Even though golden retrievers are easily among the most popular breeds of dogs out there, there is an ever-increasing demand and appeal for smaller, more “cute” dogs. And it is perfectly understandable, since when it comes to small dogs you can carry them and hold them for long periods of time in your arms. They also consume a lot less food than their bigger brothers and sisters, as well as requiring far less space to live and enjoy themselves.
However, with all these little benefits come a series of drawbacks and the need to implement many different additional measures in order to preserve their safety and well-being. In fact one of the biggest mistakes a new proud owner of a small dog can make, is to treat his or her small dog as if they were just another regular-sized canine.
Here are some of the most important things to consider when bringing a small dog into your life:
Watch your step: This might sound silly at first, but it is in fact one of the most important aspects that you will need to change as fast as possible from the moment you adopt a small dog. Stepping or falling on a small dog can bring a lot more serious consequences than when you do it to a medium to big sized dog. Small dogs can be anywhere in the house, be it the closet, under the table, right on the stairs or in the garage, where many big (and potentially dangerous) objects reside. This entails an even higher risk if you happen to have small children in your house as well, which leads me to the second point.
Avoid children: As harsh as it may sound, if you happen to live with small children, it is better to consider some other kind of dog. This is because children tend to play a lot, which leads them to fall down continuously during the day, which is a potential danger for your dog. Also children might see the dog more as a toy than as a living, breathing being and might treat him in inappropriate and harmful ways. And we are not even considering that the dog might bite them.
Watch their food: Another important factor to consider when dealing with small dogs is their diet. Believe it or not, small dogs will eat everything you place on their plates with voracious appetite. Especially in their younger years, when they have no control over their appetite, small dogs will eat until almost literally they explode. This can cause them many digestion problems as well as affect their health in many other ways. In order to prevent this, you should control your small dog’s eating portions from day one, making those portions appropriate to their body size.
Last but not least, you should allow your small dog to live indoors and in no way force them to live outside of the house. Because as hard as it might be to admit, small dogs are far more fragile than bigger ones, and even seemingly harmless things can pose a threat to them. From wild animals like owls or snakes to very cold weather, all these things can be fatal to a small dog depending on the circumstances in which they face them.
