Why do....

[MERCY@GRACE]

*SOME* Men equate small dogs w/ lack of masculinity. I have been asking dh for a small dog now for a while, and he says we have to have a big dog. We haven't had a small dog since our first yr of marriage(9yrs ago, and it was b/c I already had it)

Since then we've had a great dane, lab, and another big dog that was mixed. Is my dh the only one that feels a dog is not a dog unless it's huge????

Oh yeah, he's commented that small dogs aren't "real dogs". He's half playing but part of me thinks he believes that! Yeah yeah not a life threatening issue, juts want to see if I'm alone MUUUAHHHHH!

 

[2Bhumble]

My wife was the one in our family who wanted a bigger dog.

You can tell him small dog = small poopies

By the way, what is dh?

 

[LiberatedChick]

No you're not the only one. My hubby is dying to get a Husky. He has made similar playful comments of "small dogs aren't real dogs" but he's quite happy for us to have two dogs....one small one and one big one.

 

[MERCY@GRACE]

My wife was the one in our family who wanted a bigger dog.

You can tell him small dog = small poopies

By the way, what is dh?

What do you mean what is dh?

 

[snoochface]

I've wondered what dh is ever since I came to these boards - I've never seen it anywhere else!

Anyway, my husband is the exact same way. When we got married, I had a big-ish dog (50 lbs) and then we got another 50 lb dog. I've mentioned a few times that I'd like my next dog to be small, and he says the same thing: that's not a real dog! Or he says small dogs are "cats", heh.

He says the main reason he wants big dogs is because they tend to have louder, deeper barks, and they tend to be more protective than smaller dogs. Since he travels for business occasionally, he wants me to be (or feel maybe?) safer and he thinks only a bigger dog will accomplish that. Never mind the fact that our older dog (who we lost last year) would bark like crazy and then lick the stranger to death, and our current dog whines, whimpers, and runs away at the sight of a stranger!

 

[snoochface]

What do you mean what is dh?

The original post (and lots of others around here) used the abbreviation "dh". What does it stand for?

 

[MERCY@GRACE]

ohhhhhhhhh, I Thot he was asking what my husband was lol!

DH= DEAR HUSBAND

 

[Oblivious]

Oh yeah, he's commented that small dogs aren't "real dogs".

Well, he's definitely right!

J/K - I love BIG dogs. I have a Great Dane and he's a sweetheart of a dog.

 

[InTheFlame]

- deeper voices
- protective capability
('masculine' traits most men value rather highly in themselves)

Or maybe it's just like the cars thing...

 

[Southern Cross]

I always used to think that I wanted a large dog for the protection. If anyone came into my house to do harm to us, I wanted a dog that's going to tear him apart, play with the pieces, then eat him for lunch. Sounds mean, I know. But when i was a kid we had a rash of crimes in our neighborhood one summer, and eventually someone tried to break into our house in the early morning hours... my mutt dog did a number on his arm as the guy tried to get in through a window. A toy dog (aka, cat in disguise) would have simply been squashed.

Eventually, I realized I liked the midsize and big dogs because they really are capable of being your best friend. They're not a helpless little puffball running around the house. Tiny dogs don't stand a chance out in the real world. Big dogs want to run outside and play, while most puff ball dogs would rather follow mom around the house and cuddled once they get past the puppy stage.

I don't own any dogs right now. Everytime I turned around, another cat took up residence in my house. I got along with one stray very, very well. Miss him dearly. But cats and I don't always mix well, so eventually I'd love to add a dog to the mix!

 

[jd032700]

My husband prefers big dogs, and I prefer small ones, but mostly, I think that it's because that's what we grew up with. We've had big dogs so far, but just today I got a terrier mix puppy that I'm very excited about!!!

 

[bliz]

Yeah, I think it's like the car thing...

 

[redwing030]

My husband has the same attitude about big dogs being better protectors. He thinks that a big dog's bark will scare someone away but then the same dog can be a big lap dog. I would love a smaller dog, mainly because I've always been scared of big dogs. I also agree that big dogs = big messes in the house.

I think we may have come to an agreement though. Boston Terriers. I like them because they are small and cute, and he likes them because they look a little tougher than a yorkie!

 

[Living Stone]

*SOME* Men equate small dogs w/ lack of masculinity. I have been asking dh for a small dog now for a while, and he says we have to have a big dog. We haven't had a small dog since our first yr of marriage(9yrs ago, and it was b/c I already had it)

Since then we've had a great dane, lab, and another big dog that was mixed. Is my dh the only one that feels a dog is not a dog unless it's huge????

Oh yeah, he's commented that small dogs aren't "real dogs". He's half playing but part of me thinks he believes that! Yeah yeah not a life threatening issue, juts want to see if I'm alone MUUUAHHHHH!

I love big dogs like Rotts and Mastifs personally.
Little dogs are more like annoying little barking cats that dont use the litterbox.
Except for Beagles, theyre really cool.

I guess I feel like a little dog will break if I play with it.
Just like all those plastic parts they started putting in cars in the 80s

 

[Oblivious]

Yeah, I think it's like the car thing...

LOL - Well, I love big dogs and cars. I'm just too easy to get along with!

 

[Yitzchak]

Maybe there is room for compromise....What about a medium size dog??


I used to breed dogs and for decades they have been intentionally breeding many dogs for smaller sizes. I guess because people like house dogs rather than outside dogs in many situations.

On the subject of why big dogs?? Some people look at a dog as a guard for their property rather than primarially as a pet. I guess for myself I like medium size dogs.

 

[Katydid]

I'm a big dog person. I can't stand little dogs. I have two main reasons.

1. I am alone ALOT, my husband is military and is away all the time, a big dog tends to frighten off people who are up to no good, even if the dog doesn't have a mean bone in it's body.

2. Little dogs can be very protective but because they are small, they really can't do much damage.

If you do get a little dog, then please train it just like you would a bigger dog. I had a friend who had a little annoying dog, who if you came close to her would growl and snap at you. She thought it was cute until I asked her if it would be cute for our Amercan Staff. to do that to her. Of course, she didn't seem to notice the point I was making. The point is, a vicious dog can be any size, the difference is in the time it takes them to do real damage. So please, please, if you get a small dog, train it well.