PetSmart Veterinary Department MAJOR RIP OFF Vestal , New York

First of all, you made NO reference whatsoever in your ORIGINAL POST that this animal was ever abused, all you stated was "I explained to the receptionist that my dog is the ONLY dog in my house. He NEVER goes to a kennel or a dog park or has any exposure to ANY other animals EVER (not even when I take him to his normal vet."  "He has dog aggression."  And THAT was it.  His companion passing away from renal failure has NOTHING to do with the matter at hand.  Exposing him to foreign dogs?  Knock, knock, is anyone at home?  IF that was the thinking of legions of dog owners all over, no one would EVER be seen walking their dogs in public, no one would ever be seen with their dogs at a public park full of green grass for them to romp and play, no one would ever be seen with their dogs at a dog park, the list is endless.  Millions of dog owners don't know where other dogs have been either, but as long as their dogs are vaccinated, it's a MOOT point. And, since by your own admission you KNEW he was abused, you did NOTHING to nip it in the bud. Instead, you reinforced his fear by babying and carrying him and making him a replacement for the human child you do NOT have.  It WILL come as a shock to you but there IS such a thing as behavioral medicine and you needed to address this when he was two years old, but you did NOT and each day you just reinforced his undesirable behavior until you turned him in a fearful, clingy, needy and neurotic animal.   I feel sorry for you but I feel sorrier for the public who's exposed to you and that aggressive animal.  YOU are a textbook case for irresponsible dog ownership.  Yes, toy/small dogs ARE purse accessories and the descriptive is well earned in seeing them in our own practice being carried around in these faux Louis Vuitton and Juicy purses, which is downright dangerous if that dog escapes.  If that were to happen, the onus would be on THAT dog owner for doing something so incredibly moronic and idiotic.  YOU ARE aware that they're also referred to as ankle biters, are you not AND for a very good reason?  NEWSFLASH: humans rank much higher on the evolutionary ladder than a 3 pound dog.  Moreover, I would NEVER recommend a toy/small dog to anyone.  The public needs to be educated that many have testy, temperamental natures and others have aggression brought on by people like you who humanize their canines.  "Everyone has the right to life and be loved, regardless. Nobody is perfect."  THAT comment is YOU clearly humanizing a dog.  They are NOT human and do NOT have human cognition.  I need not join any club, you are the one who needs to because you represent what we teach new owners NOT to become.  Crawl out of that ivory tower and deal with reality.  Yes, he absolutely IS a dead dog walking and I do NOT need to examine him to know his time on earth is nearing to an end.  There are plenty of geriatric dogs who run up and down stairs on their good days, but that doesn't alter the fact that his organs are gradually shutting down and CHF is a symptomatic of THAT.  He's 16 years old and it will NOT get better and keeping him alive and refusing to put his interests first instead of your own is well beyond cruel.   NO amount of money, coddling, protecting him from the "BIG BAD DOGS OUT THERE" and vet care will NOT cure OLD age.  By your own admission you have NO disposal income yet for some eschewed reason you want to keep this animal alive.  If this cough prevailed when he was two years old, I would look at it much differently than at his age of 16 years.  He has end of life issues and any vet who leads you to believe otherwise is just appeasing you and telling you what you want to hear.  It's childish and unrealistic to think this animal will get any better but it's an act of love and compassion to release him from his suffering.

