Is your little dog more aggressive than you'd like? Does he or she jump on people, growl at people, growl at other dogs, not obey your commands, or try to bite people?
Smaller dogs such as chihuahuas have a reputation for being fierce. What causes this behavior? How can you stop this behavior? You may even be wondering if all small breeds have this behavior.
While every dog is different and has its own unique personality and history, it’s important to know about “small dog syndrome.” This is a legitimate characteristic according to veterinarians and animal researchers that is unique to small dogs.
What is Small Dog Syndrome?
Many little dogs have "Small Dog Syndrome,” which explains why small dogs have a reputation for misbehavior. This is the Napoleon Complex of little dogs.
In other words, small dogs subconsciously realize they are small, which makes them scared. They react in an aggressive manner to protect themselves. They develop a large personality to compensate for their small stature.
This is also known as “fear aggression.” Essentially, it’s not that small dogs are aggressive. In fact, it’s the opposite. They’re so scared of the larger world around them that they have to put on a front to scare off perceived threats.
Small Dog Syndrome behaviors include:
- Growling
- Not following commands
- Nipping
- Biting
- Jumping on people
- Begging for food
- Bossing you around during walks
- Whining
The prevailing theory is small dogs are so aggressive, not because they are mean, but because they are actually frightened. To small dogs the world seems so big and it is overwhelming for them, so they lash out in fear. They feel they are defending themselves from the things that frighten them.
This behavior isn’t exclusive towards humans.
Sometimes small dogs are more aggressive towards big dogs out of fear. For example, let’s say your dog is approached by a much larger dog. Before anything happens, your dog panics and bites the larger dog. Your little dog feels they are protecting themselves from what they might feel is a giant. But to us as rational humans, we view this as aggression and misbehavior.
Small Dog Fear Causes Big Aggression Problems
So why are small dogs more aggressive? It is clear that anxiety or fear driven aggression is the most common form of aggression in dogs. The aggression is offensive. Making the threat go away is the motivation for the aggression.
Dogs that show fear related aggression are not bad dogs. They are anxious, nervous, and fearful about the perceived threat. They are afraid of the outcome.
Think about it this way: have you ever panicked? When we panic, we ourselves may feel agitated. Fortunately, we can calm ourselves with sound or something distracting. This is why a lot of people play their favorite music when they’re in a bad mood. The music helps distract them and bring them back into a state of calm.
Here’s the good news: This is also true for our animals.
With a training collar for small dogs from Wiggle Kingdom you can use the sound or vibration setting to get your dog's attention and snap them out of their aggressive behavior. You can use the collar from 1,000 feet away.
Once you get your dog's attention you can calm them by letting them know you are there. If we respond to our dog with panic, this can escalate their behavior.
Warning Signs of Fear Aggression in Dogs
When your dog is feeling agitated it will make certain body movements. Some warning signs of aggression include licking or curling of the lips, showing teeth, stiffening and arching the back, tucking the tail down under, turning away from the threat or avoiding eye contact, and flattening of the ears.
Knowing these signs and how to read your dog is important in getting to know your dog.
When you know the signs of aggression are happening, you can use communication with your dog to calm them. It might be verbal communication, or you can communicate using a wireless training collar from Wiggle Kingdom. These collars are small and compact and will not weigh down your little dog. They are stylish and sleek, and not awkward.
You can use the sound setting on the collar to get your dog's attention. This might help redirect your dog's attention toward you. Once you get your dog's attention you can communicate verbally with your dog.
There is also a vibration setting.
If things escalate you can use the shock setting on the collar, which releases a small static shock that will get your dog's attention.
Why Are Small Dogs So Aggressive?
Scientists are torn if dogs are aggressive due to their natural instincts.
Dogs have the natural instinct of fight or flight. For years their ancestors survived due to this instinct. The modern dog as we know are fairly young compared to the history of the world. For years before dogs were domesticated they were surviving in the wild, hunting, and staying away from predators. These dogs had to be aggressive to survive.
After domestication, many dogs were bred to hunt things. Many small breeds hunted things and had to be aggressive. For years, this aggression was part of the job and were bred to be like that. Some small breeds were bred to protect livestock and to herd, Some small breeds were meant to be an alarm for threats.
