View Full Version : Big Dog or Small Dog?
Pit Bull Committed
02-28-2014, 05:10 AM
Seems like in today's game people prefer medium to smaller size dogs (30lbs - 45lbs) over bigger dogs (50lbs +). What's the pros and cons of having a small dog or a big dog? Would it be harder to find a match for a small dog or a big dog nowadays?
CrazyRed
02-28-2014, 05:51 AM
Well I thought 29-42 males were pretty average, I thought 43-48 medium size and anything over 49 was big lol. Shoot I thought 26-38 gyps were pretty average. Personally we have majority now between 26-42 males & females, smallest gyp we have is a 23lb gyp. It is no harder to find anything for a small dog as it is for a big dog. Some folks will have small ones and some will have big ones and a few will have both. Pros of having a small dog, with today's times is that all the nosey folks not minding their business, when they see little 30lb spike flipping and choppin at the bit to get to something. They just smile and say awww look at that little rambunctious pup, but when you bring 50lb Buddy out, they calling the cops saying you have a dangerous dog and are breeding dogs to fight.
This also lead to something that we were doing, subconsciously at first but we also breed dogs that are typically uniform. Same color, so without noticing folks who aren't keen to the breed besides channel 5 news, think all the dogs are the same.
Pit Bull Committed
02-28-2014, 11:03 AM
Well I thought 29-42 males were pretty average, I thought 43-48 medium size and anything over 49 was big lol. Shoot I thought 26-38 gyps were pretty average. Personally we have majority now between 26-42 males & females, smallest gyp we have is a 23lb gyp. It is no harder to find anything for a small dog as it is for a big dog. Some folks will have small ones and some will have big ones and a few will have both. Pros of having a small dog, with today's times is that all the nosey folks not minding their business, when they see little 30lb spike flipping and choppin at the bit to get to something. They just smile and say awww look at that little rambunctious pup, but when you bring 50lb Buddy out, they calling the cops saying you have a dangerous dog and are breeding dogs to fight.
This also lead to something that we were doing, subconsciously at first but we also breed dogs that are typically uniform. Same color, so without noticing folks who aren't keen to the breed besides channel 5 news, think all the dogs are the same.
I agree with you. A smaller dog isn't as intimidating as a big dog. I guess some of the pros for having a smaller size dog is that it's easier to handle in the box, less food to feed and take up less space. I personally just like a bigger dog because of the look and power.
CrazyRed
02-28-2014, 12:34 PM
I dont know about easier to handle, those little strong quick bastards can move and are powerful might be a little more tricky to handle but def more fun. I agree with the less feed.
FrostyPaws
02-28-2014, 05:10 PM
The feeding thing can be misleading. I feed all my dogs raw, and some of my bigger dogs get less than the smaller ones simply due to their metabolism. So, because a dog is bigger doesn't necessarily mean it will have to eat more.
I'll settle for a good one, i dont care anything about size at all. And because of the blood i run i'll end up with both.
Pit Bull Committed
03-02-2014, 10:31 AM
The feeding thing can be misleading. I feed all my dogs raw, and some of my bigger dogs get less than the smaller ones simply due to their metabolism. So, because a dog is bigger doesn't necessarily mean it will have to eat more.
I agree with you here FrostyPaws! ;)
I liked the smaller dogs because they put on one hell of a show. Lot's of action and usually the dog pulling was not going to last a long time. Those big dogs mostly just push and shove half the night. Not all but most can get right boring to watch.
I have had some of the Paladin dogs and some of the Beal dogs. Lot of them came large. When I started with those last Dogs I had. The Eli crosses came extra large. Some of those first breeding's that V.J. used were big dogs. After some proper selection over time. You can get them back down to a more manageable size that I preferred.
A good one is a good one no matter the size. Sometimes you have to play the cards you are dealt with. Cheers
Another thought on this matter is that it can be much easier to over work the smaller weight dogs. Were the bigger dogs can take more work and better handle a slat mil or swinging jenny. Generally speaking the little dogs do not need as much work as the larger dogs. Just IMHO, the smaller dogs show over all more gaminess than the bigger catch weight dogs due to a lot more severe dog show pulling going on. Cheers
I like them up 48 lbs, not bigger. Hard to find these weights here.
It does seem that the little dogs put on a more exciting show. They seem to be quicker and move at a faster pace. I have always disagreed with the approach the little dogs are easier to handle. I have found that quite the opposite is true. A 30lb well conditioned dog is as hard to handle as anything out there. They can damn near fold themselves in half and go the other way to get where they want to go. For me, the bigger the dog the easier the handle. Granted it is easier to pick up a 30lb'er compared to a 50lb'er but factor in the wiggling and twisting and the big dog is much easier for me.
Agree with Frosty on the feed. I have a little male outside that eats way more than the dog next to him that outweighs him by 15lbs. I don't think size factors in as an absolute when feeding.
