Small dogs and larger dogs living together

[JacksonsMom]

Really, with Jackson, it just depends on the big dog, but it's really a matter of just getting used to each other. We've never lived with a big dog but we've dogsat for long periods of time with a bigger dog and Jackson.

With a Lab I used to watch, I couldn't have the two off leash together in the house. The Lab was obnoxious and would literally just pummel him to the ground. He wasn't being 'mean', he just had ZERO manners. They were fine on walks on leash together.

Jackson will not tolerate that kind of behavior, so he fights back, and typically dogs will learn not to do that to him anymore afterward. But so long as the big dog is respectful of him, it's always been fine. We watched a Rottie and they got along well. Also, my grandma's Lab and him got along great. My uncle's GSD took a bit more time. She has a tendency to run up to him and pounce lol. But after the initial intro, they are totally fine, and especially once she matured a bit.

Really, he got along the best with the Rottie and I think it's because the Rott was only 10 weeks old when they first met, so he learned early on how to play with a smaller dog.

 

[Whitewave]

Jack is my smallest at 19lbs, but he rules.

I have had Italian Greyhounds, Dachshunds, Min Pins, Chihuahuas, Yorkies, etc. all with big dogs and for the most part it was ok.

I honestly though would never have a super tiny fragile dog with very large dogs ever again though.

I was watching my Mothers 3lb Chihuahua and all my dogs loved her, but she was blind and I was in a hurry ran home, put them all outside grabbed Ginny put her on the ground to go potty and I was standing 10 ft away maybe trying to hurry every up so I could put them back up. She was blind and ran into Casper who was pissy b/c he found a piece of a bone, he turned, snapped and that was all it took. He was too big and she was too small. He didn't mean to hurt her and he probably wouldn't have snapped if he had known it was her. It wasn't even a bite, literally just a quick snap and he crushed her. She lived 2 weeks, 1 spent at the vets and 1 at home, but she was 23 yrs old and it ended up just being too much for her. But she didn't deserve for that ever to have happened and I don't think I will ever forgive myself.

 

[AussieAshley]

Radar is 17lbs and Duke (my sisters dog, we live together) is about 28inches tall and 80+ pounds. We adopted Radar when he was around 5 months old and he was fostered with a Great Dane so it was a fairly easy transition for him. That said they LOVE each other and play and wrestle half of the day. I used to be pretty panicked about the little guy getting hurt but he is pretty sturdy and like most little dogs, he seems to run the house and will tell Duke off if he gets too rough. If he has had enough he will go sit under the table or in his crate where the big dog can't pester him. They do a pretty good job of policing their own playtime. Once in a while they get super riled up and I have to stop playtime for a minute. But for the most part it is just the same as having two dogs of the same size.

bitey face by My Soliloquies, on Flickr