People say big dogs have the potential to kill you, cats can give you a nasty infection with a serious bite, but what can a small dog do if anything? Say a small cat sized dog?
cats are much like skunks in that they don’t want to bite you badly on purpose if they don’t have to, they would rather flee. Skunks don’t want to spray you, they would rather run off.
Now if you’re trying to break up a cat fight, simply make a loud noise or throw a towel or blanket over them.
Small dogs can do a lot of damage. Maybe not as much as a big dog, but that’s still a mouth full of sharp teeth perfectly capable of puncturing and tearing.
I know someone that spent 5 days in the hospital due to infection after sticking her hand into a little dog fight (and her hand was torn up). Cats and dogs do carry dangers, but there are health benefits to having pets as well. Horses can kill people as well, but domesticated animals are pretty safe considering that it is easy to be very careless with them.
Forgive me but when I try picturing a small or tiny dog even attempting to do anything to a person, I can’t imagine them even being able to get their mouth on any part of a person’s body. They’re also not as agile or flexible as a cat and so are easily picked up before being able to do anything.
They have really tiny mouths that don’t open very wide I think, unlike cats.
oooo that sounds painful, with a small dog fight I would do the same thing I might do to break up a cat fight. I can imagine a hand being damaged.
Small dogs can open their mouths plenty wide to get a piece of you. Remember that some small dogs were bred to HUNT small vermin. It’s still a dog, and it can still hurt you.
define small.
Yes, they can definitely bite! Many small dogs are actually pretty tough. Human skin is very fragile when it comes to dog and cat teeth. Dogs are actually very strong pound per pound, and they can be very fast.
small is the size of a cat, or smaller. I’m thinking of yorkies, miniature poodles, chihuahuas, pomeranians, papillons etc.
As a vet tech I prefer a big dogs… I’ve found small dogs are much quicker to nip/bite/get growly than big ones.
[QUOTE=aurora171989;6848863]
small is the size of a cat, or smaller. I’m thinking of yorkies, miniature poodles, chihuahuas, pomeranians, papillons etc.[/QUOTE]
They are more than capable of getting your hand bad enough to send you to the ER and make you miss a lot of work, and possibly need surgery to get full function of your hand back.
Speaking from personal experience and what I’ve seen happen to other groomers.
Actually, many of the dog breeds most likely to bite humans without provocation are small dogs: Chihuahuas, dachshunds, etc. Sure, they’ll do less damage than a big dog, but they’re often more likely to bite. They did a study on dog bites and the little ones were most likely to bite without being provoked.
Add to that that many, if not most, small dog owners don’t think they need obedience training like bigger dogs and don’t teach them manners because they’re little and cute. Of the dogs I’ve met with the WORST manners and training, all were small breeds.
I think small dogs (as defined by the OP) are more likely to bite. They are equally as quick as larger dogs and I think they find the world far more frightening (which may contribute to their lower bite threshold).
I think for the most part larger dogs have had random irritation or fear biting bred out of them for obvious reasons. Small dogs are so much quicker to bite.
I am constantly training on my chi pup to control her bite instinct. She doesn’t have it for people though I wouldn’t bet on her in the vet’s office. I work with her a lot so that I don’t end up with one of those nippy little turds when I take her to the vet. If I didn’t work with her she would be horrible.
My big dogs don’t bite.
So we’re comparing frequency to damage inflicted. Are we not pointing out the obvioius?
When I was a small child, I almost lost an eye due to a small dog lunging up and biting me on the face. I ended up with stitches right below the eye. So, yes, they can do a lot of damage. It just takes one unfortunately placed bite.
The three times I have been bitten it was by a small dog - in the ankle every.single.time! Not life threatening but very painful and came with no warning - one of them I didn’t even know was near me!
I can be around the biggest dogs all day and never think about getting bitten, but put a small dog near me and I will try to walk 3 ft off the ground!
[QUOTE=HenryisBlaisin’;6849034]
Actually, many of the dog breeds most likely to bite humans without provocation are small dogs: Chihuahuas, dachshunds, etc. Sure, they’ll do less damage than a big dog, but they’re often more likely to bite. They did a study on dog bites and the little ones were most likely to bite without being provoked.
Add to that that many, if not most, small dog owners don’t think they need obedience training like bigger dogs and don’t teach them manners because they’re little and cute. Of the dogs I’ve met with the WORST manners and training, all were small breeds.[/QUOTE]
Hear, hear!
A bite starts in the (sh!tty) mind of the animal, not the jaws. It’s compounded by people who are idiots-- those who don’t teach the dog much and who also don’t interpret the dog very well.
I think most animals would rather not bite. The ones who dig it? I don’t see why anyone keeps those POSs.
[QUOTE=mvp;6850173]
A bite starts in the (sh!tty) mind of the animal, not the jaws. [/QUOTE]
I have a good friend who bought a Chi for her daughter. Friend is a dog trainer and a good one. Chi has been raised with dogs, as a dog and Chi will still threaten people.
I really think it’s just because he’s small the most of the world towers over him. People are stupid and don’t always look down, so he’s been taught to sit between Daughters feet…and still had his tail stepped on. It was unintentional each time, but still painful. When she picks him up to get him off the ground, people seem to swoop in to pet him. That makes him uncomfortable too. Daughter does what she can to stop people from getting all up in his grill but she’s young, only 13 and many adults don’t take her seriously.
it’s not always just about the dog being a POS, mvp, sometimes it’s learned behavior because of people too.
OP, what is the purpose of your thread?
I think little dogs have a bigger personal space bubble around them; people tend to think since they’re little you can pick them up and stick their faces on them. If people really manhandled even a golden retriever that way there would be more bites too. If the world was that much bigger, if people picked you up and hauled you around and stepped on you and acted threatening (even if they didn’t know it)… I don’t think people understand little dogs very well. I always try to picture my little dog as if she were big and whatever behavior she’s doing I project it on the others and don’t let her get away with anything. She’s a lot more expressive than my big dogs so it’s not hard to figure her out.
I think too little dogs are bred to be companion animals… so they get bonded with their person and maybe that’s where the unfriendly to strangers comes in sometimes, I don’t know. I know this chi has a totally different outlook than my four other dogs. She’s friendly to other people but she’s more devoted to me than I’ve ever experienced. She’s like gum on my shoe, can’t get away! 
My little chi doesn’t have Sh**ty mind, thanks for that. She lives with 30+ other animals all of which are bigger than she is, including the cats! She’s learning and isn’t even a year old, she’s a good sweet pup. Her worse sin right now is not wanting the cats to jump on my lap when she is there. She’s little, how is she going to posture over or exert any control over anything else around here except the guinea pigs? She growls and rushes the cats but she doesn’t bite. Now she’s downgraded it to a rumbly little growl and pinned ears with a wagging tail by way of apology to me. She’s getting there.
[QUOTE=cowboymom;6850539]
I think little dogs have a bigger personal space bubble around them.[/QUOTE]
and I probably would too if I were 6" tall at the shoulder.
That would be similar to me living in a giraffe herd. Might make me pretty uncomfortable to have other giraffe rush up to me.
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