Lap Dogs

I'm a big dog person. I don't have anything against little dogs, but they just aren't what I'm looking for in a canine companion. Little dogs can be tough as nails and they have genuine dog personalities, but I like a more substantial dog. Anything less than 50 pounds is a small dog to me. 50-80 is a medium sized dog. And a dog has to be over 80 for me to consider it "large." That doesn't mean that I don't like a lap dog, however. But being a lap dog has more to do with the dog's personality than its size. Some dogs just love to be close and will try to crawl into a lap at every opportunity.

What I don't understand is people for whom size is a prohibiting factor. I encounter people who say, "Oh, I can't possibly have a big dog like that in the house." That is very puzzling to me. The biggest dog I've ever had is still far smaller than the average adult. If the dog is too big to be in the house, how can their husbands, children, and friends be allowed in there? What is really behind this prejudicial attitude is the idea that large dog = outside dog, and small dog = lap dog; big dog = mean, scary, and small dog = warm and cuddly. None of this makes any sense to me, or to Jeep, the hound sitting in my lap in the picture above, or to Codi, the shepherd climbing into my lap at left, or to Bremo, the 90+ pound rottie mix sprawled on Clay's lap, (below left), or to Kate, snuggled up against me, (below right).



I think my time and foster space is better used for larger dogs, because there are fewer people willing and able to take them in. Fortunately, they are also what I enjoy having around. When I take in a foster, I plan on having them for as long as it takes for them to be adopted.

When it comes to rescue work, small dogs are much easier to place. There is a bigger pool of potential adopters, although that is based on several common misconceptions, such as the idea that a small dog doesn't need much exercise or that a small dog will be better with children.


I once took a hound mix named Truman to meet a nice family with 3 or 4 little kids. They ran all over the basement chasing the dog, screaming that shrill, ear-piercing noise that only little girls can make. The dog didn't only tolerate it, he loved it. But, the parents thought he was too big for the smallest child to walk. Now, the smallest child was incapable of walking any dog, of any size. They ended up buying a small breed dog. It was a terrier breed, not known for tolerance, and the little dog nipped the kid and ended up being dumped. They should have bought a stuffed dog if all they wanted was a toy. Stupid people.