Woo hoo! Fish on! Reel 'er in!

• Ideally, a small dog, or any dog for that matter should be walked on a short leash; next to your left side; abeam or slightly behind you in a classic heel position.
• Ideally, when your dog is in the classic heel position, the leash should be slack and incidental to the walk.
• Ideally, the leash should act as a safety line, only called into use when your small dog is distracted for a moment and strays from your side.

O.K. you can stop laughing now.

There are dogs out there that are paragons of discipline. There are dog owners out there that practice proper heeling techniques at all times. I know a few. I know far more people who let their dogs run willy-nilly at the end of a leash. For them, the leash is a tug-of-war device. Then there are those who use a retractable leash like a fishing line. The dog makes a run for it, then the owner reels the dog in.

People are going to do what people are going to do. If you do walk your dog on a retractable leash, here a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. Never let your dog run out in front in you further than you would let him run to your side. This is a big deal when you are walking on a sidewalk next to a busy street, or on a bike/walk path with plenty of traffic. If the street curb, or opposite lane is four feet to your left, for example, you should not let your dog run more than 4 feet in front of you. If your dog suddenly takes an interest in a squirrel across the street, in less than a second, he could change his direction of travel from straight ahead to straight to the side. Given too much running room, he could dart into traffic before you could reel him in.

2. You and your dog share the sidewalk with others. All sidewalks are public domains. You and I have no greater right to a patch of sidewalk than the next person, even if we are walking five dogs. If your dog is out on in front of you on an extended leash, please reel him in so he does not interfere with other people.

3. Dogs on extended leashes are more likely to get in trouble with other, unfamiliar dogs. A dog out in front of you is in an awkward position. He is leading the way and essentially has control of the walk. At the same time, he does not have the same freedom of movement he would have if he were off-leash. He is in a middle ground where he is in control, but not entirely in control. If he tends to be aggressive around other dogs, especially when he is on-leash, this tendency will be magnified by the awkwardness of being at the end of a long line.

There are some pretty good arguments for walking a dog on a retractable leash. The dog on a long leash gets to stop and smell the roses and the telephone poles. He gets an opportunity to engage in dog behavior while still being restrained. Free rein is free rein. On the other hand, when you and your dog are out on a walk, the two of your are not operating in a vacuum. You share the path with others. Here comes the pun: Please exercise restraint.

“People tend to forget that play is serious.”
David Hockney, British painter

“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.”
Brian Sutton-Smith, American folklorist

“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, M.D. psychiatrist

photo courtesy of Airbeagle @ Flickr.com

Puppies awaken the child in us. Watch a person play with a puppy and what do you see? You see a person acting silly. I mean that in only the very best and affectionate terms. The person will speak to the puppy in a high-pitched tone, often repeating nonsense words. There is usually some hand clapping; goo-goo eyes; a lot of smiling; and an impromptu game of chase or follow the leader or rolling around on the floor together. Silly stuff. It does wonders for the person’s spirit and the puppy benefits too.

Fast forward a few years and take a look at the relationship between the former puppy and the person. The mood has changed. Dog ownership is serious.

“Bobby, sit. I said sit!!”

“Bobby, come! COME!!”

“No Bobby! Stop that! Get off me. I’m busy.”

What happened to the joy of puppyhood? Where is the fun of dog ownership? It is down the toilet. Don’t get me wrong. It is very important for your dog to respond to you correctly. It is important for a dog to know boundaries and limitations. I am afraid we have taken the notion of dog obedience so seriously, that our lives and the lives of our pets have been thrown out of balance. In the name of dog obedience, we have either forgotten about or discounted the importance of letting our guard down so our dogs can have a little fun. Or, we are so busy with our day-to-day work routine, that no time is set aside to have some fun with the dog. Or, the “down time” we do spend with our dog is so structured, it is devoid of spirit:

PDA Schedule Entries for Monday:

5:30 Arrive home from work

5:35 Check mail

5:45 Walk dog to end of block and back.

