Can We Go To The “Big Dog” Section At The Park?
Off-leash greetings are definitely less tense, but harder to control.
Several times, we have had a loose dog run up to us, or we have been in the big section at the dog park, and absolutely nothing happened.
Many large dogs have a wonderful, calm temperament, and they won’t react even if your small dog is being an asshole.
But you might meet that one dog that isn’t so friendly towards small dogs.
If you’re on the other side of the park, you might not be able to react as quickly as a growl turns into a bite.
If you do plan to have your small dog play with a larger dog, you can try having them get to know one another through a barrier like a fence first. That way, they can take in one another’s scent without the pressure of being in one another’s space.
Fence reactivity is another thing on its own, though. We used to live next door to a large dog.
Matilda, Cow, and the big dog would have awful screaming matches through the fence every time they were out at the same time.
With some training, I managed to greatly reduce the incidences and encourage them to stay away from the fence entirely, but if the big guy next door started talking smack… of course my girls still found it hard to stay away.
One day, the big guy next door got loose when we were out on a leashed walk.
The tension of an on-leash greeting plus the addition of their big archenemy should have been catastrophic… but the big guy just politely sniffed the girls, then went back to his owner when she called him back inside.
Keep in mind that when you have a small dog, you can meet a perfectly friendly large dog and still walk away with an injury.
Big, bouncy, playful dogs tend to lack spacial awareness. They can trample your dog.
Even Cow, who has lived with Matilda for most of her life and should know better, occasionally runs into Matilda.
Small dogs are vulnerable to eyes popping out, broken bones, and worse when trampled by a large dog. Be super careful, especially in small spaces, and even more so with large, bouncy puppies and young dogs.
On-Leash Greetings Usually Aren’t The Safest
Some encounters are more triggering than others.
When a dog is on a leash during an encounter, they may feel cornered. Even if they’re excited to meet the other dog at first, that dog might be just a little too pushy, just a little too overzealous with that butt-sniffing.
A dog’s normal reaction to an overwhelming encounter is to step away. When they’re on a leash and can’t do that, they may growl, or even snap at the other dog. This can start a full-blown fight in seconds.
In the past, I allowed Matilda and Cow to greet other dogs for a maximum of three seconds, then I’d say, “good girls! Okay, bye!” and move along. That way, there wasn’t time for tension to build.
Nowadays, I notice that people typically do not even try to let their dog greet mine. I think people are becoming more aware of how risky on-leash greetings can be.
So now, I rarely stop to greet other dogs. It does happen sometimes, especially if we do not have time to cross the street. Usually, my dogs get a quick sniff in, and we move along.
If you are going to let your dog say hello on-leash, try not to walk directly towards the other dog and walker, instead, approach towards the side and make sure the dogs have plenty of space to get away.
The dogs should ideally be able to sniff around and enjoy the environment alongside one another, rather than be in one another’s face.
If either dog has a stiff posture, hackles raised, tail straight up in the air, or shows any other sign of discomfort, quickly move along.
Not all on-leash encounters have to be dangerous. If you get your dog in a habit of very quick, short greetings, and they always have positive experiences, you most likely won’t have a problem.
However, you cannot control the other dog, you don’t know their history, and you don’t know if your dog will do something to tick them off.
Tip Two: Socialize Your Big Dog Early
Socializing your big dog simply means you’ll be exposing him (or her) to as many people, dogs, and other animals and situations as possible. This is something you’ll want to do as early as possible in the dog’s life, and when he (or she) has adjusted to being walked on a leash. Keep reading to find out the best way to do this, and the safety points (and equipment) you should employ.
A dog who has not been properly socialized will grow to see unfamiliar humans and animals as a threat, and possibly act aggressively toward them.
Keep socializing a pleasant experience by keeping your mood light and easy and by rewarding your big dog with praise and/or treats for any good behaviors exhibited during the social encounters. If your dog reacts in a negative way, do not punish him (or her). Simply remove the dog from the environment and try again on a different day.
