Elli the Pomeranian mix was adopted last week, but I have more to say about small dog training.
In addition to exercise, small dogs need training. If I won’t tolerate the behavior from a lab-sized dog, I won’t tolerate it from a Pomeranian.
When I adopted my mutt Ace, he was immediately expected to follow rules. The first six months and especially the first two weeks set the scene for what I expected from my dog.
I admit I was much more lenient with Elli than I was with Ace because I knew it would only be a short time before someone would adopt Elli and go right back to spoiling her.
Below are some rules all my foster dogs follow, big or small. If you are adopting a new dog or are having any kind of issues with your dog’s behavior, consider these rules.
It annoys me how the majority of small-dog owners allow their dogs to do whatever they want. Dogs of all sizes love training and rules. It makes life a lot less stressful for them!
Small dogs need training too
1. Never allow the small dog to walk in front.
I never allow any dog to walk in front of me. I am walking the dog, not the other way around. Since we walk every day, this is the perfect time for me to practice leadership.
2. Tell the small dog to sit and stay before going outside.
This requires patience from the dog and the person. The first couple times I took Elli outside it took us five minutes just to get through the door. She would pop up, I’d put her back and say, “sit.” Then I’d reach for the door, she’d pop up, and I’d put her back. Sometimes we did this 15 or 20 times. Ace would look at me like, Why are we doing this?
After about two days Elli had an almost perfect sit-stay at the door.
3. Make the dog sit and stay before coming inside.
This one was easier for Elli because getting back inside was less exciting than going outside. The point is, the small dog must do something before she gets what she wants just like a big dog. No freebies. Everything is a learning opportunity.
4. Never allow the dog on furniture.
One of the first things Elli did when she got here was jump onto the couch like she owned the place. This was immediately followed by me pushing her off. She tried three or four more times, and I pushed her off or blocked her each time. This is when most people will give in and say, “Oh OK, come on up!” I did not. Elli was never allowed on the couch. It’s not that I didn’t want her up, but creating boundaries is an easy way to teach a dog of any size self control and respect.
5. Tell the small dog to sit and stay while you prepare her food.
This is the same concept as when we headed outside. Elli caught on to sitting and staying before eating very quickly. She learned that if she did not relax, she did not get to eat. She worked very hard on holding still, and it was nice to see her thinking through the concept. Like most dogs, she loved being mentally challenged.
6. Always eat before the dog eats.
Whenever I have a new dog, I eat in front of her before she eats. She is expected to wait calmly, and then food is given as a reward.
If the dog chooses not to eat when I offer her food, the food is taken away until the next mealtime. In my house, dogs don’t get to eat whenever they want. There are scheduled meals where food is used as a reward, not a freebie.
7. Don’t allow the small dog to run from room to room.
I don’t allow new dogs to run from room to room “checking out the place.” Instead the dog is kept on a leash, supervised at all times and invited into each room at my convenience. Once the dog is calm, she may be allowed off leash as long as she stays in the same room as me so I can catch “accidents” before they happen. Small dogs are less likely to be completely housebroken.
When a dog is running around in a near panic, it upsets and stresses out everyone else, including me. A 10-pound dog can create chaos if she isn’t kept under control. It’s not healthy for anyone to run around like a maniac. Keeping the dog calm is best for everyone and prevents fights between the new dog and other pets.
8. Make the dog sleep in a kennel.
It’s a privilege for a dog to sleep by my bed, and it’s a privilege for a dog to sleep out of a kennel. She has to earn that right over time.
9. Do not allow the small dog to be the center of attention.
When a dog is whining, pacing, panting or obsessing over me, I ignore her. When Elli was here, I spent the majority of the time completely ignoring her except when we were training or walking. I rarely held her. The affection she got from me was when she was calm (very rare) or when we were working on calming exercises where I would pet her as a reward for being relaxed and still.
10. Make sure the dog is quiet and relaxed before exiting her kennel.
Elli hated being kenneled and hated being separated from me. She is one of those dogs that likes to burst through the kennel door. I consider this to be very rude. So, whenever I let Elli out of her kennel, I told her to stay while I reached for the kennel door. If she tried to barge through, I re-shut it. I’d pause, tell her to stay, open the door, pause again and release her once she was quiet, relaxed and waiting. Treats were very helpful!