You actually didn't think at his age that he needed to see a DVM for a cough?  A cough is symptomatic of a serious problem like CHF in an animal as old as this.  And we tell people like you what's what ALL the time which is why we are DVMs and YOU are NOT.  Trying to play doctor will only fall on deaf ears and make you look that much more foolish.  We deal with owners like you all the time.  If you had waited till after 9:00 a.m. you would have been able to see your own vet instead of electing to go to Petsmart and then complaining when they HAD to do what they needed to do BECAUSE they had NO history on the animal.  Banfield, which is the veterinary hospital within Petsmart, IS expensive and there is a lot of overhead, but if you weren't so obstinate and insistent on going so early, presumably to take him before going to work, you would have saved THEM and yourself the trouble.  All you had to do was call work and let them know what you were doing but instead you chose the easier way out and then demonized Petsmart and the veterinary staff because things didn't go YOUR way.  Your dog waiting a few hours or even another day would not have made a damn bit of difference.  VETERINARY HEALTHCARE DOES EQUAL MONEY.  We do not work for free and have operational expenses which must be met.  If you would not work for free what makes you think a medical professional would?  It's offensive, insulting and highly presumptuous to think we should tailor our fees and schedules to meet the demands of those like yourself who, in reality, cannot afford to have a pet, especially one this old whose medical needs will increase the longer he's kept alive.  YOU are the one who needs to keep her mouth shut. Cultivate some self-respect and then perhaps you'll learn to show respect to others who have the knowledge and know how to offer a dead dog walking a temporary reprieve from misery.  The way you tell it, you made it sound like the Petsmart debacle was personal but it was nothing more than your insecurities rising to the surface.  I've read enougn about this senior dog's symptoms and after an examination and assessment to verify CHF, the only other thing I would do is humanely euthanize him.  He's 16 years old with the beginnings of CHF, as if that even merits further explanation.  No one is being rude and presumptuous to you, it's called candor and telling it like it is and if you do NOT know the difference then allow me to suggest you like discernment.  I will NOT feed into this emotional drama over a dying dog.  Yes, he IS DYING and you need to come to terms with that sooner than not.

And to the mother who is enabling her daughter over this dying animal, I do NOT think a dog is "just a dog" and would NEVER tolerate such a statement from anyone, but society DOES refer to toy/small breeds as purse accessories and find it strange that you would be offended at this statement.  It's not as if you gave birth to this dog, but all of the statements in your missive point to you and your daughter living vicariously through this animal which is more of a concern from a therapeutic point of view.  I have four Black Labs and I treat my dogs as dogs, I do not baby them and they respect me as their pack leader.  They are NOT aggressive towards any other animals and are happy and well adjusted Labradors.  I show them LOVE through leadership and rewarding their good behavior and that's what needed to be done with this animal.

"His only dog aggression comes when he thinks one of us is in danger - because he loves us."

No, it's not because he loves you and your daughter, it's because he's claimed ownership of both of you and anyone who goes near his "property" is subject to his aggression and protective behavior, which is absent in a well-balanced dog.

It's ignorant, irresponsible and foolish to allow toy/small dogs to develop Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he's pack leader to all humans. This can AND WILL cause a varying degree of behavioral issues and where MANY owners go wrong. The goal with all dogs is to achieve a pack leader status. It's a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack. When humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. ALL humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. Toy/small dog owners who allow their dogs to believe they're higher up in the order and who do not provide daily mental and physical stimulation will experience a whole different temperament other than the sweet dog with whom they claim they share their life. The dog will develop shy sharpness, which is a combination of fear and dominance that can cause viciousness. Chihuahuas and terriers exemplify this undesirable behavior. Submissive urination, firstly, which is caused by over excitement and a lack of daily mental and physical exercise, and secondly, where they are wound up and their minds are not given the chance to calm down on a daily basis. Aggressive guarding of PEOPLE (the OWNER most of all and this is where others encounter aggressive behavior in toy/small dogs being HELD in the arms of their owners), objects, places, dominant and obsessive barking, hyperactivity, circling, roaming, among other negative and undesirable behaviors. I will NEVER recommend a toy/small dog to anyone, unless they want to take on a lifelong problem of a clingy, needy and neurotic canine whose problems will be multiplied by irresponsible and weak owners.

Making A$$sumptions and casting aspersions about the policies at Petsmart and Banfield because they're not in alignment with your needs and calling advice and guidance from your own DVM about very relevant "end of life" issues is RUDE, OFFENSIVE, INSULTING and UNWARRANTED.