6:00 Prepare dinner

There are a host of studies that show how play is vital to the social development of all thinking creatures. Play-deprived animals grow up into socially stunted, emotionally withdrawn beings. Later in life, lack of play can lead to a variety of psychological and even physical problems. Since this is an article about having fun, I won’t bog it down with quotations from these studies. If you would like to check the literature, you can go here, here and here for starters.

We really don’t need formal studies to tell us play is important to a dog. Look at a dog that never gets an opportunity to let loose and play. The word that comes to mind is “dour.” We occasionally see a dog at Kelsey’s Dog House that probably has not done much more than get in an occasional walk with its owner. The dog seems lifeless and devoid of personality. If we try to play with it, it looks at us like we are crazy. If other dogs approach, it retreats.

On the flip side, adult dogs that frequently play with their owners or dog friends seem to thrive. They are more alert, happier, generally healthier and more energized than their play-deprived cousins. Here is an added benefit of play that is hard to quantify, but you will notice right away. If you precede and follow your formal training sessions with play, your dog will respond to your obedience commands with more enthusiasm than a dog that never plays with its owner. Whenever I plan to train a dog, I begin with some sort of informal game to energize the dog and get him to focus on me. After training is over, I finish with play because it is an added and much appreciated reward for a job well done. In fact, if I do my training work correctly, the line between informal play and formal training should be rather blurred. I want my dog to feel training is just another form of play—something to look forward to rather than dreaded.

Get silly!
(photo courtesy of wanderingone@Flickr.com

I know there are people who thrive on structure. Any form of play, even structured play, is good for a dog. There are many ways to engage in structured play with your dog. I’m talking about formal activities, such as flyball, agility competition, and even freestyle dancing, (which is not really all that freestyle when you consider that it requires forethought, a suitable location, and some equipment.) I love doing certain structured activities with my dogs; but we don’t do them very often because they take time and effort to put into motion. For a long list of structured activities with your dog, you can go to this website as a resource. Even better, take a look at The Little Dogs’ Activity Book: Fun and Frolic for a Fit Four-legged Friend. This is fun read and a get-started-immediately type book. I have written a review of it here.

Having fun with your dog can be extremely informal. If you have ever played with a puppy, you already know how to play with a dog: Make silly sounds. Run and jump around the house or yard. Get down on the floor and tickle your dog. Let loose for goodness sake. Your dog will be happier, healthier and more spirited. So will you!

Up next, a series on intentionally crossbred dogs, including Puggles, Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Peek-a-poos and other poos.

You can still love a small dog without owning one. (Photo courtesy of solar ikon at Flickr.com)

We usually walk our small dogs, Royce and Kelsey, two times per day. The first walk is a long, fast-paced walk for exercise. The second walk, usually after dark, is shorter and at a more relaxed pace. Just before we depart for the second walk, we say to our dogs “Let’s go see ‘Mr. Cookie.’” Mr. Cookie is a friendly and warm-hearted retiree who hangs out in the evening in front of his house. If it is dark, you can sometimes spot the glow of his pipe before you see him standing on his driveway. He keeps a large box of dog treats in his garage. As the nightly parade of dogs passes, he dispenses cookies, belly rubs, and good humor. Although Mr. Cookie loves all the neighborhood dogs, he and his wife currently have no dog of their own, which leads me to the point of this story.

If now is not the right time for you to own a small dog, but you still want to have contact with dogs, there are plenty of ways to do just that. As a side benefit, the options I am about to offer here can also be treated as a test-drive of dog ownership if you are considering a dog for the future. Here are some ideas:

Volunteer at an Animal Shelter or Pet Rescue

Here is an opportunity to work with hundreds of different kinds of dogs without having to keep one at home. The upside is you will have contact with dogs in need. The downside is you will have contact with dogs in need. Working at an animal shelter or rescue operation is similar to working at a hospital. You will be able to help many animals and people. You will also have to deal with the heartbreak of dealing with some lost causes and sad endings. It can be very rewarding, but it is not work for people who are extremely sentimental.

