Here is why.
There are quite a few stereotypes out there about small dogs. Some claim them to be stupid, anxious, harder to train and more agressive. In reality there is little difference between them and other dogs, apart from their size, of course. So, why are they losing in this Our-First-Dog Competition?
The thing is, these stereotypes are indeed based on certain experiences. Quite often people are more likely to disregard small dogs rather than big ones. And that stimulates misbehavior.
Big dog’s needs are harder to ignore
The bigger your dog is, the harder it is to ignore its problems. Say, if a hamster starts pooping around the house, one might need a second even to notice that whereas if an elephant does the same - it will be harder to ignore.
If chihuahua Alfred starts barking at the guests, they will probably have a laugh and film him because the fury of such a tiny creature looks cute, really. Meanwhile, the pup could be scared to death because of these strangers in the house. However, his fears may not be taken seriously, he can be easily disregarded or put away in another room.
However, if 50-kilo halfbreed Isabella starts to freak out, the guests may quickly remember they have some urgent things to do on the other side of town/ deadline at work and become overall reluctant to visit this house ever again. The owners are bound to start thinking how to solve this problem because it obviously cannot be ignored since putting Isabella away in another room may end in paying for the new repair and getting new doors.
The same goes for growling. If pug Theodore growls - it’s easy to just poke fun at him, not taking it seriously, or just to put him out of the way. Needless to say, this solution won’t work.
However, if wolfhound Daisy starts growling - the owners are more likely to notice something’s wrong and less likely to go for a physical punishment, since Daisy is more than capable to stand up for herself.
In other words, the very first incident will be enough to attract the owner’s attention and start looking for the reason and the solution.
It’s way harder to see a large dog as a talking toy. Their needs are less likely to go unnoticed. And that’s a good thing since the issues are addressed sooner. For example, chihuahua Alfred may spend his whole life tugging on the leash, cursing (naturally, being scared stiff) each dog, person or car in a radius of 100 km. Whereas wolfhound Daisy’s owners might find it bothersome to go to a trauma surgeon each time after she tugs, pulls and goes full-speed into the sunset.
Big dogs’ owners are more attentive to their canine kiddos from the start and are, therefore, learning to understand what their pups like and what they don’t sooner. And this is exactly what you need for a comfortable life with a dog.