Do Small dogs have a Napoleon complex?

Narrated from: Dog Training

The Napoleon complex is often attributed to small men who get overaggressive because of their height. It is named after the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself, who is often portrayed in modern culture as being short.

As it turns out, small dogs often suffer from the Napoleon complex as well – the so-called “Small dog syndrome”. The results can be catastrophic – veterinarians even have an acronym BDLDLDL just for such cases. BDLDLDL means: Big Dog, Little Dog, Little Dog Lost. Apparently it’s not a good idea to leave your Chihuahua to attack a Doberman.

Small dog syndrome is not a disease – it’s a behavioral problem. Quite often the owners are to blame – that’s you, buddy!

The most important task for any dog owner is to train the pet responsibly – this means that the dog must know its place in the pack. However, many people make the mistake of treating small dogs differently to big ones – and this gives mixed messages to the dog!

When you train a small dog, you must correct any behavior that would need to be corrected in a big dog. For instance, you may find it cute when the little guy jumps on you any time he sees you – but with dogs this is a dominance issue. If a large dog constantly jumped on you, you would need to correct this behavior – otherwise the dog would believe it has dominance over YOU. However, this behavioral problem often goes unnoticed with small dogs.

Another worrying symptom is aggressiveness. If your Doberman growls at strangers, you will likely try to socialize him – unless you enjoy having petrified guests. However, a small dog attacking grown-ups is likely to pass below the radar.

Another thing to consider is leash training. A large dog can be a pain in the ass if it likes to pull the leash. However, small dog owners often ignore leash training, since even if the dog is willful, it has no chance to drag the owner along.

All in all, this consideration must be shown in every aspect of the dog’s training. A small dog with a Napoleon complex might not be a problem at home. Even if you have another, larger dog, the larger guy will probably submit to the little one if he is properly socialized. However, this will only encourage the small dog’s imperial ambitions. And this can prove disastrous if you fail to watch your dog in the great outdoors!

So, be responsible, and train your dog!

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