Work at a Dog Care Business

At Kelsey’s Dog House, we have one employee who owned a dog that died at a young age. This employee cannot bring himself to own another dog right now because he still feels the pain of losing his first. Instead, he works at our place to enjoy the company of dogs without getting too attached to any single dog. It works for him and it works well for us.

Pet Sit

Everyone who owns a dogs has need of a pet sitter every now and then. It is one of those win-win situations in which you get to enjoy and care for a dog for a period of time without a long-term commitment. It’s sort of being a grandparent because you get to have fun with the dog, and then the dog goes home. The dog benefits, you benefit, and the dog’s owner benefits as well, knowing their dog is in good hands.

Visit a Pet Park or Pet-Friendly Business

Some folks enjoy people watching. There is a variation on this called dog watching. If you have ever visited an off-leash dog park, you know what I am talking about. Bring along some treats or a bowl of water and you instantly have an appreciative audience. It works for Mr. Cookie, and it will work for you too.

Foster a Dog

Many rescue organizations have a need for short-term dog placement while they work on getting their dogs adopted. Being a foster owner is usually a big responsibility, even though it is short-term. Dogs in foster care range from low-maintenance to extremely needy. When you take a dog into foster care, you may be called upon to socialize a traumatized dog; or tend to a wide range of canine medical conditions. A foster dog may need extensive obedience training, or simply a warm and comfortable place to sleep and eat. Many people who foster dogs enjoy it so much that the temp job becomes a lifetime occupation. Others end up adopting the dogs they foster. We have one employee at Kelsey’s Dog House right now that is about to return her fostered dog to its rescue service. The dog has lately been showing signs of aggression and is turning out to be more than she can handle. This is one job where it really pays to know what you are getting into before you start.

**********
Perhaps now is not the right time to own a dog. You may travel quite a bit. Or, the apartment complex in which you live does not allow dogs. Or, perhaps your budget would be strained by having to feed and care for a dog. Or, your personal relationship with another person needs your full attention. Or, you simply love dogs but enjoy coming and going as you please without worrying about the needs of a dog. Whatever your personal reason, there are alternatives to ownership. Our neighbor, Mr. Cookie, has it figured out. So can you.

Sweet dreams. (Photo courtesy of ctaloi at Flickr.)

…..

“Dr. Shepard became interested in how pets can disrupt people’s sleep after one patient reported that she frequently got up in the middle of the night to let the dog out and waited up to 15 minutes before returning to bed with her pet.

“’After hearing that anecdote, I began to wonder how many of my patients were sleeping with pets and how much the pet interrupted sleep,’ he says.

“Between February and September 2001, Dr. Shepard surveyed 300 patients seen at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center to determine the frequency and severity of sleep disruption that may result from family pets. He found the following:

* 157 of 300 patients (52 percent) had one or more pets, primarily cats and dogs.

* Nearly 60 percent of the patients with pets slept with their pets in the bedroom. When a dog was permitted to sleep in the bedroom, it had a 57 percent chance of being allowed to sleep on the bed.

* Of the pet owners, 53 percent considered their sleep to be disrupted to some extent every night, but only one percent felt that their sleep was disrupted for more than 20 minutes per night on average.

* Snoring was reported in 21 percent of dogs and seven percent of cats.

* Cats were more likely to be allowed in the bedroom and on the bed.

“I suspect that the degree of sleep disruption experienced may be significantly greater than the owners admit, but I have no objective data,” says Dr. Shepard. “Every patient has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping with pets and make a personal decision about the sleeping arrangements in the household. Some people are very attached to their pets and will tolerate poorer sleep in order to be near them at night.” (The entire article can be found here.)

As a side thought, many animal behaviorists believe it is not advisable to let your dog sleep in your bed. They say a dog should not have a carte blanche access to your private space. They believe sharing a bed with your dog sends a message to that dog that it is on equal footing with its owner—but that is a discussion for another time.

Right now, I have got to go take a nap. My dog Kelsey got up 2 times last night, once for a drink of water and once because she had to go out and get rid of that water. In between, she snored all night. Sweet dreams.

