# Do you have a preference for small or large dogs?šŸ• **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2022, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641 "2022-04-29T02:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/81 "2022-04-30T17:18:47Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Somebody needs to explain this to Shoga and Koshā€“in spite of her raising him, Kosh bosses Shoga around constantly Heh, there are _always_ exceptions. šŸ˜† ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/82 "2022-04-30T17:41:00Z")
Lucky me, I got the exceptional ones! Well, better than getting the special ones, I guess. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/83 "2022-04-30T18:10:01Z")
Weā€™ve had miniture poodle-bischon mixes for 30 years, after the first one was just fantastic. Best dog ever. All the rest have been great, too. Around 10-15 lbs, sweet, laid back, donā€™t shed. Basically the best of cats (portable, can sit on your lap, small poops, donā€™t need long walks) and dogs (comes when called, openly adores you, no litter box, trainable). And they donā€™t shed! This little guy isnā€™t going to defend mefrom a burglar, but he will let me know if someoneā€™s out there. Besides that, not yappy. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/84 "2022-04-30T21:55:06Z")
I had an online friend who had a bichon she took hiking with her, and she said people would tease her about her ā€œfoofyā€ dog. But that dog could outlast a lot of the other dogs she saw on the trail. Even some small dogs were bred for specific work, so thereā€™s no reason they are any less ā€œpracticalā€ than big breeds. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/85 "2022-04-30T22:43:06Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > This little guy isnā€™t going to defend mefrom a burglar I donā€™t think I ever had a dog of any size who would do that. Some that sounded scary but anyone who actually came in would get love me jumps at worst. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/86 "2022-04-30T22:49:45Z")
Iā€™ve been spoiled because Bear is 100% a defender dog who is only somewhat friendly with peopleā€“takes him a while to warm up to new people, especially men. Even when he does know and like someone he can be very touchy about who comes through the gate and heā€™s given the warning nip to a couple overly optimistic friends who didnā€™t warn me they needed an escort through the gate. Bearā€™s first warning nip is on the upper thigh, and if someone persists he basically aims for the junk. I have to tell him itā€™s okay to let people in, then they can come and go for the day without a challenge. He also has a very loud, deep bark, a very scary growl and is large, muscular and very hard to see in the dark. I wouldnā€™t want to be the burglar who surprised Bear by coming into the house unannounced. Neither of the other two has a protective bone in their body, living alone will be a lot scarier when Bear leaves me. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/87 "2022-04-30T22:57:50Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Yeah, broad brush, but I feel uncomfortable around German Shepherds. Iā€™ve met so many nasty, neurotic ones. Next door neighbor is notorious for being a shit Shepard owner. Absentee lazy sets no boundaries. His last two died of degenerative diseases. 6 months later Just heard heā€™s coming home with a new puppy. Poor rottie gonna grow up aimless and angry. I have cats. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/88 "2022-05-01T01:29:45Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Iā€™ve been spoiled because Bear is 100% a defender dog who is only somewhat friendly with peopleā€“takes him a while to warm up to new people, especially men. Even when he does know and like someone he can be very touchy about who comes through the gate and heā€™s given the warning nip to a couple overly optimistic friends who didnā€™t warn me they needed an escort through the gate. ā€¦ Good heavens - I love most dogs more than I love most people, and have had at least 1 dog the 40 years of my adult life. I wouldnā€™t own a dog like that, and wouldnā€™t visit anyone who did. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/89 "2022-05-01T01:46:25Z")
If you had as many meth addict homeless people living near you as I do you might have a different view. Bear is very good, he stands and barks and only escalates if the person insists on coming through the gate without his permission. His nips donā€™t break the skin, theyā€™re the kind of nip an adult dog gives a rambunctious puppy. He is just very firm about defending his place and his person. Outside the yard heā€™s just fine, aside from some leash aggression with other dogs. I donā€™t like the odds of someone trying to hurt me in Bearā€™s presence though, heā€™s quite protective of me. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/90 "2022-05-01T03:22:40Z")
Those English mastiffs my husbandā€™s step mother had? She trained them to growl if she sucked in air, as you might when surprised. They were protective without being werenā€™t aggressive, though. When i visited, three of them stood shoulder to shoulder in the doorway, physically blocking my entrance. They didnā€™t growl or threaten me, they just stood there, 400 pounds of dog between me and indoors. My husband (then boyfriend) had to pull them aside to let me in. And once i was indoors, they wanted to be lap dogs. šŸ˜€ Such great dogs. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/91 "2022-05-01T11:54:56Z")
