A trainer known for his work with big dogs was asked to try his hand at training a small dog. The small dog was put on a leash and led along, and the trainer pulled a treat out. Perfectly reasonable size for the dogs he was used to dealing with. Right before he threw the treat to the unsuspecting little dog, an observer warned him that the treat was too big and would just end up hitting the little dog in the head.

Just as some people have preferences for dogs over cats, some people have a special place in their heart for either a large dog or a small dog. Both sides have their positives and negatives; here we'll be focusing on the small dog.

Your little shih tzu or lhasa apso, or any of the common small breeds of dogs has many benefits. They can live up to twenty years, often are hypoallergenic, shed less than their larger counterparts, can fit in your lap, and are portable. If you have a misbehaving small dog, you can just pick it up and remove it from 'the scene'! Which brings us to the negatives. Little dogs are often much more difficult to house train, can get into anything to chew up, and are more fragile.

House training your little Sadie does not have to be an impossible battle. The most important thing to remember is consistency and commitment to training. It is an easy trap to fall into to see training of Sadie as not as important as a big dog because it doesn't make 'that' big of a mess, or it isn't 'that' much of a pain, or 'how much trouble can a ten pound animal get into?'. But when the years pile on, you will not regret taking the time to train your little dog when she's still a puppy.

Rules of thumb:

Where to Go

Pick a spot in the yard where you want your little animal to do its business. Consistently take Sadie to the same place when you want her to go. It can be tempting to carry your puppy out, put Sadie in her spot, and then carry her back inside. This will teach your dog that she needs to be carried outside, and she will not know that she is supposed to walk herself there. Put your puppy on leash and walk her to her spot. You will thank yourself later for going through the trouble. Give lots of praise when Sadie 'goes' in her spot and then walk the dog back in. This way your puppy knows the path to her spot. Some trainers advocate using the term, "good outside" others say something else. Whatever you use, be consistent so Sadie associates going to outside with hearing your high-pitched voice signaling approval.

When to Go

If Sadie is under twelve weeks, she physically cannot hold her bladder. This is why it is so important to have a routine down that your puppy can tell you when she needs to go. For your indoor little dog, make sure to have a wee-wee pad available for Sadie to use during the night. When your little friend is all grown up, she will be able to last through the night, but not quite when a little puppy!

Chewing

Your puppy will chew. From as early an age as possible, give her a toy or a bone and let her know that this is what she can chew. Whenever you catch your little mischief-maker chewing on something other than her toy or bone, quickly take away the item and give her the toy or bone. Eventually she will figure it out what she is to chew and what not to chew.

Little dogs have big personalities. Ask anyone who has had the pleasure of having a little dog in their home and they will tell you that their little friend has no concept that they are the size of a watermelon…or smaller. It shouldn't come as a surprise if Sadie is ready to take on the world, and her inability to jump much higher than the couch is the only thing that is slowing her down.