First of all, you made NO reference whatsoever in your ORIGINAL POST that this animal was ever abused, all you stated was "I explained to the receptionist that my dog is the ONLY dog in my house. He NEVER goes to a kennel or a dog park or has any exposure to ANY other animals EVER (not even when I take him to his normal vet."  "He has dog aggression."  And THAT was it.  His companion passing away from renal failure has NOTHING to do with the matter at hand.  Exposing him to foreign dogs?  Knock, knock, is anyone at home?  IF that was the thinking of legions of dog owners all over, no one would EVER be seen walking their dogs in public, no one would ever be seen with their dogs at a public park full of green grass for them to romp and play, no one would ever be seen with their dogs at a dog park, the list is endless.  Millions of dog owners don't know where other dogs have been either, but as long as their dogs are vaccinated, it's a MOOT point. And, since by your own admission you KNEW he was abused, you did NOTHING to nip it in the bud. Instead, you reinforced his fear by babying and carrying him and making him a replacement for the human child you do NOT have.  It WILL come as a shock to you but there IS such a thing as behavioral medicine and you needed to address this when he was two years old, but you did NOT and each day you just reinforced his undesirable behavior until you turned him in a fearful, clingy, needy and neurotic animal.   I feel sorry for you but I feel sorrier for the public who's exposed to you and that aggressive animal.  YOU are a textbook case for irresponsible dog ownership.  Yes, toy/small dogs ARE purse accessories and the descriptive is well earned in seeing them in our own practice being carried around in these faux Louis Vuitton and Juicy purses, which is downright dangerous if that dog escapes.  If that were to happen, the onus would be on THAT dog owner for doing something so incredibly moronic and idiotic.  YOU ARE aware that they're also referred to as ankle biters, are you not AND for a very good reason?  NEWSFLASH: humans rank much higher on the evolutionary ladder than a 3 pound dog.  Moreover, I would NEVER recommend a toy/small dog to anyone.  The public needs to be educated that many have testy, temperamental natures and others have aggression brought on by people like you who humanize their canines.  "Everyone has the right to life and be loved, regardless. Nobody is perfect."  THAT comment is YOU clearly humanizing a dog.  They are NOT human and do NOT have human cognition.  I need not join any club, you are the one who needs to because you represent what we teach new owners NOT to become.  Crawl out of that ivory tower and deal with reality.  Yes, he absolutely IS a dead dog walking and I do NOT need to examine him to know his time on earth is nearing to an end.  There are plenty of geriatric dogs who run up and down stairs on their good days, but that doesn't alter the fact that his organs are gradually shutting down and CHF is a symptomatic of THAT.  He's 16 years old and it will NOT get better and keeping him alive and refusing to put his interests first instead of your own is well beyond cruel.   NO amount of money, coddling, protecting him from the "BIG BAD DOGS OUT THERE" and vet care will NOT cure OLD age.  By your own admission you have NO disposal income yet for some eschewed reason you want to keep this animal alive.  If this cough prevailed when he was two years old, I would look at it much differently than at his age of 16 years.  He has end of life issues and any vet who leads you to believe otherwise is just appeasing you and telling you what you want to hear.  It's childish and unrealistic to think this animal will get any better but it's an act of love and compassion to release him from his suffering.