Thread readers may be interested in this article. [https://www.science.org/content/article/your-dog-s-breed-doesn-t-determine-its-personality-study-suggests](https://www.science.org/content/article/your-dog-s-breed-doesn-t-determine-its-personality-study-suggests) > [@](#): > > Less than one-quarter of the differences in personality from dog to dog could be explained by genetics. Some behaviors, like retrieving objects and human sociability, were more heritable. The researchers speculate that retrieving may have helped dogsā€™ wolf ancestors hunt, and that humans likely selected for friendly pooches in the early days of dog domestication. > > But most behaviors did not have a strong genetic component, including playfulness around other dogs and (yes, it was in the survey) whether a dog circles before it defecates. ā€œThat probably has a lot more to do with where you take your dog to poop,ā€ says Elinor Karlsson, director of vertebrate genomics at the Broad Institute, who oversaw the study. > > And when it came to dog breeds, personality varied widely within the same pedigree. Labradors could be loving or standoffish. German shepherds, easy to trainā€”or impossibly headstrong. [Just 9%, on average, of the personality differences between pups were related to their breed](http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697), the team reports today in Science. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/92 "2022-05-01T13:08:41Z")
Interesting. Somewhat contrary to my impressions - which I will re-consider. I imagine that once I get an idea as to a characteristic of a breed, selective memory kicks in, where I only notice and remember individuals who confirm my opinion. Iā€™ll have to look for the Ridgeback or Chow that ISNā€™T an assholeā€¦ But I wonder what their methods were for defining the ā€œbreeds.ā€ For example - golden retrievers are my favorite breed. But different breeders select basically 3 different attributes. One goes for the lovable family dog, another for more energetic hunters, and a third emphasizes looks above all else. Maybe there is a 4th group, which doesnā€™t pay as much attention, whose pups are more of a crapshoot. So, even if I were getting another golden, Iā€™d be very interested in the philosophy and intentions of the breeder. Almost as much - if not more - important than the breed IMO, is the socialization from a very young age. Which makes me leery of adult rescues. Not saying A LOT of rescue dogs arenā€™t wonderful. But Iā€™ve also known a lot of dogs (rescue or not) who were fucked up by irresponsible owners at a young age. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/93 "2022-05-01T13:30:42Z")
Details of methods can be read clicking that begin ā€œjust 9%ā€. Breed by DNA which has a very good concordance with breed by owner report for purebreds. Yes many of us will be at least somewhat surprised by this study. I think our sense of breed personality may be impacted by confirmation bias. Some traits are more heritable though. Retrieving. Biddablity. But ā€œ[f]or less heritable, less breed-differentiated traits, like agonistic threshold (factor 5), which measures how easily a dog is provoked by frightening, uncomfortable, or annoying stimuli, breed is almost uninformative.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/94 "2022-05-01T13:40:15Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Which makes me leery of adult rescues. Not saying A LOT of rescue dogs arenā€™t wonderful. But Iā€™ve also known a lot of dogs (rescue or not) who were fucked up by irresponsible owners at a young age. My sister has had a string of rescue German shepherd dogs. They are all somewhat fucked up when she gets them, but theyā€™ve all settled down after a few months of consistency. One, who was owned by a breeder, and spent most of her life confined to a crate (the owner hosed it down to clean it, rather than letting her out to pee and poop) was ā€œthe best dog everā€, according to both me sister and her vet. The dog did have some anxiety ā€“ the weekend i dog-sat in my house, she barely ate, even though i microwaved her favorite food with broth ā€“ but she was incredibly sweet, very loving, meticulously obedient, gentle, and really a wonderful pet. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/95 "2022-05-01T14:36:19Z")
My preference is anywhere between beagle size and lab size. Iā€™ll make friends with any dog who is willing, though. We just adopted a new dog, which I will post about it the appropriate forum directly. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/96 "2022-05-01T14:40:00Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Iā€™ll have to look for the Ridgeback or Chow that ISNā€™T an assholeā€¦ I had a neighbor who had the sweetest Ridgebacks. Great dogs. Sorry, Iā€™ve only known asshole Chows. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/97 "2022-05-01T16:31:39Z")
