The Small Lucerne Hound is a variation of the Small Swiss Hound with a white coat dotted in grey or black patches. It is a borderline medium dog, weighing anything between 9 to 15 kg (18-33 lb), making a significant part of the dogs of this breed qualify as small dogs. They are scenthounds dogs used for sniffing out prey during a hunt originally from Switzerland. Being hunting dogs, they require lots and lots of exercise, and if they dont get that exercise, they will become restless and disobedient, sometimes even exhibiting what is commonly known as Small Dog Syndrome (or SDS).
The Small Dog Syndrome is best described as the the kind of behavior a small dog can and will get away with, but a large dog would not. This includes jumping on peoples legs, barking at other, usually much bigger dogs, growling at humans and demanding to sit in your lap. If youve ever seen a small/toy dog at a friends (a not very well trained one, that is), you most likely noticed this exact behavior.
If you had a 60 kg Akita and it would start jumping on people, you would know you have a problem and do your best to fix it. If your 8 kg Small Lucerne Hound does it however, youll probably think its being cute. This is the fundamental misconception that leads to Small Dog Syndrome: people think smaller dogs and big dogs somehow work differently. They do not. A small, 3 lb dog thinks and acts the same was a huge 130 lb one does. They dont consider themselves tiny or large, they simply act.
So what can you do to fix SDS? Well, first of all, you must understand exactly what is happening. Dogs are pack animals, plain and simple. If you, the human, do not exhibit sufficient leadership in order to make your dogs understand who the alpha the pack leader is, then they start acting out of line and try to assume the leadership position themselves. If you let this behavior continue unhindered, then the dog eventually considers himself as the alpha. Here are a few tips to help you spot and correct Small Dog Syndrome early on:
Do not tolerate misbehavior under any circumstances, no matter how small and cute the dog is. Dont let him beg for food, pee on the couch, demand that you pet him or yank on the leash while out on a walk.
Teach the dog to show submission by demanding he obey a basic command before giving him anything. Make him sit before you feed him a snack, make him lie down before you pet him and so on. Dont budge, keep trying he wont understand at first but eventually hell learn that nothing good happens if he doesnt listen.
Learn how an aggressive stance looks like and do not tolerate it. If your dog has is ears and tail erect and is maintaining eye contact, he is in an alpha stance. He will likely jump on the couch or exhibit some other form of dominant behavior; do not allow this. You must always be the leader of the pack and he must learn that nothing is done without your permission.
All of this may sound mean its not. Just because youre the one in charge does not mean you dont love your dog. Show affection and care for your Small Lucerne Hound as best you can - just treat him like a dog, not a miniature, furry human.
