Keep size in mind when dealing with small dog

It’s not just Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears with their Chihuahuas.

Nowadays, everyone seems to have what my late father, Bob, used to refer to as a “knee high to a grasshopper” dog that seems attached to their hip.

The subject of minimutts is all too familiar to the Becker family, as our third child is an 18-month-old, 13-pound papillon-Yorkie-poodle cross, or porkie-poo, named Quixote. Seems little dogs aren’t just for celebs and grannies, as legions of macho men love, carry and cuddle their diminutive doggies just as much.

“It only makes sense that small dogs are enjoying so many fans,” says my friend Deborah Wood, one of America’s most popular pet writers. “Little dogs fit into our lifestyles so well. They fit well into city life. They enjoy traveling with busy boomer retirees. They have all the intelligence and instincts of dogs 10 times their size. They just come in a handier package.”

Wood’s newest book is “Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion” (TFH Publications). Here are a few of the issues she takes on in this readable, useful book:

• The Armpit piranha: You know the dog that perches in the crook of his doting owner’s arm, showing a full array of tiny teeth when anyone dares come near his person? That’s the armpit piranha.

“Small dogs like small territories, and that territory might be your lap,” explains Wood. She says to put the dog on the floor and ignore him when he growls, and let people give him a treat when he’s good.

“These little guys are smart. Your dog will quickly decide it’s more fun being a friendly dog than a piranha.”

• Housebreaking: “It’s not your imagination; it really is harder to housebreak the toy-sized breeds,” says Wood. There are lots of reasons for this, including the fact that a tiny dog that goes clear over to the corner of the room feels like he’s traveled farther than a golden retriever going to the corner of your property.

Their systems also take longer to mature. Wood gives step-by-step pointers for overcoming the problem and believes that every dog can learn to be housebroken, with patience, consistency and a positive approach.

• Teaching “lie-down” to a Dachshund: The beauty of this book is that it really does look at the world through the eyes of someone who loves and has worked with little dogs.

For example, most training books tell you to hold a dog treat on the floor to help teach your dog to lie down on command.

“A miniature dachshund’s nose is already at ground level! He’ll eat the treat, wag his tail, and never even think of lying down,” says Wood.

She gives techniques for teaching dogs to lie down by putting them on chairs, so even ground-level dogs can understand what you want.

• Little dogs with a Napoleon complex: “People say to me all the time, ‘My little dog thinks he’s a big dog,’ ” says Wood. “The reality is that the little dog that’s snarling at the other dogs is usually scared to death because he knows he’s small. He behaves that way because he thinks that being aggressive makes him safer.” She says teaching a dog to look to you for leadership will make it less afraid.

• Having fun: Above all, Wood reminds us that little dogs are dogs. They like to learn new things and use their clever minds.

She gives a great primer on how to get started in dog sports and in animal-assisted therapy. And she tells a story about Pogo the papillon on a therapy visit that I promise will bring a tear to your eye.

I would caution readers to watch little dogs very closely around bigger dogs. Veterinary clinics will attest that often when a small dog will dart in the presence of a bigger dog(s), the bigger dog visualizes a rabbit instead of a dog, the predatory drive kicks in, and you end up with a mauling.

“If you’re wary,” Woods says, “it’s best to carry” your small dog until the danger disappears.

Wood says: “The best things really do come in small packages. But they’re not diamonds or even the keys to a sports car. The best small packages are wrapped in fur and contain a heart that’s as big as an ocean.” Now, if only Paris and Brittany would read this book. …