Small Dogs Genetics and Breeding May Explain Behavior
Many dog breeds were bred for a specific purpose.
For example, when we think of hunting dogs, we usually think of larger dogs. But small dogs were also bred for hunting, especially when stealth and agility are required. In some cases, small dogs were historically bred to be brave and courageous, and those genetics still exist even today.
Why are small dogs so aggressive? It may be because these little dogs with big personalities have brave hunting origins. Most aggressive small dog breeds have a powerful history.
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkshire Terriers, or Yorkies, were lapdogs of ladies of England but they originated as rat hunters. Yorkshire Terriers may have originated from dogs that came from Scotland with weavers that immigrated to England. These weavers used these small dogs to go into textile mills and get rats. Also Yorkshire Terriers were used in mining to go into the tunnels and get the rats.
In 1886, the Kennel Club gave the Yorkie recognition. This changed the status and popularity of Yorkies and then they became a status symbol but Yorkies hunting origins give it its spunky personality.
Poodles
The Standard Poodle started out as duck hunting dog that was praised for its great swimming abilities. It's wonderful, curly coat protected it from the elements and its high intelligence made them a great hunter. There is a debate as to what the origin of the Poodle is. Some people think the poodle originated in France, and some people feel it actually came from Germany.
The popular Pompons grooming style originated because hunters wanted their poodles to move freely in the water but also protect them from the elements.
Later poodles, Standard and Miniature became popular with the nobility of France and Europe. The poodles' cleverness and ability to train made them popular entertainment.
The Toy Poodle became popular in America in the 20th Century.
Dachshunds
Dachshund means "badger dog" in German. The standard size Dachshund flushed out badgers from their holes. They burrowed in the holes and brought the badger out! Its hound bark let the people know where it was at.
If you have ever seen a badger, you know these ferocious animals are not to be played with. They are often large (up to 40 lbs) and have long claws and sharp teeth. Badgers are often not afraid of anything.
Selective breeding created different types of Dachshund coats. Wiry coats were bred for them to go into brier patches. Long coats were bred for cold weather. Many varieties were developed for different purposes. In the 1800s there was a boom in the rabbit population in Germany and the miniature Dachshund was developed.
This clever, athletic dog is full of personality. These aggressive small dogs had to be feisty.
Understanding Small Dog Genetics and Aggressive Behavior
Why are smaller dogs more aggressive? Again, it could be as simple as their historical breeding. A hunting background or the original purpose of the breed could have made them the outspoken companions they are today.
But there’s good news: their big personalities give us more to love. It’s all a matter of stopping unwanted behavior with a training collar for small dogs.
Selective breeding used the bravest, fiercest and most aggressive dogs for things like rat and badger hunting. Years of people selecting the toughest out of the litter to use for breeding that line could be why your little dog is so lively.
A badger hunter, for example, could not be shy. That hunting Dachshund had to be tough and brave. Now Dachshunds are believed to be one of the more aggressive breeds because of their genetics.
So this raises the question: Are small dogs always more aggressive than big dogs?
A study from the University of Helsinki studied over 9,000 dogs. They studied behavior such as biting, growling, or snapping. Older dogs were more aggressive. Males were also more aggressive.
The number one aggressive dog was a Rough Collie, which is a medium dog. The miniature poodle was next on the list, and the third on the list was the miniature schnauzer. Many dogs on the list were small dogs, but they were not all small dogs.
There are scientists that disagree about if it is nature vs nurture though that makes our dog's personality. The reality is that there are many dogs that are not aggressive, and most “aggressive” behaviors can be fixed with a training collar.
What are the Least Aggressive Small Dog Breeds?
Finding the right dog breed for you can be a challenge. You might like a little bit of spice in your dog's personality. Maybe you want a calmer companion. Here are some normally non-aggressive small dog breeds.
Shih Tzus
Shih Tzu's are adorable little dogs. The name means little lion but they are not a lion at all. These little dogs weigh between 9 and 16 lbs. They are known to be affectionate and great with children. Shih Tzu's were once in the palaces of Emperors in China, and now they can live with you in your home.
Pugs
The ancient breed of the Pug can be traced back over 2,000 years. Pugs were favored among the ancient royal court of China and their families. Outsiders of the court received these dogs as gifts.
