medium sizes are bad?

[Anna]

I read in a breeder's website (who only sells standard sizes)  said that he refuses to breed mini/mediums b/c something bad happens to the dogs and they come out nippy, aggressive and prone to bad behavior.  He didn't go into too much details but I think he is implying that - when you "force" a big dog breed into a smaller breed - you are negatively affecting the dog's behavior.

 

Of course - you can't believe everything you hear - but I'm very curious if anyone else here have heard anything about this?

 

[Martha & Cooper]

Here's my "bad" agressive, Mini Goldendoodle after on Easter Sunday.   Looks like he could just take your head off, doesn't he?

[Lynn D.]

Echo (medium, English Goldendoodle) is totally mild mannered, and as far from nippy as you can get. He's a good dog.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

Some people just say silly things to help promote themselves and make themselves look more intelligent and better than others. silly silly silly

[Cindy Mierzwa]

It is so true...you do find little dogs more nippy.  Not a bad dog a bad owner. My reply as a trainer is because they are so darn cute when they a younge so we tend to let them!  Where as younge pups that are going to be big and therefore are good size puppies...we stop them from biting and nipping when they are younge. I have seen it time and time again bad behavior in small breed because of their early socialization.  We protect them because they are small and let them get away with things...what harm can those little things do? On the other hand I have seen LOTS of  amazing small breeds and some aweful large breeds. It is all in the training and knowing the breed and that breeds traits.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

This sounds right on Cindy!

[Kim]

Here is my medium aggressive girl:

 

(I think that breeder was just trying to justify something that didn't even need justifying)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I think Peri might be a little more barky, but no way about the nippiness!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna (medium GD) is so aggressive and ill mannered that when another dog growls and nips at her she rolls on her back and wags her tail!  It's terrifying, I know.

 

:p

 

On a more serious note, I agree with the others that it's the temperament of the parents and not the size that matters.  The breeder may be getting confused because a lot of people don't train their small dogs because they feel they don't have to because of their size... so a lot of small dogs are nippy/aggressive.  In any case, I would steer clear of a breeder who is that misinformed!

 

Also - to add to the hilarity I found a picture of Luna "attacking" my brother (with licks).

[Jennifer Tramell]

My mom has a standard goldendoodle and a mini goldendoodle.  The mini, Penny, is definitely on the yippy sided. Honestly, if mini poodles are yippier, makes sense that mini goldendoodles might be yippier.  That said, Penny is a great dog - very sweet, gentle and patient with the grandkids (who think she is an oversized stuffed animal) and VERY loyal and affectionate with my parents.  She's just more "opinionated" and "chatty" then her big sister.

My personal opinion is that a little dog may think he/she has to be "yippy" to get attention.  A big dog just walks up and nuzzles your hand, a little dog has to jump "Hey! Hey! I'm down here! Me! Me! Say hi to me!"

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri can be yippy...yippier than Taquito believe it or not!

[Melissa & Porter]

I would add that if a breeder prioritizes size (or hair or color) above temperament in response to the market demand and breeds an anxious and reactive dog, you could get dogs with less-than-ideal temperaments.  But this is a particular scenario and that is why people should research their breeder :-)

 

Did anyone see the NOVA episode about dogs that talked about the experiment in Siberia to domesticate foxes?  Since the 50's, scientists have been selecting the least aggressive pups of each litter to breed, and now they have friendly, calm, human-loving foxes.  Kinda like the 12000 yrs of gray wolf to dog evolution in 60 yrs.

[Adina P]

Yeah that segment of the NOVA show was SO interesting!