Who says bigger is better? While most Americans seem to prefer the larger breeds—hunting dogs, guard dogs, herding dogs, and working dogs—I’m a cheerleader for companion breeds. And the smaller, the better. Why, I wonder, do they always come in last in the popularity contests? Is it a holdover from our rural history, when Timmy and Lassie were best pals on the farm? Is it tied to our bigger-is-better supersized culture? Is there a stigma equating little dogs with bimbos (e. g. Paris Hilton)? I think the problem is that people just don’t know how great they are. Our family has had two Black Labradors over the last thirty years, and my husband grew up with Collies, Golden Retrievers, and other big breeds. We’ve known the big guys, and we’ve loved them, but the first little guys we brought home were nothing short of a revelation.
The Ten Coolness Factors:
- Bonding: While other breeds have “work” on their minds (running with a sled team, herding sheep, pulling down bulls) the companion breeds have mainly you on their mind. Their DNA is geared toward endearing themselves to you in countless ways: flirting, cuddling, acting cute, following you around, and boring holes in you with those melty, melty puppy-dog eyes.
- Still, They’re ALL Dog: While cute and high-pitched, they still have all the balls-to-the-wall traits of big dogs: chasing after squirrels (or, in our case with our Chihuahua Tulio, houseflies), howling, alerting you to strangers, playing fetch. Cute and courageous—they’ve got the whole package.
- Tote-able: You can carry them around so easily. . . in your arms, in your purse, in a big pocket.
- Small Poop: ’Nuff said.
- Low Maintenance: Most companion breeds require only moderate exercise and because of their small size they are far easier to groom (and there is less hair to shed).
- Better Neighbors: Small dogs are far less intimidating and threatening than other breeds. They never make the “most dangerous dogs” list. They won’t kill your neighbor’s pets, or injure their children, or knock down your friend, and they won’t kill wildlife.
- Celebrity Choice: We know the ladies love them, but celebrity men who have chosen diminutive dogs as best friends include Mickey Rourke, Norman Reedus, Ashton Kutcher (Chihuahuas); Leonardo DiCaprio and Hugh Jackman (French Bulldogs), Sylvester Stallone (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), Keanu Reeves (Pomeranian), and Gerard Butler (Pug).
- Brave-hearts: Little dogs are just as good watch dogs as big ones—in fact, Chihuahuas are in the top ten breeds recommended by experts for this purpose.
- Travel-easy: They are much easier to travel with in the car, at hotels; some can even be “carry-on” on airlines, which restrict cabin carrier size to 19″ long x 13″ wide x 9″ high—plenty of room for most of the tiny ones.
- Earth Friendly: If you put it all together you’ll see that they have the lowest carbon footprint. They eat less, take up less space, and use fewer resources (if you can resist buying them too many cute clothes).
For more on the celebration of animals and gardening, please visit Sandra Knauf’s Greenwoman Magazine website. We also featured her novel Zera and the Green Man in US Represented. It’s an ambitious, ecologically conscious work wherein “a battle between those who would violate Nature in the name of greed and those who would protect it evolves—with Zera Green at its center.”