P.S. Please let me know if your small dog sleeps in bed with you by voting in the quickie poll to the right of this column. JK

Our hearts go out to shelter dogs.

I have come across another opinion on the risks and rewards of adopting a small dog from an animal shelter. It comes from Dale Stavroff in his book Let the Dog Decide (Marlowe & Company, 2007.) Mr. Stavroff is a highly experienced dog trainer specializing in positive motivational training. He has a rather stark caution on what you may be getting into if you adopt a dog from a shelter.

“As much as our hearts go out to them, shelter dogs are where they are because they have failed to live up to the expectations of at least one owner, and sometimes several owners, before arriving at their destination. I like to think that even the worst owners have tried hard, in their limited way, to give these dogs a home. Many of these dogs have repeatedly bitten, barked, and destroyed their way into the situation in which they now find themselves. Even in cases where the dog is far more sinned against than sinning, and even in the case of very young dogs, an animal’s presence in the shelter likely indicates a traumatic past that will cause problems in the future.”

Mr. Stavroff goes on to say the overworked and under-equipped staff at a shelter is often incapable of properly assessing or solving some of the behavior problems dogs at the shelter present. He says some shelter dogs have hidden behaviors, including aggressive behaviors, that may only appear when the proper trigger arises. The trigger, and the behavior may never arise at a shelter. He says, “The result is that time and time again, the wrong dogs are inadvertently placed with the wrong people. And dogs that no average person should be expected to handle are placed in improper homes.”

“Because good dogs can be adopted from shelters, but because this will inevitably be much riskier than obtaining a dog from a good breeder, I recommend that only experienced dog people look for a dog at a shelter. Single people, couples without children, semiretired and retired people, and those who work at home—can all benefit from, and bring benefit to unwanted dogs in need of a home.

However, I strongly advise families with children to find a reputable breeder and buy a purebred puppy. You are going to own this animal for at least ten years. You and your kids deserve the best chance you can at success. Taking someone else’s mistakes into your home represents a poor way to start.”

Here is a passage that flies in the face of something I previously believed to be true—when you adopt an adult dog, what you see is what you get. Mr. Stavroff says, “Dogs are perfectly capable of hiding behaviors when it suits them to do so, or again, the shelter environment may simply not trigger any problematical behavior. The shelter environment can also intimidate dogs and suppress their problematical behaviors, until the environment changes and allows the behavior to reemerge as the dog regains confidence.

“Because of this reality, I can only offer the following advice for choosing a dog at a shelter. You must let reason be your guide and not bite off more than you can chew. Your well-being and the safety of others around you depend on the decision you make when getting a dog. Rescuing a dog is no good if it ends tragically.

For those with the time, patience, energy, and experience with dogs to try owning a shelter dog, there are some important issues to consider. First, let’s acknowledge once more that shelters contain perfectly good dogs that are there for no fault of their own. These exceptions do not invalidate the rule or represent a sound reason for adopting.

Remember that a dog imprints between seven and eleven weeks of age, which means that its character and habits are permanently formed at the end of this period. Even in the best circumstances, shelter dogs will usually require a greater effort to accomplish less in every aspect and stage of training, both because they are almost always a good deal older than eleven weeks of age and because of their prior experiences.” (Excerpts from pages 49-51, Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog – Gently and Reliably Stavroff, 2007.)

For those of you who may be thinking, “How much damage can a small dog do? Even if I get a small dog from the shelter with behavior problems, its small size should make it easy to overpower,” consider this. An untrained and aggressive small dog can do serious property damage and cause severe personal injury to its owner. I own a 10-pound Miniature Pinscher that is so sweet and docile that his veterinarian never fails to remark on his gentle behavior. He told me he recently had to put another Min Pin down after the dog so savagely attacked his owner, the woman had to be hospitalized with severe facial injuries. Again, this a breed that rarely tops 13 pounds.