In the 1500s the Dutch traders brought Pugs to Europe. Legend holds that these dogs became the mascot of Holland's Royal House of Orange when a Pug saved the life of the Prince of Orange. The story says Pompey the Pug saved William the Silents', The Prince of Orange, life. Assassins tried to kill William while he was sleeping. Pompey the Pug heard the assassins. Pompey alerted his master by barking, scratching, and jumping on him to wake him.
Beagles
Why are smaller dogs more aggressive? Sometimes they aren't. This happy-go-lucky breed is full of personality. Their tri-coloring makes them a beautiful dog. Beagles are often joyful dogs. Beagles sometimes are used as hunting dogs. Their lovable traits make them great family dogs. Beagles can be very energetic and need plenty of playtime. They also need to be taught their boundaries because clever dogs tend to be curious about their surroundings.
Bichon Frises
The elegant Bichon Frise's story is out of a fairy tale. The Bichon Frise once exclusively belonged to the aristocats. During the French revolution many Bichons were thrown out into the streets! These intelligent and beautiful dogs found themselves in the center of street entertainment and circuses. These smart dogs are little stars.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is another dog that has found favor with royalty. King Charles I and King Charles II were both devoted to their spaniels. These dogs have shiny, wavy hair, and big sparkling eyes. These sweet dogs often get along well with children and other dogs.
Can Our Mood Affect Our Dog’s Behavior?
Are you still wondering why small dogs are so aggressive?
We could be affecting our little dogs' behavior with our actions. Often we baby our cute little dogs. It is such an easy thing to do because they are so little and they look up at us with their big eyes. This infantile treatment of the dog can be detrimental to its behavior.
If a small dog is jumping on us, often we will bend down and pick it up and hold it like a baby. This reinforces bad behavior. The dog thinks, "if I jump, my parents will pick me up" if each time it jumps you pick it up. We could be conditioning the dog to have this behavior.
If a large dog jumped on you, you would not have the same reaction. A larger dog could knock someone over, so you would have to train it not to jump.
It’s because of that mentality that many small dog owners spend less time teaching their dogs than large dog owners. Larger dogs often have to be trained because of their big size. Large dogs often have to be socialized with other dogs also because of their large size and ability to really hurt another dog or human.
If a big dog was aggressive to small dogs he would have to be trained or he could really hurt the little dog. If a small dog was aggressive towards big dogs probably it would not do as much harm because of the size comparison so it would not be noticed as much.
Also, larger dogs have to be trained so they don't jump on anyone and hurt them or get carried away pulling the leash because of their size. Small dog owners don't need to worry about their little dog pulling them as they walk them on their leash.
Small dogs sometimes are not as socialized as bigger dogs. Sometimes small dog owners tend to hold and carry their dog without introducing their small dog to other people. Sometimes small dog owners live in an apartment or place where there isn't much socialization. This lack of socialization can make dogs territorial and not want other people to talk to their human parent.
How to Fix Small Dog Aggression
Why are small dogs so aggressive? It could be a lack of communication. Reinforcement can change your dog's personality. You can teach your dog what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior.
It is hard being a dog parent sometimes. We love our dogs, but sometimes our dogs do things that scare us. For example, if your dog is aggressively lashing out at people or animals it is scary because you don't want your dog to hurt anyone, and you don't want your dog to get hurt.
How to stop small dogs from being aggressive? You can help teach your dog with a small dog shock collar with remote from Wiggle Kingdom.
You can use this sleek remote to teach your dog how to be a well behaved dog. While its breeding and genetics may affect some of its behavior, this collar can help stop unwanted behavior.
Wiggle Kingdom's collar fits all small and toy dog breeds. It has many features including a light up screen, with large illuminated numbers. It has a large range antenna.This long range remote comes in very handy if your dog decides to go on an excursion by itself.
To stop your dog's bad behavior just put on the collar, catch the dog doing the unwanted behavior, and stop the behavior by using sound or vibration. There are 9 levels you can use! If that still doesn't work you can use a light static shock specifically made for your little dog.
So if it is fear, genetics, or our lack of conditioning previously, we can change our dogs behavior! We can help our little family members to be the best they can with a collar from Wiggle Kingdom.