can blame them for trying to make their small bark heard in a big world? However, all canines bark to communicate. While some smaller dogs are hyperactive and yip and yap a lot, small breeds don’t generally bark any louder or more frequently than other breeds.
Diet. Because smaller dogs have more energy than larger breeds, they need extra calories to meet those needs. Large dogs may wolf down more food but they have different nutritional requirements, including ingredients that support joint health and overall movement. Blue Buffalo® has nutritious foods for any size dog. Learn more about their large breed and small breed formulations.
Why Do Small Dogs Bark So Much?
If you have been around a lot of dogs, you may notice that dogs of all sizes bark, but some dogs are more vocal than others. A German shepherd or Rottweiler may bark a lot, but not nearly as often as some of the Chihuahuas or Yorkshire Terriers I have seen over the years. Part of the problem with small breeds is their easily detectable high pitch. Pitch, however, isnt everything.
Lets explore why small dogs bark more frequently than others and discuss some effective methods to keep it to a minimum.
There are all kinds of reasonsfor a dog, of any size, to bark. Out of boredom, to tell us a stranger is near,they need help, they are greeting or announcing a person they know or like orthey just want to point out a squirrel/rabbit/another dog/bird/tree/fire hydrant/twig/you name it.
There are some dog breeds thatmost definitely bark more than others. Greyhounds, French Bulldogs andBullmastiffs are some breeds that are generally less barky. Beagles,Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Siberian Huskies and Yorkshire Terriers on the otherhand tend to bark a lot. But notice in both of these lists that there are bothsmall and large dogs.
We also have a tendency totreat little dogs like babies, responding to their every cry. We may beinadvertently encouraging our little dogs to bark because they’ve learned thatwhen they do, they get the attention they’re seeking. Whereas the big dog barkingtends to make us either tell the dog to be quiet or usher him out into thebackyard. This teaches the big dog that barking leads to undesirable outcomes,separation from their human.
So which one barks more, largeor small? The data seems to be inconclusive but one thing is sure, excessivebarking is a problem. There are numerous ways to deal with this in your dog andluckily anyone can find a successful solution, no matter what size your dog is.
Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs,IA – Have you ever been annoyed by a barking dog? Was it a big dog or a smalldog? As a pet sitter, I’ve had my share of dogs barking at me, out of joy, outof fear, out of nervousness, out of excitement…bark, bark, bark. It often feelslike the smaller dogs tend to bark more but is that really true?