You actually didn't think at his age that he needed to see a DVM for a cough?  A cough is symptomatic of a serious problem like CHF in an animal as old as this.  And we tell people like you what's what ALL the time which is why we are DVMs and YOU are NOT.  Trying to play doctor will only fall on deaf ears and make you look that much more foolish.  We deal with owners like you all the time.  If you had waited till after 9:00 a.m. you would have been able to see your own vet instead of electing to go to Petsmart and then complaining when they HAD to do what they needed to do BECAUSE they had NO history on the animal.  Banfield, which is the veterinary hospital within Petsmart, IS expensive and there is a lot of overhead, but if you weren't so obstinate and insistent on going so early, presumably to take him before going to work, you would have saved THEM and yourself the trouble.  All you had to do was call work and let them know what you were doing but instead you chose the easier way out and then demonized Petsmart and the veterinary staff because things didn't go YOUR way.  Your dog waiting a few hours or even another day would not have made a damn bit of difference.  VETERINARY HEALTHCARE DOES EQUAL MONEY.  We do not work for free and have operational expenses which must be met.  If you would not work for free what makes you think a medical professional would?  It's offensive, insulting and highly presumptuous to think we should tailor our fees and schedules to meet the demands of those like yourself who, in reality, cannot afford to have a pet, especially one this old whose medical needs will increase the longer he's kept alive.  YOU are the one who needs to keep her mouth shut. Cultivate some self-respect and then perhaps you'll learn to show respect to others who have the knowledge and know how to offer a dead dog walking a temporary reprieve from misery.  The way you tell it, you made it sound like the Petsmart debacle was personal but it was nothing more than your insecurities rising to the surface.  I've read enougn about this senior dog's symptoms and after an examination and assessment to verify CHF, the only other thing I would do is humanely euthanize him.  He's 16 years old with the beginnings of CHF, as if that even merits further explanation.  No one is being rude and presumptuous to you, it's called candor and telling it like it is and if you do NOT know the difference then allow me to suggest you like discernment.  I will NOT feed into this emotional drama over a dying dog.  Yes, he IS DYING and you need to come to terms with that sooner than not.

And to the mother who is enabling her daughter over this dying animal, I do NOT think a dog is "just a dog" and would NEVER tolerate such a statement from anyone, but society DOES refer to toy/small breeds as purse accessories and find it strange that you would be offended at this statement.  It's not as if you gave birth to this dog, but all of the statements in your missive point to you and your daughter living vicariously through this animal which is more of a concern from a therapeutic point of view.  I have four Black Labs and I treat my dogs as dogs, I do not baby them and they respect me as their pack leader.  They are NOT aggressive towards any other animals and are happy and well adjusted Labradors.  I show them LOVE through leadership and rewarding their good behavior and that's what needed to be done with this animal.

"His only dog aggression comes when he thinks one of us is in danger - because he loves us."

No, it's not because he loves you and your daughter, it's because he's claimed ownership of both of you and anyone who goes near his "property" is subject to his aggression and protective behavior, which is absent in a well-balanced dog.

It's ignorant, irresponsible and foolish to allow toy/small dogs to develop Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he's pack leader to all humans. This can AND WILL cause a varying degree of behavioral issues and where MANY owners go wrong. The goal with all dogs is to achieve a pack leader status. It's a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack. When humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. ALL humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. Toy/small dog owners who allow their dogs to believe they're higher up in the order and who do not provide daily mental and physical stimulation will experience a whole different temperament other than the sweet dog with whom they claim they share their life. The dog will develop shy sharpness, which is a combination of fear and dominance that can cause viciousness. Chihuahuas and terriers exemplify this undesirable behavior. Submissive urination, firstly, which is caused by over excitement and a lack of daily mental and physical exercise, and secondly, where they are wound up and their minds are not given the chance to calm down on a daily basis. Aggressive guarding of PEOPLE (the OWNER most of all and this is where others encounter aggressive behavior in toy/small dogs being HELD in the arms of their owners), objects, places, dominant and obsessive barking, hyperactivity, circling, roaming, among other negative and undesirable behaviors. I will NEVER recommend a toy/small dog to anyone, unless they want to take on a lifelong problem of a clingy, needy and neurotic canine whose problems will be multiplied by irresponsible and weak owners.

Making A$$sumptions and casting aspersions about the policies at Petsmart and Banfield because they're not in alignment with your needs and calling advice and guidance from your own DVM about very relevant "end of life" issues is RUDE, OFFENSIVE, INSULTING and UNWARRANTED.