At the end of the day I will take a good one. EWO
Eliman
03-04-2014, 05:44 PM
It does seem that the little dogs put on a more exciting show. They seem to be quicker and move at a faster pace. I have always disagreed with the approach the little dogs are easier to handle. I have found that quite the opposite is true. A 30lb well conditioned dog is as hard to handle as anything out there. They can damn near fold themselves in half and go the other way to get where they want to go. For me, the bigger the dog the easier the handle. Granted it is easier to pick up a 30lb'er compared to a 50lb'er but factor in the wiggling and twisting and the big dog is much easier for me.
Agree with Frosty on the feed. I have a little male outside that eats way more than the dog next to him that outweighs him by 15lbs. I don't think size factors in as an absolute when feeding.
At the end of the day I will take a good one. EWO
Agree with the small 30lbers being harder to hold onto.
I had a 31lb. Bolio/Eli male that was an absolute nightmare to hold onto when he got geeked up. He had contorting skills, matrix type movements and had the most powerful wiggle on the planet. If he was not geeked or anticipating he was difficult to get off the chain but not impossible. If he got geeked up I had to put a collar and lead on him and then take the collar and chain off. I could not use the same collar in the exchange.
I think some of the perception is that it easier to scoop up a small dog than a big dog because one weighs less. Like lots of times, things are not always as they appear. EWO
Eliman
03-04-2014, 06:19 PM
Funny how you describe it i couldn't have worded it better i feed small 30lbs up to mid 50lbs i have a much easier time with the larger ones.
Ditto Eliman, those bigger dogs had more to grab onto. Those little suckers could squirm like a rabbit and faster than one. LOL
My little Young's Black Betty bitch had a perfect build and only weighed around 25 pounds on the chain.
I farmed out Young's Winchester and Young's Betty to a young Texas dog man named Spivey. That was helping V. Jackson to get set back up in Texas. Spivey was a likeable up coming young dog man. Before he could move the dogs back over on his property. What they call in Texas a flash flood, over ran V.J.'s back property were there were deep Canals and a big pond. Over flowed and drowned these two dogs and many others that were temporarily chained close to the pond.
That was a real bummer for me. Sometimes even when we try to help others in the game. Murphy's law can intervene and screw the best intentions up. I really liked the smaller dogs. Cheers
Pit Bull Committed
03-06-2014, 07:44 AM
I've handle a little 33 lbs gyp that was a screamer and I agree with you guys...she wasn't easy to handle at all. I've not handle a big dog yet...just assuming if I were to handle a 50 lbs + dog that is as crazy as that little gyp was...I don't think I can keep it together :) But after hearing everyone's experiences of the big dog seems like they are much easier to handle.
Eliman
03-06-2014, 11:54 AM
Like the two gentlemen said those small ones can bend and squirm with little to hold onto i throw the small ones on my hip and hold them like a bag of kibble i seam to have more control of them that way.
Officially Retired
03-07-2014, 09:41 AM
Small dogs are better athletes ... small dogs require less food ... and small dogs are better in just about every way IMO.
It's like boxing; check out the punches-per-round statistics of smaller fighters (middleweight on down) and the heavier weights are a joke by comparison.
Also, consider overall athleticism: how many 220lb human gymnasts do you see? Not many.
Yeah, the big guys are stronger, yeah they can be athletic too and play football, etc., but NO WAY are they as athletic as a gymnast or circus acrobat :idea:
Well, it's the same with big dogs vs. little dogs ...
Yeah, big dogs are stronger overall (not pound-for-pound), and yeah some of the bigger dogs are athletic too "for their weight" ... BUT!
There is no way in hell that they can pull off some of the fast, slick athletic moves of the smaller dogs ... OR fight at the same pace ... it's just not going to happen.
For the same reason it doesn't happen in human fighters.
There is a certain "body-to-world" reality that, if you get passed a certain size, you just can't do "certain things" anymore.
And no 220 lb man is going to be a gymnast ... and no 55 lb dog is going to have the moves of a 36lber either.
That's just the facts of life ...
Jack
CLIMATE
03-21-2014, 05:01 AM
Agree with the small 30lbers being harder to hold onto.
A larger person handling a small dog is harder than a small person handling a small dog.
Small range is still preference all night.
Officially Retired
03-22-2014, 07:44 PM
The feeding thing can be misleading. I feed all my dogs raw, and some of my bigger dogs get less than the smaller ones simply due to their metabolism. So, because a dog is bigger doesn't necessarily mean it will have to eat more.
True. I had a 31 lb bitch named Squirrel who ran the chain all day / all night and had to feed her more than a 55 lb dog. She was just a calorie-burning machine who ultimately had to be fed twice daily to keep weight on.
Some big dogs, by contrast, may sit around all day and have slow metabolisms and require very little feed.
Ultimately, a person has to have the sense to USE THEIR EYES and determine how much food each unique dog on his yard needs as an individual. Feed charts are just "general guidelines." A person may have to add more, or cut back, based on what his eyes tell him.