I hope this new bit of information does not scare you away from considering a shelter dog. My intention is to make sure you take the time to assess your own situation and your own capabilities before you go to the shelter to look at a small dog.

*******

I want to conclude this piece with a nod towards Dale Stavroff’s book Let the Dog Decide. While I am still in the process of evaluating the training methods he describes in his book, I am very excited about what I have read and tried so far. I read a lot of dog training and dog care books and only recommend those that have good advice that works well in practice at Kelsey’s Dog House. This one looks very promising. There will be more on Let the Dog Decide once the evaluation is complete. Stay tuned.

Here is the talker on the back cover:

“Are you living with a desperate housedog? It’s time to exercise his mind and body! If you have a lap-sized dog, the chances are he’s spending too much time on your lap. He probably doesn’t use his brain as much as he’d like to, either. In short, your portable-sized pooch is bored, bored, bored. That’s where the Little Dog’s Activity Book can help. Filled with dozens of games, tricks and fun things to do, this guide is sure to keep you and your pooch entertained.

There are ideas and activities for every dog, from high-energy to senior, and every human. You’ll find step-by-step instructions for tricks, ideas for mind-challenging games, details on how to throw parties and travel, plus tips for participating in organized sports. And even if you and your dog aren’t athletes, you can still keep him busy without leaving your living room chair!”

“Deborah Wood is the award-winning pet columnist for The Oregonian newspaper and the author of several pet books, including Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion and The Little Dogs’ Beauty Book.”

The book begins with simple, enjoyable activities for you and your small dog, including “nose games” that encourage your dog to find treats and objects by scent. Example: The Shell Game—a variation on the cup and ball street scam in which your dog finds a treat hidden under one of three cups by using his scenting ability. From there, Ms. Wood goes on to explain how you can arrange a “Disneyland” in your home for your dog that will keep him/her occupied and entertained. Example: Living Room Agility in which you use household objects to create an obstacle course for your dog. Next comes how to teach tricks using positive reinforcement; how to create dog parties; playing in organized events; enjoying human and dog sports together; traveling in comfort; training a therapy dog; and how to enjoy activities into your dog’s old age. This is a beautifully and colorfully illustrated book that will excite you with new possibilities. From the first page, you will find ideas you can try immediately with your small dog. It is an absolute must-read for anyone with a small dog. Now, excuse me while I go play the Shell Game, (page 22,) with my Min Pin, Royce. Then I’ll send the thank you letter to the author.

Note: I have included a link to the book at Amazon.com. When you buy this book using the link, I receive a small commission that helps pay for the operation of this website. Even if you do not use my link, get this book. It will change you and your small dog’s life together!

Here is how my vision turned out. My mental picture of a Labrador has been replaced with the reality of a Schnauzer-Poodle mix (Schnoodle,) and a Miniature Pinscher (Min Pin.) The craggy ridgelines of the Rockies are actually the slopes and hills of North Georgia. My beasts are anything but rugged or sure-footed. The Min Pin has a penchant for getting stung by bees and the Schnoodle loves to roll in horse manure on the trail. Neither one looks at me, and neither implies “Job well done!” Typically the Min Pin wraps his retractable leash around the nearest bush while the Schnoodle takes off after a teasing squirrel. And yet, it’s all great fun; and a small time adventure every time we go hiking together.

When we think of taking a hike with a dog, we typically think of traveling with a large “outdoorsy” dog—a retriever or a gun dog.

Belle, the 2-pound gun dog.

It’s true some small dogs with short or spindly legs will have a harder time coping with rutted and steep trails than their larger cousins. Low energy dogs that prefer a nice warm lap to a romp in the park are probably not going to do well on the icy slopes of Mt. Ranier. Even so, with a little research, you can probably find a trail somewhere in your area that matches both you and your small dog’s physical capabilities. I will have more on how to find the perfect trail at the end of this article.

