A small dog named Bob went from shaking and reactive to calm and reliable by getting clear boundaries, consistent routines, and structure instead of being treated like a baby. The owner's choices determine whether the dog lives anxious or at ease.
Chapters
If you're struggling with a small breed dog, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask, am I treating this animal like a dog, or are you treating it like a baby? The result? Bob's behavior completely transformed. We went from a shaking, reactive mess in the pram to a dog that could actually exist in the real world. He could walk on a lead, he could be off the lead reliably, he could see other dogs without losing his mind, he could be left alone in the house without destroying it for the very first time. Bob became a dog. Good on you, Bob. If you're struggling with a small breed dog, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask, am I treating this animal like a dog, or are you treating it like a baby? Give them boundaries, give them fulfillment, and give them structure. If you do that, their reactivity is just going to disappear. If you don't, you're condemning them to a life of anxiety and stress. The choice is yours.