Jordan Independent - Little dogs, big problems? - Comments

All urine smells bad. That

Mathias Baden — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:29:28 -0500

All urine smells bad. That is one point that must be made in this discussion.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

On the dog exercise issue, I

Lori Carlson — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:03:42 -0500

On the dog exercise issue, I agree that the size of the house isn't as important as the level of the owner's understanding about the dog's needs. We have a 50-pound, extremely active Husky/Shepherd mix, and though we only have a smallish, one-and-a-half-story house, we take her to the dog park every day.

Brandon, I have to admit, I sometimes see tiny dogs and wonder, "What's the point?"

But what REALLY gets me is when I see people walking around and CARRYING their dogs in their arms or in a stroller (seriously, I saw this just last night in my neighborhood).

Unless those dogs have health conditions limiting their ability to walk, those owners should PUT THE DOG ON THE GROUND AND LET IT GET SOME EXERCISE. Even small dogs need activity!!!

Though I don't have a small dog, I CAN see the difference between having a small dog and having a cat. Actually, there are a lot of differences. They include:

Dogs love affection; cats want it on their own terms.

Dogs (some, anyway) can play fetch.

Dogs have the ability to learn commands.

And - dogs' urine doesn't smell nearly as bad.

For the record I do have a

molly — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:23:01 -0500

For the record I do have a (smaller) Medium sized dog & 2 cats.

When I wrote my original post I was thinking of friends who got a Husky puppy to live in their one-bedroom apartment. The maximum sized dog allowed was 40 lbs. They got a 40 lb puppy. They never once took their dog for a walk to exercise her and were horrified that she tore up the carpeting in the entire apartment and chewed through all their furniture. They acted like it was the dogs fault when they gave her away. Seemed like bad owners to me. If they wanted a dog so much, maybe a smaller, yet older dog would have been a better choice for a small area with no exercise.

First, to Brandon: I thought

Ruth Anne Maddox — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:08:32 -0500

First, to Brandon: I thought you hated dogs?

Second, to Molly: My big dog (80-pound German shepherd) and my little dog (65-pound Doberman/American Staffordshire terrier mix), along with my 8-pound cat, peacefully co-existed in a townhouse for about six months until recently, when the 10-year-old shepherd was euthanized due to paralysis from hip dysplasia and a neurological condition. The shepherd had also lived in a big house with a yard and in a cramped apartment but never was lacking for exercise.

Now, with just the "little dog" and the cat, there's plenty of room for the crazy man to run inside (it's like Stairmaster on speed) and we're just minutes from a huge dog park when it doesn't look like long walks are quite enough.

Plus, I've always said that if a dog isn't as big as my dog's head, then it isn't really a dog.

Finally, to my parents: Sorry, but that teacup poodle you call Shoo-Shoo really doesn't count as a canine. It's not even as big as my cat!

What's the deal with big

molly — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:08:43 -0500

What's the deal with big dogs living in little houses with no place for them to run & exercise? Why not just get a little dog?

Little dogs, big problems?

Brandon — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:59:00 -0500

What’s the deal with little dogs? Why not just get a cat?