Once you have found the ideal trail, it is time to prepare for the hike. The general rule of preparation is: whatever you would do for yourself to prepare, do for your dog as well. Water? Pack enough for da both a yuz, (as they say in the Bronx.) Food? If you think you will need food for energy on the trail, then your small dog will too. Mosquito protection? Here it gets a bit tricky. The ingredients in most mosquito repellents used by humans will make a dog sick. There are some citronella-based repellents that are safe for dogs, but they are also not very effective. Some flea and tick formulas for dogs also have an anti-mosquito ingredient. Check with your veterinarian. Shelter? If you are going to camp out overnight, your small dog will probably do okay sharing your tent with you. Sun protection? Again, it gets a bit tricky because you cannot smear sunscreen all over your dog. Realize your small dog has his own protective cover in the form of a fur coat, as long as your dog is not a hairless variety, or has recently been shaved short. In all cases, as you hike, you will want to give your dog plenty of opportunities to get out of the sun to cool down and rest. Common sense should prevail. If you choose to hike in cold weather, realize that small dogs, with their lighter body mass, tend to chill easier than large, heavy-set dogs. A dog coat and careful monitoring of your dog’s physical condition should ward off the cold.

Speaking of physical condition, make sure your dog is physically ready for the challenge of the hike you are about to take. It makes no sense, and could be dangerous, to take a couch potato on a long march without some pre-conditioning. Your best bet is to start with easy hikes of no more than 45 minutes on level terrain in cool weather. Then build up to more difficult walks as your dog’s stamina improves. Come to think of it, the same regimen applies to you.

Let’s conclude this discussion with a word about control. When you are out on the trail, it would be an understatement to say your dog’s senses will be actively engaged. He or she is going to be extremely excited. All it takes is a squirrel dashing across the trail to instantly send your dog into overdrive. All dogs have an instinctive need to chase fleeing animals. Even a leaf blowing away from your dog or a small rock sent tumbling down a hill may trigger the chase instinct. Before you know it, your dog will be off towards the next county in pursuit of a rabbit. The solution? Keep your dog on a leash.

Kelsey on the trail. She has perfect recall, so we let her go off-leash.

There are some fundamental differences between big dogs and small dogs. We already mentioned one—the difference in inertial force. Small dogs have to gang up in groups of 5 or more and run a coordinated attack in order to knock over a healthy adult. To further illustrate, a Dachshund at full charge is easier to hold onto via a leash than say, a Rottweiler, when either is gunning for the mailman.

When speaking of big versus small dogs, the guzinta and gozoutta are fundamentally different. The guzinta for big dogs can be enormous in quantity, and therefore costly. When the big dog eats, you’re talking 2 to 4 cups of chow per meal, depending on the breed. When a little dog eats, if you can even get it to eat, you’re more apt to break out the ½ and ¾ measuring cups a couple of times per day. It is hard to say which type of dog is more expensive to feed. While the big dog costs big bucks in terms of quantity, you may find a little dog also tears up your pocketbook by demanding haute cuisine. Feeding a little dog can be a contest of wills. When the dry kibble is refused, who will hold out the longest? Should you let the poor dog starve, or should you start cooking hamburger and rice for every meal? Or, is it time to buy the expensive soft meat and gravy containers recommended by pet lovers everywhere?

As for the gozoutta, it stands to reason if a large quantity goes into the big dog; a large quantity is going to come out. Little dogs tend to be parsimonious poopers. While you may need to follow a big dog with a snow shovel, a child’s beach sand scoop usually works fine for toy and miniature dogs. Little dogs do have their problems in this area. They are vulnerable to digestive upset and therefore what little comes out may be hard to, um, grasp.

Let’s get back to that whole inertia argument and reverse the problem. If you accidentally run into a Labrador, the dog is going to say “Huh? Did something just nudge me or is that my stomach rumbling again?” If you accidentally stumble over your Italian Greyhound, you are going to hear about it. Most small dogs are fairly sturdy. Some do not do well if they fall directly under foot, especially if that foot supports a 200-pound adult.

Small dogs generally live longer than their larger cousins. Even among small dogs, usually the smallest of the small live the longest. No one really knows for certain why this is so. It is what it is. When you pick a small dog to share your life, know you are going to do a lot of sharing for a long, long time.

