You’d fit right in out here. I can’t tell you how many people seem to take their little dogs in those little covered strollers everywhere. I don’t particularly care, if they would leave them inside the stroller with the cover zipped, altho most of them don’t. I’m surprised we don’t have more kids bitten (maybe we do and no one talks about it) since most of the little dogs seem yappy and snippy with strangers. For the record, I love dogs and I don’t dislike small dogs, I simply don’t understand this new trend in which people think their dogs cannot spend one second alone at home.
Most of these small dogs seem quite stressed out in crowded stores, shaking and barking and cowering away from nosey children who try to approach them.
Your case seems a little different. BTW have you looked into some sort of service dog organization? Surely there is something like that (similar to Therapy Dog orgs)?
I totally agree with you about taking these little dogs to crowded areas. And, I think a dog taken into a restaurant should be “zipped” into his carrier for the comfort of others. And, just like a misbehaving child, if the dog makes any noise, the owner of little Mr. Yappy should be asked to leave by the management.
But, most parents don’t even care to train their children to behave in public these days, so it is probably asking too much to expect them to train their dogs, or get them trained, and then maintain the training.
So many people “infantalize” little dogs, and give them no training. This makes them have “small dog syndrome” ~ and they can be very unstable because of this.
I have owned and trained Belgian Malinois before, and understand that a small dog is just the same as a big dog, and has the same need for manners and training.
Our Havanese is well trained, and meets all the requirements, but because of his “cute” factor, and his size, we would not take him in public without being zipped into a carrier or stroller, which would identify him as a service dog, on duty.
And, because of my husband’s balance issues, we stay out of crowded areas completely. We rarely go out to eat, (so few restaurants have chairs with arms these days) but when we do, we usually leave him at home.