Small Dog Syndrome

Many bichon owners (and owners of small dogs in general) have encountered the dreaded "small dog syndrome" with their pets.  Small dog syndrome usually presents itself as excessive barking, biting, and guarding of food/toys/treats.  Today I want to look at why small dogs develop this issue and how we can help prevent it!

Think about this: let's say you own an 80 pound lab.  If you have family/friends over and your big lab is trying to jump on them you would push the dog off and not let them repeat it.  You may even start training them to not do this at all.  Your thought is that since the dog is big, he/she might hurt someone by jumping on them and you hope to avoid it.

Now thing of your 8 pound bichon.  Again, your friends/family are over, but this time it is your bichon jumping on your guests.  They think it's cute and no one is going to get hurt by a little dog like this, so you let it go.

The problem is that jumping up like that isn't just a dog's way of saying "hello" and getting attention.  It is a way that they show dominance.  So even though your reason for preventing your big dog from doing is because it's annoying and could hurt someone, you're really showing him/her that you're the pack leader.  Conversely, by allowing your small dog to continue doing it you're letting them think that they run the show!

This is also the case when your small dog sits in your lap.  It's perfectly fine for him to sit on your lap if you have invited him or placed him there, but if your bichon has a habit of jumping up into your lap without invitation then it could be his way of "claiming" you.  Again, this is something most owners wouldn't let larger dogs do simply because they are too heavy but it is seen as cute and loving with small dogs.

The bottom line is that small dogs should not be given liberties that are not afforded to large dogs.  Not because it is the "fair" thing to do, but because many of these things are dominant displays.  Train your small dog to understand that you are the pack leader/leader of the house and do not let them claim dominance.  This will go a long way in preventing small dog syndrome and avoiding the biting, barking, and guarding that come along with it!

For more information about bichon behaviors check out my Bichon Temperament website!