Most dogs enjoy new experiences, as well as other dogs. It won’t take your dog long to learn that good behavior is rewarded with a pleasurable experience, and soon he will look forward to social encounters with glee! Don’t forget to keep the safety of your big dog and any animals or humans nearby the priority!
Cesar Millan Explains: Little Dogs Playing with Big Dogs
While it may seem funny, small dogs and big dogs can make the best of friends! Take best friends Jamie and Pirate for example! These two learned how to be great companions who know how to play safely & kindly. Sometimes, small dogs need a couple extra breaks as well as a few safety precautions to ensure a fun time. Check out these tips on how to successfully introduce small dog and big dog friends!
1. Keep the small dog’s comfort and desires in mind. Many small dogs, especially those that are older and may not have a lot of experience being in close proximity with larger dogs, use overt communication like growling or snapping to get across their needs & wants. This is a safety feature, and something that we should respect that the small dog feels the need to do in order to feel safe in this situation. If the small dog is being pushed past their comfort level consistently, then this likely means we need to back off those interactions a bit, maybe have the large dog a bit further away on a leash or behind a baby gate, so that the small dog can start with learning that being near to the large dog is a safe and comfortable thing to do.
2. Keep interactions focused on quality over quantity. If the large dog has been self-controlled near the small dogs for a bit, it may be time to separate, give the pups a different activity to do & let both of them take a break. This is so that things stay within a productive zone and the small dog doesn’t need to demonstrate with overt behaviors that they are done with the interaction.
3. Teach the large dog that when their small dog friend might growl or snap at them, that means GREAT things happen from you across the room. This could mean a treat, special play time, you getting exciting and making a fun fuss over them, etc. If their small dog says “I need space” and the other dog immediately gets rewarded across the room from you, this will help to teach them how to listen to the small dog’s request by walking away and finding something else to do instead.
4. Teach the large dog friend good skills like checking in with you, calmly watching an exciting thing (such as a small dog friend) across the room, being calm on a leash, settle on a mat, etc. All of these skills can help a smaller dog feel safer around a large dog, and the large dog is learning to check and control some of their impulses that could be well-intentioned but physically risky for a small dog friend. If a large dog can get used to lying down near a small dog friend, this can be less overwhelming & intimidating, meaning the small dog will often feel less discomfort and less need to do those other behaviors. Teach your small dog some of these same skills as well!
5. Make sure the small dog has lots of easy escape routes. If your small dog jumping up on the sofa or into a lap should be a cue to call the large dog away and give the small dog a break. Dividing a living room space with an exercise pen so that the small dog can be on one side while the large dog hangs out on the other can be another great way to create a safe space for them to be side-by-side. During play time, having obstacles for the small dog to duck under to get out of the way from underfoot of their large dog friend can be helpful for a quick break & safety.
6. Choose side-by-side activities whenever possible instead of head-to-head activities. Things like going for a walk or hike together instead of nose-to-nose social time in the backyard can be a great way to help a small dog feel comfortable in the vicinity of a large dog, while the activity is moving both dogs forward instead of towards each other.
Follow these tips and tricks to help introduce your small dog to a new big friend, or vice versa! Remember to always start slow and work your way up to a let-loose play time. Jamie and Pirate say, “we may be different sizes, but we are the two best friends ever!”
Small dogs can be awesome adventure buddies! While much of the training for small dogs is the same as with larger breeds, there are some nuances that can make training your small dog a potential headache, or a dream!
We have a webinar replay all about training with Small Dog friends! In this webinar, Summit Head Trainer Amber shares lots of the tricks of the small dog training game that she has been using to raise Jameson, her little Papillon. This includes reinforcement strategies for small bellies, why small dogs do what they do, how to help our small dogs think on their own four feet, safety skills & considerations, adventure skills for small dogs, and how to create safe and positive relationships. Check out the replay here!