I own a Chihuahua named Hannah Banana and I can assure you that little dogs need obedience training just as much as bigger dogs.So very often I have witnessed many dog owners pick up their SMALL DOGS and carry them around everywhere , I believe this is wrong , you should let the little dogs walk on their feet as Little dogs need exercise & proper socialization to different environments just like all sizes of dogs.The practice of carrying your little dog around in your arms means that this can result in a dog that doesn’t want to walk on a leash because he would be prefer to be picked up rather than walk;k on his feet while on a leash.Now there’s nothing wrong with picking up your little dog from time to time and you might even have to pick up the little rascal if the snow is too deep for him to walk in. Your goal should be for your little dog to be walking on the leash as often as possible.I can’t tell you how many times I have seen dog owners pick up their little dogs when they bark or growl at other dogs or strangers. Picking up a little dog when they bark or growl at dogs or people is not an effective solution for barking or growling.In our group obedience classes we teach proper effective humane solutions for when SMALL DOGS bark at dogs or people. It’s important to remember that little dogs need to learn proper manners and essential obedience commands just as much as larger dogs do.So many people that own little dogs think that their dog doesn’t need training , SMALL DOGS need to be trained to come when called on the first command as this will save their life and prevent them from being hit by a car.In our all – breed dog obedience classes the SMALL DOG enrolment has always been quite SMALL , the vast majority of dogs that attend our classes are medium to large size dogs.Many moons ago I put on a 10 week dog obedience course for SMALL DOGS , I learned that this was not ideal because in the real world SMALL DOGS are going to encounter medium to large size dogs on the street & at the veterinarians office and dog groomers and they need to know how to behave properly around dogs of the same SIZE and DOGS that are bigger than them.The way we are doing things these days at our dog academy is truly the best way , all breed dog obedience classes consisting of different size dogs and different breeds of dogs.SMALL DOGS need to learn to stand stay for nail trimming and brushing & bathing just as much as the medium to large size dogs need to know this.EVERYTHING we teach in our 10 week novice dog obedience course is useful and practical for SMALL DOGS. I’ve only mentioned a few things in this article that SMALL DOGS can learn by attending our obedience classes , it’s important to remember that your dog is not to SMALL to learn all of the curriculum that we have in our group obedience course at Dave McMahon’s Dog Training Academy. ~ Dave McMahon Web Site : www.davemcmahon.ca