I was not aware that I needed a DVM to NOTICE A COUGH. And yes. I WOULD tell a doctor what's what. Doctors are human too. They make mistakes. It is perfectly acceptable to question a doctor's assessment.
- You went to vet wanting them to prescribe a specific medication, that is totally different than "noticing" a cough.

Also, LOVE DOES NOT EQUAL MONEY. Yes, healthcare can be expensive. But $500-700 is blasphemous and insulting.
- If you look $125 of that was because you were a new client and went before hours.  If your vet did the same visit, chest x-ray, and blood work that they wanted to do all for $45, I am shocked that he saw you because he would have a line 1/2 mile long of people wanting his services.  Perhaps you should ask him how much he would have charged you.  Again the point of this is that you went to a vet that had zero idea of your pet's history, and sounds like they wanted to get information to diagnose your pet.

Dear BlackLabs -

First, at no point did I say that my dog's aggression is from lack of socialization. He had a companion who passed away from renal failure. I don't expose him to FOREIGN dogs. I don't know where they've been or what they have. Second, his aggression is from being ABUSED, not coddled. I know this may come as a shock to you, but individuals who are rescued from being kicked into walls probably DON'T want to go back to that lifestyle. Third, I feel sorry for you. You honestly think small/toy breeds are just purse accessories? Everyone has the right to life and be loved, regardless. Nobody is perfect.  If you feel that strongly about small/toy breeds, go join a canine eugenics support club. Fourth - "dead dog walking"?? When have you examined my dog? When did you have the chance to watch him run up and down the stairs, or run to his leash asking to go for a walk? The reason I have chosen NOT to euthanize him just yet is that there is enough of his personality still there. Everyone has an expiration date. It would be childish and immature to turn my back on a BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER who is experiencing a health issue.

Dear Robert -

I was not aware that I needed a DVM to NOTICE A COUGH. And yes. I WOULD tell a doctor what's what. Doctors are human too. They make mistakes. It is perfectly acceptable to question a doctor's assessment. If my mother had not have questioned my doctor when I was diagnosed with a UTI, I would not be here. That MORON failed to recognize that my kidneys were infected.

I attempted to take my dog to PetSmart because MY NORMAL VET WAS CLOSED. It has nothing to do with not wanting to hear that my dog will die. I already know  that. Everyone will die. I did not want to make my dog wait for his normal vet when PetSmart was open. Also, LOVE DOES NOT EQUAL MONEY. Yes, healthcare can be expensive. But $500-700 is blasphemous and insulting.

Now, if either one of you would like to comment on my dog, I strongly urge you to either examine my dog or keep your mouth shut. You are incredulously RUDE and PRESUMPTUOUS in your unfounded opinions of me and my dog. 

Speaking as the mother who took the dog to the Vet - anyone who thinks a dog is "just a dog" or is a "purse accessory" should never have a dog nor be a Vet.  If you are a good dog owner, they become a family member.  While my daughter did know what was wrong with the dog (and I agreed) - he was taken to a Vet and the diagnosis was confirmed.  I spoke at length with him about putting the dog down and he agreed it was not time to do that yet.  If the dog were suffering, he would be put down - as we had to put down his companion.  His only dog aggression comes when he thinks one of us is in danger - because he loves us.

Once again, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ASK. Otherwise, making generalized ASSumptions from a distance is rude and unnecessary.

BlackLabs..I think we actually may agree but in different ways.  My point was that it looks like the OP was trying to act as her own Vet and just wanted someone to give her what she wanted..no questions asked.  Remember she is the one who said that they treated her like an "idiot", and because she thought she knew as much as the vet she took offense to that.  This is also very likely why they did not go her original vet in the first place because she knew what was coming. 

While the cost may or may not be excessive, it does not sound like what they wanted to do is out of line. Keeping in mind that she had never been there before and this is the first time they would have seen her dog.  After the exam who knows what they would have suggested..perhaps they would have said NO to the prescription as well.