Well now that some of you think I’m a cold-hearted dog hater, consider following the above rules with your dog. Trust me, you will have a much calmer and happier dog, and your life will be less stressful. The key is a lot of patience and consistency! Small dogs may take a bit more patience because they are used to getting their way all the time.
What rules is your dog expected to follow?
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November 18th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Well, I think that the rules that you posted about are good guidelines, for any size dog. I agree that small dogs usually do get away with more than big dogs. Or, if the big dogs are allowed to get away with the same things, they are often considered rude and unmanageable and they end up being an outdoor only pet.
I have to tell you a funny story about Dare the other night. We have been working on her “wait” in her crate after I open the door and she is not to come out till I give her a release word of “ok”. Well, the other night Randy was out of town, so I let the dogs sleep on the bed. Sometime during the night, she slipped off the edge of the bed. Well, I was too lazy to go get her and pick her back up to be back on the bed, so I just left her to find a bed on the floor. (Mean I know). Anyway, as is her custom she gave her “I need to go out” bark about 5-6 am. I got up and went to the door to let her out, but no Dare. Then it dawned on me. She’s probably in her kennel, even though the door isn’t closed waiting to be let out. Sure enough. That was the problem. I turned on the light and once I said “ok” she came running to the door. LOL What a goofy puppy.
Now after saying that, she did break her nice habit the very next evening when I took her food bowl out of her crate and just walked off, forgetting to release her. She didn’t “wait” then, but I still think she’s getting the idea. As long as I remember what I’m doing.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Wow! What a good puppy! That’s a great story about Dare and the kennel! Ha!
Sometimes Ace will lie on his bed and whimper because he wants to be released, even though I never told him to stay in the first place. He forgets if he was told to stay or not! It’s cute and I feel a bit guilty that he is always trying to do the right thing. He’s a good boy!
November 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I’m with you on this one. Biggie has lots of rules, since he is so big that sometimes people run away when they see him (or worse, run right up to us to try to pet him without asking). He is, as his doggie day care people say, “a dog who needs structure.”
1. No pulling on leash.
2. No walking in front of human.
3. When greeting people at home or out, humans greet each other first before acknowledging the dog.
4. No treats just for being cute! At a minimum, must SIT and take treats POLITELY with a SOFT MOUTH.
5. Sit before going through high-value doors (outside, dog run).
6. All meals in the crate.
7. Must be sitting in crate before food is put down.
8. Must be sitting or lying down in crate before door is unlocked after meal.
9. No pawing, whining, barking to get what he wants. (So now he is the master of The Meaningful Look.)
10. No jumping on people.
11. Not allowed on any furniture.
12. No begging at the table (unless he is ‘begging’ by remaining in a down-stay).
13. Whenever possible, sit at all street corners when waiting for the light to change.
14. No playing with other dogs on leash.
15. Sitting = saying “please.”
16. Play and petting ends when the humans say it ends.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Ha! I’m glad to hear Biggie has all kinds or rules, too. The no playing while on the leash sounds like a good one. I haven’t enforced that. Do you have a word for when the playing or petting in genral ends or do you just walk away or ignore him?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Oh dont get me started on yap yaps they are the bane of my existence… two habits.. barking constantly at my dogs and running at them from their yards while the owners do nothing… on our beaches you leash dogs as you pass but most small dog owners dont even carry a leash..
Our yapper Lucy is untrained… why? she was small and manageable… boy am I paying for that now… every bad habit the girls have comes from Lucy especially the going crazy at the front door… if i had the time again I would put 100% into training her…
Most boundaries the girls have are to make my life simpler and like Biggie to make them safe around others. People seem to expect them to be super trained due to their size. Some rules
You sit before meals, getting into car, having leash put on, opening doors, crossing roads.
