Chihuahuas: brave or dumb?

[joseephuss]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301366.html

Dog Keeps Baby Boy From Dangerous Rattle

· Zoey might be a Chihuahua, but she has the heart of a lion.

When a rattlesnake lunged at her owners' year-old grandson, the long-haired dog sprang into action. Booker West was splashing his hands in a birdbath in the family's yard in Masonville, Colorado, when the snake slithered up, rattled and struck.

When a snake struck, Booker West was protected by his grandparents' dog Zoey. (By Christopher Stark -- Loveland Daily Reporter-herald Via Associated Press)

Five-pound Zoey jumped in the way and took the bites.

For a time it appeared the dog might not survive the injuries she suffered earlier this month.

"These little bitty dogs, they just don't really get credit," Booker's grandmother said.

Zoey is back home, prancing around as if nothing special had happened.

 

[Laker24diehard]

The dog is pretty damn smart to protect his owner's baby. Dogs have big hearts something vick would not understand!

 

[the kid 05]

my dog, a jack russle terrier, is the most brave dumb dog ever, shes tried to back down a dobberman and two goldens lol yet when my cousin brings his pit over, she just goes "egh...whatever ur head is as big as my body"

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

my dog, a jack russle terrier, is the most brave dumb dog ever, shes tried to back down a dobberman and two goldens lol yet when my cousin brings his pit over, she just goes "egh...whatever ur head is as big as my body"

I have heard that dogs do not recognize size. Have no clue if that is true, would venture to say it is not but figure they are just braver if they are protecting their master or property.

Towards the original topic. When I was young we lived in a farmhouse. No actual farm animals but it was an older farm house with over a hundred acres of fields and woods. We rented it at the time. Was great because it had a creek on one side of the property and a good size pond in the back yard. So as a little kid who liked the outdoors it was great.

Also the person that was renting it out had 5-6 outside dogs that stayed on the property. So that was another bonus for a little kid.

When ever I went outside to play some of the dogs would go with me at various times but there was two beagles that ALWAYS went with me. One time I was out playing and one of the beagles stood in front of me barking while the other one ran ahead. The beagle in front of me barking would not let me pass.

My parents heard the dogs barking and came out, finally the beagle let us pass and we found the other beagle a little ways ahead. There were two decent sized copperheads the beagle had found. Luckily the dogs did not get bit by them but in my mind they were protecting me from getting bit as the copperheads were in a little brushy area that I was going to be walking through and I probably would have stepped on one or gotten bitten if the dogs were not there.

 

[joseephuss]

I am not sure if dogs recognize size, either. I had heard such a thing, but never really gave it much thought.

We had a chihuahua when I was a kid. One of the smaller ones weighing about 4 lbs at most. The people across the street had a horse. One day we were outside talking to our neighbors along the fence and the dog charged up to a horse barking and trying to back the horse down. The horse just stomped down, but fortunately only grazed the dogs leg. Left a gash, but no break.

 

[Yeagermeister]

The smaller the dog the bigger the attitude.