Robert, I appreciate and respect what you're saying, but this IS an end of life issue and instead of keeping a 16 year old dog alive for her own selfish reasons, she needs to make the decision to humanely put him to sleep and move on.   At his advanced age, a dry cough IS indicative of CHF and it will NOT get better.  For her to keep him alive is prolonging his agony and extraordinarily cruel.  She CLEARLY pointing fingers at everyone except herself and I noticed she had the audacity to call "advice" and "guidance" a "lecture."  I would give her the exact same advice.  This is a dead dog walking and veterinary expenses for him will only increase because of his advanced age.  What's also a major red flag to me is the admission that she has NEVER exposed him to any other animals which explains his aggression yet amazingly enough, that doesn't faze her.  She also calls him her "baby."  He's not a baby or a child, he's a dog and needs to be treated as such otherwise there will always be role reversal, i.e., she is the submissive puppy and he is the alpha (and his aggression is proof that he's the alpha and she's the submissive puppy)  He is NOT a human child to be coddled and she represents a textbook case of owners who treat toy/small dogs like human children and this is why toy/small breeds have so many behavioral issues, because of poor and weak owners like her. She has NOT given him what he needs, which is leadership.  She's much better off with a couple of cats.  Moreover, I'd like to know WHY she brought him to Banfield at Petsmart when they have NO history on this animal.  Was it because her own vet is 30+ miles away?  If she loves this dog as much as she purports, she should needed to bring him to his regular vet from the beginning.  It makes no sense whatsoever yet she becomes defensive and claims they're insulting her intelligence.  The issue is on her end, not Petsmart's.  And she does NOT know her dog.  If she did, she would realize that he is a DYING dog and do the RIGHT thing.  Insulting everyone in her path because they're NOT doing and telling her what she wants is childish, immature and just plain rude.

Robert, I appreciate and respect what you're saying, but this IS an end of life issue and instead of keeping a 16 year old dog alive for her own selfish reasons, she needs to make the decision to humanely put him to sleep and move on.   At his advanced age, a dry cough IS indicative of CHF and it will NOT get better.  For her to keep him alive is prolonging his agony and extraordinarily cruel.  She CLEARLY pointing fingers at everyone except herself and I noticed she had the audacity to call "advice" and "guidance" a "lecture."  I would give her the exact same advice.  This is a dead dog walking and veterinary expenses for him will only increase because of his advanced age.  What's also a major red flag to me is the admission that she has NEVER exposed him to any other animals which explains his aggression yet amazingly enough, that doesn't faze her.  She also calls him her "baby."  He's not a baby or a child, he's a dog and needs to be treated as such otherwise there will always be role reversal, i.e., she is the submissive puppy and he is the alpha (and his aggression is proof that he's the alpha and she's the submissive puppy)  He is NOT a human child to be coddled and she represents a textbook case of owners who treat toy/small dogs like human children and this is why toy/small breeds have so many behavioral issues, because of poor and weak owners like her. She has NOT given him what he needs, which is leadership.  She's much better off with a couple of cats.  Moreover, I'd like to know WHY she brought him to Banfield at Petsmart when they have NO history on this animal.  Was it because her own vet is 30+ miles away?  If she loves this dog as much as she purports, she should needed to bring him to his regular vet from the beginning.  It makes no sense whatsoever yet she becomes defensive and claims they're insulting her intelligence.  The issue is on her end, not Petsmart's.  And she does NOT know her dog.  If she did, she would realize that he is a DYING dog and do the RIGHT thing.  Insulting everyone in her path because they're NOT doing and telling her what she wants is childish, immature and just plain rude.

First off I do understand how you feel about your dog, as you have had him for 14 years.  However, you seem to be a bit unrealistic in your complaint against PetSmart. 
 

I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to confirm what I already know.
- So where is your degree in Veterinary Medicine from?  What dosage do you think is the correct dosage?

