“There he is, legendary cowboy, Roy Rogers, astride his faithful Palomino, Trigger, his capable and beautiful German Shepherd, Bullet, at his side...” The owning of a large, powerful dog conjures a certain image in the minds of most people. Rugged, sturdy, strong. A tough guy, capable of achieving his goals. Resourceful, brave, manly. These are all words that seem to go along with the image of Roy and his big dog, Bullet.
But, what if Roy owned another type of dog? A very different kind of dog? Consider this: “There he is, legendary cowboy, Roy Rogers, astride his faithful Palomino, Trigger. His beautiful and capable Toy Poodle, Bullet, sitting proudly in his arms...” Okay, that does give us a different image of Roy, doesn’t it?
But why?
Why do we think manly-type men don’t own little dogs? Because, believe me, they do.
My friend Glen is about 6'5". Ex-NFL, and retired FBI. Running into Glen in a narrow hallway is like running into a brick wall. This guy is big, solid, tough, and no-nonsense. He is also a Yorkie owner. His two dogs, combined, might weigh all of nine pounds. If they just ate. Glen likes little dogs. He likes all dogs, but he chooses to own little dogs. And, believe me, no one, not his ex-NFL teammates, nor his current NFL playing son-in-law, think anything of it. Why then, do the rest of us?
My experience with guys owning small dogs is that they are comfortable with who they are. They don’t have anything to prove. They don’t need their dogs to make them feel safe. On the other hand, I’ve known lots of men owning big, powerful, aggressive dogs to appear insecure. Frequently, I’ve found that the fiercer the dog, the more insecure the owner.
So I think it’s time we acknowledged that real men own little dogs. Poodles, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas. We should treat them accordingly. If a guy wants to go out and buy a Maltese, I say, go for it! You don’t need a Lab, or a Rottweiler to be a real man. Flaunt that Pekenese! Parade that Papilion! And, although it isn’t quite the same playing Frisbee with a Dachshund, it can still be done. It is best to just roll that Frisbee, however, as airborne Dachshunds are only a thing of the imagination.
What it comes down to is that dogs are dogs, regardless of their size. I own several small dogs. I also own several big dogs. Who is tougher? It depends on how you define tough. The bulldogs certainly look tougher, but let me tell you, it’s my poodles and the Pomeranian that keep the bunnies, jack rabbits, and ground squirrels from being over-populated.
It’s time to acknowledge the fact that real men can and do own little dogs. Go ahead. Be a man. Be brave and walk that poodle in the open.