Small dog, small brain, generally. Breeding does enter into the equation. Our Shih Tzu is considerably less smart than was our Maltoodle. Small poops are why I voted for small dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/98 "2022-05-02T09:15:44Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Small dog, small brain, generally. Not really. The Shetland Sheepdog, Miniature Poodle, and Papillon, are some of the brightest, most trainable of all breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/99 "2022-05-02T09:41:05Z")
The problem with this study is that almost certainly they used AKC conformation show breeds, which, as inbred populations, are genetically homogenous, but have been selected almost entirely for appearance. The fact that many of these originally-useful breeds still show some signs of the behaviors they were once famous for is accidental. The general public still believes in the stereotypes of the breeds because 1. these traits are not being selected against, so they tend to persist. 2. these traits are not being tested (because the dogs are pets not workers) so beliefs tend to persist, in the absence of proof either way. 3. most people know about zero about dog behavior and just make shit up. If instead the researchers had used only real working breeds, i.e. breeds selected for performance, such as working-bred gun dogs, racing sled dogs, herding dogs, or police K-9s, none of which use the AKC as a registry, they would have found a lot more homogeneity of personality and proclivity. Because that is what is selected for. A working Border Collie that doesnā€™t want to herd doesnā€™t pass on his genes, any more than does a lackasadaisical Alaskan Husky, or a German Shorthair that wonā€™t hunt. If you instead select for a dog that simply _looks_ like it hunts or herds or protects, that will be exactly what you get. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641/100 "2022-05-02T14:47:40Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > The fact that many of these originally-useful breeds still show some signs of the behaviors they were once famous for is accidental. The general public still believes in the stereotypes of the breeds because First off let me again point to the actual [research article](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697) (and its supplements!) in which details the methods and findings in detail: breeds defined by genetics for both purebred AKC breed definitions (but definition not caring about registry one way or the other), and mixed breed ancestry. The bottom line implication of their findings though is two fold. - With the exception of of moderate impact on a few specific behavioral characteristics most of the breeds do NOT show signs of behaviors they were once famous for. - The general public still believes in the stereotypes because the AKC and places selling genetic testing promote them, and perhaps confirmation bias. To those points: > [@](#): > > The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes each breed with a three-word phrase (e.g., border collies are ā€œaffectionate, smart, energeticā€ and beagles are ā€œfriendly, curious, merryā€) ([_52_](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697#core-R52)) (table S2). Breeds described with particular words are not behaviorally distinct from other breeds; however, ā€œcharmingā€ tends to describe breeds that are less toy directed (factor 3; _p_ FDR = 0.039) (fig. S17). Grouping breeds by their proposed historic working role, as captured by AKC show groups ([_53_](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697#core-R53)), finds that four out of six show groups are peculiar on at least one factor ([Fig. 5A](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697#F5)). Herding breeds are more toy directed, more biddable, more engaged, and more aloof, whereas toy breeds are more independent and less dog social. Sporting breeds are more toy directed, and working breeds are more dog social ([Fig. 5B](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651405697#F5) and fig. S18A). Lots of other points though and the many details are fascinating! Most pertinent to this thread Is this: > [@](#): > > Fig. 4. Breed and age (and not size) have subtle effects on the behavior traits surveyed. Half the dogs tested were mutts and guessed breed missed the largest contributor fairly often. I love figure 5D (has pictures): > [@](#): > > For six dogs that have a similar amount of genetic ancestry detected from American pit bull terrier (~25 to 30%), participants guessed this breed at rates ranging from 1 to 60% That poor ability allowed to test the actual _genetic_ contribution from self fulfilling prophecy based on stereotype expectations. (ā€œThis analysis illustrates the power of including complex mixes in behavioral studies, because any influence of breed stereotypes is mitigated when true breed ancestry is not readily discernible from appearance.ā€) Thatā€™s where the 9% comes from: > [@](#): > > The proportion of variance in factor scores captured by genetic breed ancestry (marginal _R_ 2) averaged 9 Ā± 3% (Ā±SD), suggesting a weak but discernible genetic effect of breed on disposition [A fun interactive dashboard they created!](https://darwinsark.org/muttomics_viz_dashboard/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-preference-for-small-or-large-dogs/963641.md?page=6)