Let's take a related example.  Say you take your kids to a new pediatrician instead of their regular one and you think you are 100% correct in your diagnosis of what they are suffering from.  So the pediatrician takes your word for it, prescribes what you wanted, and because of that they become sicker and possibly die.  That would be tragic right, and I would hope that you would never do that to your kids.  So why would you treat your dog(that you have had for 14 years) any differently?

The fact is that for what ever reason you didn't go to your regular vet first.  Instead you went to a Vet you had never seen before, showed up 2.5 Hours before they opened without a scheduled appointment.  Perhaps if they had his history they would not have needed either test, they may have charged you the same $45.  By the way you never mentioned how much the medicine cost you from your vet.  How much of a supply was it for?  How long was the PetSmart prescription for?

Speaking as a DVM myself, you can't be serious.  You have an aggressive, 16 year old toy breed mix and you're getting defensive?  First of all, YOU never properly socialized that animal and you treated it, in your words, like a baby which is THE reason this animal is aggressive, aside from being a chihuahua, who are one of THE worst breeds of dog to own.  He's 16 years old with serious medical issues and it's time to say goodbye and move on and put it into the proper perspective.  CHF will NOT get better and I have to question your frame of mind and wanting to keep a dead dog walking alive.  Dogs are NOT human and giving this "animal" anything it wants and allowing it to do whatever it wants and rewarding it's bad behavior is WHY it's aggressive. Although I elected to post the following to inform you everything you're doing is WRONG and a DIRECT result why you have an aggressive ankle biters, people like you will never get it and even when this dog is PTS, you will make the SAME mistake time and time again.  I've seen it too many times in private practice. Moreover, large dogs are more laid back, easygoing and intelligent.  I would NEVER recommend a toy/small breed to anyone.  These purse accessories are NOT lap ornaments, they're NOT arm candy and they're NOT human children. And if you do NOT have the money to spend on age related medical issues in a 16 year old dog, it's time to put the dog to sleep and relieve his suffering.  Would you want to be kept alive and living in misery and agony if this were you?

"The owner must first recognize that a dog is a dog.  Because a dog weighs under ten pounds does not change the fundamental fact that  it is still a dog. Consequently, just like you would not allow a 150 pound Rottweiler to jump up on you, one should not allow a small breed dog to jump and paw humans. To take the point further, if a 150 pound Rottweiler were to lunge and bark uncontrollably at every animal and human that they encountered on a walk, it is likely the owner would be reported to law enforcement. Yet it is a frequent sight in every neighborhood to encounter small breed dogs that lunge and bark like little demons until their owners scoop them up into their arms like naughty children. This strategy may keep the small dog from biting, but it is a short sighted strategy that actually worsens the problem.Just like any other canine, small breed dogs need training, discipline and exercise. The dog must be taught to walk at a heel, sit, down and stay on command. Yet the major problem owners have is to recognize that all dogs need to work to earn food, praise and treats. It has been my experience that small breed dogs are often lavished with affection, food and treats for no other reason except that they are small and cute. Dogs do not understand this.They interpret this cascade of affection without reason as submissive puppy-like behavior from their owners. In turn, they attempt to take care of and protect their puppy/owners which can lead to aggression, separation anxiety and a host of neurotic behaviors. This is truly an instance where the phrase "killing with kindness" rings true.

It is the responsible dog owner's duty to respect that their dogs are indeed a different species with different needs. Truly loving your dog entails a responsibility to cast aside your misconceptions. Your dog is not a little four legged human and does not want to be human. Your dog, no matter how small or cute, wants to be a dog.

1. If your dog sleeps in the bed with you, stop it. Now.

2. Teach your dog to walk at proper heel. Do not carry your dog. His paws are for walking.

3. Nothing in life is free. Have your dog work for food, rewards and especially affection.

4. Do not tolerate bad dog behavior because your dog is small. Consistently enforce all your commands.Finally, always remember that if you treat your dog like a human, they will treat you like a dog.