# Those tiny "purse" dogs. Can they be taught truly useful tasks or skills? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038 "2008-12-29T04:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/1 "2008-12-29T04:43:28Z")
Like those teeny["purse" dogs](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-purse-dog.htm) Paris Hilton and others carry around. Can you teach a dog like that some useful skills? For example could you teach a toy Yorkie to be pointer in bird hunting or to find and fetch a specific object on command? ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/2 "2008-12-29T04:59:22Z")
Hey Fifi go get me a beer. Sure they can be trained, many small breeds were bread to hunt varmits. I’m sure that Paris doesn’t want any rats in her purse. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/3 "2008-12-29T05:06:00Z")
The **vast** majority of house pets are completely useless. With the exception of a very small minority of hunting dogs, they’re all useless in practice, regardless of size. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/4 "2008-12-29T05:07:05Z")
Service dogs can be trained to recognize the onset of an epileptic seizure or diabetic episode and alert their masters, often before the person is aware. As for toy dogs being trained for this, I don’t know. They’re great for mopping up spills. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/5 "2008-12-29T05:08:32Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Service dogs can be trained to recognize the onset of an epileptic seizure or diabetic episode and alert their masters, often before the person is aware. Someone once told me that this isn’t something that can be trained, either a dog can or cannot do it. I wonder how they find out… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/6 "2008-12-29T05:12:08Z")
> [@](#): > > They’re great for mopping up spills. So is my American Bull but he does it with his tounge. No work on my part. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/7 "2008-12-29T05:44:47Z")
Many terriers were origionally bred to control rat populations in agricultural storage. Small size is an advantage in persuing the rodents into tight spots. I have also seen a small dog used to sniff for drugs at an airport…maybe not quite purse small, but still a lap sized poodle. Nearly any dog is good at alerting owners to noises that don’t belong in thier territory. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/8 "2008-12-29T05:48:11Z")
I once saw a deaf couple in the store with their chihuahua service dog. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/9 "2008-12-29T06:02:12Z")
It would be good if you could teach them to rollover and be dead. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/10 "2008-12-29T06:05:48Z")
I once read that this really small dog breed I forgot which royalty would attach like jewls and stuff to when their castle was getting raided to prevent them from being siezed and the dogs would be trained to take off and hide them and since they are so hard to catch…I dont know if i beleive it but ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/11 "2008-12-29T06:18:20Z")
My county has the [world’s smallest drug sniffing police dog](http://www.sheriff.geauga.oh.us/staff/midge.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/12 "2008-12-29T06:48:45Z")
My parents used to have three Maltese. Mostly, the dogs were good for companionship. I don’t know if they could be used as mousers, but I doubt that the smaller two dogs could have been used as ratters, as the dogs weighed about 3 pounds each. Two of the dogs were quite smart and learned tricks quickly. However, a dog that is 3 to 9 pounds will not be able to do many useful tasks. Heck, the three pounder would have had to make two trips to fetch a pair of slippers. My parents’ Maltese all had great personalities, and enjoyed being around people even more than the average dog. Maltese have been bred for companions for centuries, and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/13 "2008-12-29T09:01:33Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Like those teeny["purse" dogs](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-purse-dog.htm) Paris Hilton and others carry around. Can you teach a dog like that some useful skills? For example could you teach a toy Yorkie to be pointer in bird hunting or to find and fetch a specific object on command? you could teach it to jump into a crock pot in an emergency situation where you need food. they would make a good snack. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/14 "2008-12-29T10:14:22Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > …the dogs weighed about 3 pounds each 3 pound maltese? What was wrong with it, or was it just a puppy? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/15 "2008-12-29T10:25:13Z")
My old flatmates always used to talk about this (they were veterinary students). Apparently, a lot of these purse dogs have some sort of disease where they have very little in the way of a brain, rather their skull is filled with fluid. As a result, they cannot even be house trained properly (they named a specific breed that was especially susceptible to this, but now I cannot remember it). ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/16 "2008-12-29T10:39:39Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > My old flatmates always used to talk about this (they were veterinary students). Apparently, a lot of these purse dogs have some sort of disease where they have very little in the way of a brain, rather their skull is filled with fluid. As a result, they cannot even be house trained properly (they named a specific breed that was especially susceptible to this, but now I cannot remember it). “Pomeranian.” A friend who we let stay with us when she was having some family troubles insisted on getting one. The little rat decided the toilet was wherever it felt like going. I was not amused. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/17 "2008-12-29T14:44:16Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > My county has the [world’s smallest drug sniffing police dog](http://www.sheriff.geauga.oh.us/staff/midge.asp). Also the world’s cutest. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/18 "2008-12-29T14:50:13Z")
Along the lines of ChrisBooth’s and Kevbo’s anecdotes: I have heard from more than one home-security-expert type that little yappy dogs, when properly trained, make the ideal “watchdogs” (as opposed to “guard dog” or “attack dog”). The idea is that they can get under furniture or behind things and continue sounding the alarm, whereas a larger dog is an easier immediate target for a potentially firearm-wielding intruder. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/19 "2008-12-29T14:51:43Z")
They can tremble and piss. They’re good at that. They can also serve as a football or softball in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038/20 "2008-12-29T14:55:51Z")
You can’t take 'em bowling. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-tiny-purse-dogs-can-they-be-taught-truly-useful-tasks-or-skills/479038.md?page=2)