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Some owners of very small dogs have a tendency to frequently pick up their pets outside because of concern for their safety. Perhaps a large dog comes over to sniff, for instance, and the size difference feels ominous. But most of the time, dogs approach and sniff each other simply out of curiosity, and you can make a small dog overreactive by protecting her even when there is nothing to protect her from.
It becomes too easy for a small dog to grow testy and snappish if she receives a consistent message that the world is unsafe and that her owner will always protect her — even when no harm is imminent. Let your tiny dog be a dog. She’ll be happier for being allowed to engage in the canine social code — and so will you.
