Did you know that toy breeds are the only group of dogs bred solely for human companionship? But did you also know that this means that they were developed from working breeds, meaning that many toy breeds have plenty of drive and will enjoy breed fulfillment activities relevant to their ancestral lineage, rather than sitting on a sofa all day doing nothing? This is Coco the Chihuahua mix in a barn searching for rats and having a great time! Coco has successfully hunted, caught and killed rodents before. This is no lap dog!
Coco my Chihuahua mix with 6 labradors, as we prepare to let the shepherd out into the mix. Coco is consistently the smallest dog in every social setting, but she is confident and neutral around this balanced group of big dogs.
P the Pomeranian mix almost getting flattened by a Belgian malinois puppy on a pack walk 😂 Naturally, she flinches as the large dog rushes past, but her body language quickly returns back to happy and relaxed as she checks in with me, sees I have acted like nothing happened and she recovers almost instantly. This is a toy breed growing in confidence around large off leash dogs - this is how we want toy breeds to feel around big dogs and be tolerant of pressure. P has a history of reactivity and fighting with other dogs, but instead of keeping her hidden from other dogs we are exposing her to a balanced pack so she continues to make progress.
Livestock Breaking
Livestock breaking for dogs with high prey drive and animal reactivity! If you have a dog that you go hiking with, you will definitely encounter sheep, cows and horses on your walks. If like me, you adopted a rescue dog with 0 socialisation or desensitization to ANY other animals AND with a massive prey drive and reactivity issues then being around other animals can easily RUIN your walk. Screaming, shrieking, lunging and barking at other animals was my situation with P here. It has taken 6 months of training on this issue to now where we can have calm and peaceful walks with the sheep. I love all animals so being able to spend time around other animals was something I felt like I'd never be to do with P - But we got there! We spent the weekend at a farm too and she was extremely well behaved around the safely enclosed roosters (who are larger than her and weren't scared of her one bit so didnt trigger her prey drive) which was another huge achievement. If you are dealing with a dog with livestock reactivity dont hesitate to get in touch and I can help you through this issue.
**I never let her off lead around ANY loose animals of any kind this is PURELY LEAD TRAINING ONLY. Dogs with this level of prey drive and reactivity I would never let off lead around other animals it is NOT SAFE for your dog or the other animals regardless of your on lead success. All dogs should be restrained around livestock at all times as is requested by signage of the land owners.**