If the door knocks you go to your room before I come get you. My daughters room is a no go zone
No lounges or sofas. The dining table is for humans only…
My mother has a friend who puts her small dog on the table while she and it eat… gross…
The best thing about training a Dane is they have an incredible desire to please… I reckon you work with their strengths and Shi seems to imitate Chelsea
November 19th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Abbey, it suprises me too how many little dogs come charging up to Ace and I, their owners assuming my dog is friendly. Not smart.
You have done a beautiful job training your danes. I love how you criticize the small dog owners and then you admit that your own yapper is also untrained! Ha! But the fact that they are small and “manageable” is exactly it. They get away with everything when they are puppies and that continues on their whole lives.
Maybe Lucy can still learn a few rules from Chels and Shi.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
When the playing or petting ends, it’s generally a patting and a “good boy!” and then we go back to what we were doing.
Abbey – you are so right! People expect a bigger dog to be super trained, and if they bark, as Biggie will do when provoked, they go “vicious dog!” urrrgghhh.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
That’s kind of what I do when we’re done playing, too.
Yeah, I know what you mean about the “vicious dog.” I was out with two bigger dogs today and one of them will sometimes try to jump up when he sees people because he gets so excited. People look at me like he’s the worst dog in the world, yet this behavior would be OK or even encouraged if he were a small dog.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:32 am
My dog Emma is a black lab that rides in the back of my jeep. One of the rules that is very important to me is when I open the back tailgate that she remain inside until I give her the OK command. I had trouble for awhile when the tailgate was being lifted that she would slink out from under it and I had no control of her because I was occupied with lifting and securing the tailgate which is broken and needed special support.I require her to lay down and stay with my voice command before I reach out to open the door. When everything is setup and I’m ready then I let her out. This has brought peace and security to our relationship.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:06 am
That is a great idea! Just yesterday I started making Ace lie down in the back seat before he can jump out. That teaches him that he can’t jump out right away. When he is sitting or standing it’s too easy for him to jump out before I tell him OK.
November 25th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I am new to this Blog, but I would just like to put my two cents in I guess lol. I have two chihuahuas and they do have rules, HOWEVER, my dogs are also my babies. As such they always sleep with me, and they are always in my lap, weather I am sitting on the couch or in an armchair or even if I am on the floor. I will admit that this does at times make it a little more difficult to train them, But I still have managed to teach them to sit and stay and they know when I point my finger at them or give them “the look” that I mean business. They do not walk in front of me when I take them for walks and they know when momma says no, she means it. Probably the biggest problem I have with them, is barking at new people. When I first got them I was living in an apartment, and they were very friendly and loved people, since then I have moved out into the country and now every time someone new comes around it is an endless cacophony of high pitched barks and yelps. The problem I have is I do not feel that I should really be scolding them because I know they are doing it because they are scared to death & I do not want to make the experience more traumatic for them, but trying to be calm and ignore it is next to impossible. Nonetheless, the bottom line for me with my dogs, is that I love them more than words can say, and since I do not have children, my dogs are my babies (as I stated before) and I smother them with love and hugs and kisses and even if it does harm my training with them, that will never change about me, nor do I want it to. I love the look on their sweet little faces when I come home and they are so happy to see me, or the way they curl up beside me and my husband at night because they know they are safe with mommy and daddy, or the way they will always choose to lay on any piece of clothing we may leave around no matter where it is because they just want to be close to us. I love the way they give kisses when we ask for them and the way they nuzzle us when we hug them. My dogs are very very smart & I believe that they DO have feelings. Plus they have such wonderful and different personalities, I do not think I could look at them in any other way except to say that they are like small furry little children and they are one of the most important things in my life.
November 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Hi Lyssa. Thanks for checking out my blog and thank you for your comment. You may be surprised to hear that your relationship with your dogs sounds a lot like my relationship with my dog. He has rules but he is also very spoiled and I treat him like my baby because I don’t have any kids either. You would probably agree, though, that you are in the minority. Most small dogs are not trained at all. Your chihuahuas sound like very, very sweet dogs and they are lucky to have you. Good luck with that barking issue, that’s a tough one with the little guys. You could always try distracting them with a very, very highly valued treat (like real chicken or hamburger).