- Big dogs
- Little Dogs
- Doesn’t matter
0 voters
Remember Marmaduke? Are big dogs your ideal pet?
Or do you prefer little dogs for pets?
I voted small dogs. 12-16 lbs is what I use to prefer. They’re the right size to pick up and cuddled.
I’m older now and my next dog will be even smaller. Probably 4 to 6 lbs. Less effort to pick up and they can sleep in my lap.
Big dogs have always intimidated me. My dad got a Brittany Spaniel when I was 7. It was very friendly. Unfortunately it would jump on me and knock me down. I wasn’t strong enough to take it for walks.
I grew up with Dobermans. I find big dogs tend to be calmer and perhaps smarter than the tiny yip-monster types I tend to call “rodent in a dog suit”. I have met some relatively mellow and bright small dogs and some rather hyper large dogs, but those were unusual in my experience.
Why not medium?
25 to 45 lbs is a great size.
Gotta be able to hug 'em and snuggle up nearly full body next to them. My dog is 75-80 lbs. That’s about perfect for me. I’d be happy with a larger dog, too. I think my minimum is about 50 lbs.
Small dogs=small poops
Right? This poll is like “if you can’t have a dog of ideal size, which do you settle for?” for no reason that I can tell. Unless aceplace57 also plays The Sims, where all dogs are small or large.
Both our dogs are between 55 and 60 lbs. right now. We’ve had two small dogs, a Jack Russell and a miniature Poodle, but both were very old and spent only their last year with us. They had personalities, they lived life with us, but not on the up close and personal basis like big dogs with their big fat feet and big wet noses and big slobbering tongues that you can’t escape so easily by just standing up. I just love the big dogs more, we can wrestle, we can box, we can engage in all sorts of horseplay that little dogs can’t do. Big dogs are more trouble, cost more, cause more damage, shed more, but I still love them and I’ll take a big dog over a little one if I have a choice.
I tried to make it easy with small and large.
Dogs have such a wide range of sizes. Some smaller looking dogs, like bulldogs, can weigh over 50 lbs.
I always have to laugh seeing a big dog and little dog standing together.
https://www.holidogtimes.com/fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/02/big-dogs-age-faster-1.jpg
I and my Wife are 61 years old now. After having to carry an 80lb Lab upstairs to bed for a few years, after she passed, we went with ‘medium’ Border Collie mixes. Still 60 lbs. but more manageable. They sure have a hell of a lot of energy though.
Another vote for medium. Not crazy about either extreme. Yeah 25 to 45, with slight preference to the smaller side of that scale.
Then again previous dogs before my current one were greyhounds. - pretty big and they were fine.
Agree.
I prefer dogs should be at least medium (which to me means at least say Beagle or bigger). I like dogs big enough to engage in robust play, keep up on a fast walk, and be an active companion.
If I want something small and cuddly I’ll get a cat.
That’s pretty big for a border collie. Our cattle dog/border collie mix is currently 50 pounds (down from 60 because he was way overweight). The goal is 45.
ACK says 30 - 55 pounds.
I do love the giant breeds but they just aren’t feasible for me at my current stage of life. I’m dealing with old dog Bear, who’s 75-80 lbs and tall being elderly and needing assistance and it’s challenging for me to help him get around. The other two are 55-65 lbs and more compact, much easier to deal with. Now if I had my literal pick of all the litters I would likely have a Cane Corso, a Tibetan Mastiff and several Maremmas to take care of the livestock I would also have but failing achieving The Dream I’m okay with my heelers. They’re medium dogs that have all the swagger of big dogs, it’s a good compromise.
For borders. Mixes though?depends what the mix is with and the draw of the cards.
True. I missed the “mix” part of your post. My mom had a border/irish wolfhound mix. He’d put his head on the dining room table, and my dad would push toast in…
I had a border collie/Jack Russell mix (confirmed by the rescue, they knew exactly what his breeding was since he was rescued from a neighbor) and he ran about 50 lbs for most of his life until he got skinny with the cancer and all. I was surprised he got as big as he did–I got him at about six months old. Probably just very muscular, he was a very active dog, would run a marathon while I did a few miles walking.
I lead my life by this principle: The correct number of dogs is two; the correct size of dogs is medium.
I prefer big dogs for all the reasons already stated. A smallish dog would be okay, preferably if it has a more-or-less big-dog personality.
I grew up with a geriatric Airedale and a dachshund. The dachshund definitely had a big-dog personality.
I’ll go with big. The little dogs are headache-inducing yappers.