Speaking of sharing, both big dogs and small dogs have their share of medical problems. While big dogs tend towards problems associated with weight and size—joint problems, stomach bloat, etc.—small dogs tend to have more problems related to their diminutive or compressed systems. I already mentioned the higher frequency of digestive problems in small dogs; though this may be due to the crazy diets we often feed them. Small dogs are also more likely to have runny, teary eyes than big dogs. Some small breeds with compressed snouts have problems breathing through their nose. Other small breeds have intermittent breathing problems due to collapsing tracheas. The classic white-fur-over-pink-skin small breeds often have sensitive skin and tendencies towards dermatitis and skin allergies.

Many small breeds are notoriously hard to housebreak. Getting a small dog to do its business outside can be a months-long campaign, and some small dogs never fully “get it.” I know there are books out there about how to housebreak your dog in: “24 hours;” “a week;” “5 days.” Unfortunately, small dogs cannot read.

While all dogs need plenty of exercise, a small dog can get all it needs in a couple of miles, or about 45 minutes of walking every day. Its true many small dogs can keep up with a marathoner, given an appropriate amount of conditioning, but a marathon is not absolutely necessary to its well-being. Most small dogs were bred for work around the house or castle, not the back forty.

Of all the differences between big and small dogs, perhaps the most apparent is, well, size. Small dogs fit just about anywhere—a house, an apartment, a double-wide, a single-wide, and, I’m just going to say it, a pup tent. Of all the places small dogs seem to fit, your lap often provides the best place of all.

On the other hand, even though they may seem like trinkets to some people, small dogs are still dogs. They do not need to be treated with kid gloves, nor do they respond well to being treated as babies. Most small dogs do not think small. They have big hearts, big eyes, and big ambition. They require the same training, discipline, and setting of boundaries as their larger counterparts. A small dog, as any dog, has all of the potential to be an outstanding companion or a nasty little devil. The difference is in how we view and treat that dog.

And that’s why Poodles do it. Maltese do it. Even educated Havanese do it. Let’s do it. Let’s shed some fur. (With apologies to Cole Porter.)

In the previous article, I beat the daylights out of the subject of shedding. Before we bury that dead horse, I have three last words on the subject and then we will move on to something else in the same category. (Note: There will more words after those last three. Sorry.) Here are the three last words: All dogs shed. No, perish the thought! You brought that Poodle home on the premise that it is non-shedding.

Go to the website www.whosyadoggy.com, and there you will find a comprehensive list of dogs that are “Non-shedding.” I’ll say it again. All dogs shed. Websites such as “Who’s Ya Doggy?” should say, “Here is a list of dogs that shed, but you won’t notice when they shed.” Some dogs shed fur that is nearly microscopic, such as the “hairless” varieties. Others shed, but do so at a very slow rate; and, their curly or wavy coat retains the loose hair until it is removed with a brush or comb. Most terriers fall into this category. In total, there are over 50 purebred and popular mixed-breed varieties of dog that are nearly non-shedding. For lack of better words, let’s use the strained term, low-shedding.

Low-shedding dogs are genetically programmed to hold on to their hair for long periods of time. While a few low-shedding breeds simply retain hair once it has reached a fixed length, most low-shedding breeds grow hair continually. The price you pay for the luxury of a dog that sheds un-noticeably is the need to trim that continually growing hair. Left unclipped, a Poodle for example, would literally turn into a ball of fur. A Maltese would eventually trip over its lengthening coat. A Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier would have a hard time seeing through the increasing mop of fur that grows over its eyes.

There is another mammal that shares a dog’s hair growth cycle: humans. At Kelsey’s Dog House, many of our customers book a grooming appointment for their dog on the same day as their own appointment with a hair stylist. Perhaps we should reconfigure our operation into a dog and human grooming spa.

“Let me confirm your appointment for the 27th, Mrs. Jones. That’ll be a perm for your Yorkie and a shave down for you, correct?”

On second thought, eh, maybe not.