Most everyone will agree that small dogs make excellent companions. Most of us would also agree that we don’t want the little animal to bark at us when it visits us or jump into our laps as soon as we sit down. Small dogs need both obedience and behavior training just as much as larger dogs.

When I was little, I don’t remember anyone who had a small dog. All the dogs I remember were medium or large-sized animals that lived outside. We did not have domestic dogs. I don’t remember a time when my mother let a dog into the house. Most of the dogs defended themselves and stayed for human company. When we were children, we would play with them and sometimes share our food with them, but they were not allowed into the house.

Over the years, our dogs have become valuable members of the family, sharing the home and sometimes even our beds. I have also noticed that over the years our dogs have gotten smaller. First with a dachshund, then a toy poodle, and finally a Lhasa mix. There seems to be a trend towards small breeds that do nothing more than provide companionship. But the fact is, regardless of the size of the dog, training is important to making them likeable members of the family.

Each breed of dog is unique and will have characteristics that will become challenging when you try to train, breed and train your dog. It is fortunate that dogs of a common size will tend to have similar behavioral characteristics and habits that you can study and learn to facilitate training your small dog.

Training small dogs is not an easy task and many people who adopt small dogs ignore any type of training and the animal learns by trial and error what is expected of them. Usually bad behavior is punished and the animal becomes confused and sometimes even shows signs of fear. Sometimes small dogs are adopted based on the misconception that smaller dogs will be easier to treat. They are still growing and need training to become acceptable adult dogs.

Small dog breeds or toy dog ​​breeds including Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles, and Lhasa Apsos have become very popular because they are small and most long for human companionship. They are always eager to please their humans and are always glad to see you when you come home. But small dog breeds can be stubborn, intelligent, and mischievous, and these traits can make them an even greater training challenge for a non-professional trainer.

Another trait that small dogs have is the inherent nature of compensating for their small stature by being overly aggressive and suspicious. Everyone has seen an overly aggressive Chihuahuas or small Pomeranian lose their minds in some situation that would cause a larger dog to just stare at them. This high intensity reaction to a situation can make it difficult for smaller breeds to train. Having a relaxed and calm small dog is essential to getting them to obey your commands and obedience training is necessary to keep some of them calm.

Small and toy dog ​​breeds are often very alert, intelligent, and aware of their surroundings. But as with all dogs, training these little ones requires patience and perseverance. You must be firm and consistent in your orders and avoid letting the cute little guy run the show. But once your little dog is properly trained and has the idea that you are the boss, you will have a faithful friend for life.