Advantages Of Owning Small Dogs
The advantages of owning a dog are many. Dogs are an unequivicable source of companionship, they can significantly reduce your stress levels, benefit your blood pressure, they love unconditionally, are a source of joy, and provide an excellent incentive to exercise more. If you want to meet more people, nothing beats a dog for bringing strangers together, particularly fellow dog lovers. And if you’ve got kids, dogs can teach them how to be responsible and care for others.
But, what type of dog breed should you get – large or small?
Obviously, if you have a small yard or live in a condo, you may not have a lot of choice. But even if you are blessed with a large backyard, there are many advantages to getting a small dog that are very relevant in certain circumstances.
Smaller dogs won’t feel as threatening to young children or cats. Also, if you’d like your children to learn to do things like walk the dog, then a small dog will be a lot easier for them to cope with. A caveat though – some large dog breeds make better family pets than some small dogs. Breeds like the Tibetan Spaniel dog breed, the Miniature Poodle, Maltese, Chihuahuas, and similar lap dogs, are not really suited to families with children who aren’t old enough to know how to moderate their behaviour around dogs.
For older people, a small dog is a more realistic choice. This is also true for those who are sick or frail, or not particularly strong. Large dogs will be more difficult to physically handle. For example, walking an excited, large dog on a leash is not going to be easy if your dog becomes intent on chasing a car, or another dog. And there are going to be occasions when you may need to pick up your dog. If you don’t have someone readily available to do it for you, this could be a problem, particularly when your dog ages. Will you be able to check your dog’s teeth regularly, and be able to establish yourself as ‘top dog’ when training your dog.
Additionally, large dogs need more exercise as a rule, although some smaller dogs also require a lot. This is particularly true for working dogs, irrespective of the size they come in, such as the border collie dog breed. Border collies are very high energy, active and smart dogs. They have been – and still are – used to herd cattle and sheep, and as a result they have particularly high stamina and endurance. As pets, they need mental and physical exercise. A couple of hours per day is a guide, although if you mentally stimulate them during that time, that will tire them out quicker. So, for a person who works long hours, unable to devote the time to your dog, a breed like the border collie would be an inappropriate pet.
Small dog breeds that are recommended for families with children include {Miniature Australian Bulldogs, border terriers, Miniature Australian Shepherds, boston terriers, Miniature English Bulldogs, Kerry Blue Terriers, English Cocker Spaniels, and bichon frise}. And small dogs like the French bulldog, which are happy and easygoing dogs that love their humans, and don’t need a lot of exercise, are best for the elderly. French bulldogs are even used in pet therapy in aged care homes.
