# Fat People, Skinny Dog?



## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

A friend and I have noticed a trend, at the dog park.

Tell me if this seems fitting.

Larger people (myself included in that) tend to like larger dogs...I think it's just a proportion thing. 
However, there's that ONE individual that is of the fluffier persuasion who has a chihuahua...and everyone there does a double take! :shocked:

Do you think people choose their dogs based on size and likeness to themselves, or does it just sort of happen that way?
And, what do you do when you see say, a very petite woman walking a mastiff? Do you wonder?

I do.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Honestly, a lot of the time I would agree that the "like dog, like person" rule applies.

But I'm not a big person by any means and I love Great Danes who are about the same size as me!


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

DaneMama said:


> Honestly, a lot of the time I would agree that the "like dog, like person" rule applies.
> 
> But I'm not a big person by any means and I love Great Danes who are about the same size as me!


See! You're the woman people would do a double take at, hahaha! 
When someone has a great dane I expect them to be about 7 ft tall. But, then, I'm 5'3, and nothing I want would be considered on the "petite but big boned" side of things...

I just find it amusing. I'm a people watcher.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Oh, I'm a people watcher big time. And I'm only about 5'3" too....Jon on the other hand is 6'1" so maybe a bit closer to what you would consider better match for a Dane LOL!


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

i'm about 5'7, so tall(ish) for a woman and i am of an athletic build, so apart from the traditional comments about horses and saddles, i also have a lot of people telling me that i look a lot like my dane. i love having a laugh when i see people who look like clones of their dogs.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

danecolor said:


> i'm about 5'7, so tall(ish) for a woman and i am of an athletic build, so apart from the traditional comments about horses and saddles, i also have a lot of people telling me that i look a lot like my dane. i love having a laugh when i see people who look like clones of their dogs.


You should get some pictures of your Dane on here!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

My dog is pretty short in stature (18", and 44lbs) I'm 6'2, and 215, and don't resemble my boy at all  I dunno what i would be like with an egg head... though... I am a bigger guy with a smaller attitude, and Tobi is a small boy with a HUGE attitude so maybe it fits in that way?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't know about dogs, but i do want to make this comment about the horse world. It always amazed me that large people insisted on riding Arabians, not even the bigger boned Polish bred but the Egyptian bred which is much smaller boned, I always felt sorry for them.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Well I can't still and neither do my dogs, so I guess we're a pretty good fit!


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Thats sad! Poor horses! I like Egyptian Arabs, but they are just the right size for me.
I am really fascinated by Akhal Teke's too.

I really dislike the heavy boned QH's that are super popular here in Idaho....


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

DaneMama said:


> You should get some pictures of your Dane on here!


i know, i really need to! maybe i can coax the dinosaur computer to life, i don't think the iPad i have been using will let me upload pictures. :tongue1:


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## Hadley (Jan 6, 2011)

well.... I kind of fall into the "person of the fluffy persuasion" catagory lol. The type of dogs I tend to prefer, are medium, athletic dogs with lean muscle. I am happy that my dog doesn't fit the "fat human, fat dog" stereotype.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

Hadley said:


> well.... I kind of fall into the "person of the fluffy persuasion" catagory lol. The type of dogs I tend to prefer, are medium, athletic dogs with lean muscle. I am happy that my dog doesn't fit the "fat human, fat dog" stereotype.


Ha! That's so interesting to me. 
Ok, so...now I must ask. Did you pick your dog based on that "medium athletic build" look, or did it just sort of happen that way?


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

When I was younger, I had german sheperds. At just barely 5 ft, and 90lbs soaking wet, we would get some looks. Now, not so much. I'm still 5 ft, but the weight has gone up, way up ;0P but my little guys are thin, elegant little dogs. My cousin causes double takes though, he's 6' 4" ,broad shouldered, and his dog is this little teeny bit of fluff.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

Celt said:


> When I was younger, I had german sheperds. At just barely 5 ft, and 90lbs soaking wet, we would get some looks. Now, not so much. I'm still 5 ft, but the weight has gone up, way up ;0P but my little guys are thin, elegant little dogs. My cousin causes double takes though, he's 6' 4" ,broad shouldered, and his dog is this little teeny bit of fluff.


SEE?!
Those are the people I'm talking about.

I have this friend.
Friend shall remain nameless, simply because he's ridiculous.

He has a pomeranian. It is HIS pomeranian. And he carries it in a dog purse. I don't care what you call it, carrier, tote, whatever...it is a DOG PURSE. Dogs have 4 legs for a reason, none of them should be toted around like an accessory. But I digress.

Friend is about 300 lbs. And CARRIES his pomeranian. Everywhere.

What gives?!


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

My family insists that I picked Uno because he looks like me.. I dont see it, he's not a small dog (60 lbs), but me being 5'10, his back only comes up to my knee, so I always think he's very petite, but lean and muscular. Maybe I should be eating whatever he's eating to be in shape he's in, I dont know if I could do the whole leaping over fences and climbing trees routine though.

On a funny note, I have a friend whos a very rugged outdoorsy guy, about 5'11 and has a tiny 3 lb yorkie that he inherited after a split from his ex. He loves the little guy and doesent mind carrying him around time to time, its a great way to meet women.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

nortknee said:


> SEE?!
> Those are the people I'm talking about.
> 
> I have this friend.
> ...


Oh my!! That would be quite the sight!! 

I have a friend from dogster who is probably about 100 lbs soaking wet and 5'2"-5'3" and she has two mastiffs. She can walk both of them at the same time loose lead. So she doesn't fit that category at all! 

I'd say our dogs probably fit me, I'm not small but I'm not huge...5'9"..maybe a little tall for a lady, won't expose my weight LOL. Jim's about 6'2" and 275....so the dogs do tend to look a little small next to him. He'd probably look good with a big dog. I consider our dogs large breed, so I think they probably suit us well.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I'm skinny, and my dogs skinny, but I don't look like my dog at all.

We love to get a good workout together though!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Most people reckon Mollie and I suit each other really well. She's medium, I'm medium (5'6" 110lbs) We both like constant exercise, have the same sense of humour. She's an Aussie cattle dog x and I talk funny (down under accent). So no surprises here.
But, at the dog park, there are quite a number of obese people with obese dogs. They're the ones that sit on the benches and their dogs lie nearby and neither move unless they are coming or going - makes me giggle sometimes.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I am small and have a small dog.. I love big dogs though! Our lease only allows us to have a small one which is why I chose a sheltie (still a working breed). If there was no size restriction on my dog when I got him I would have gotten a rottweiler or an australian cattle dog or GSD. 

There are a lot of obese dogs at the park I go to. My dog runs circles around all of them (though most are bichon/shih tzu type dogs).


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Well I'd have to say I'm pretty short also 5'2", had to stand real straight the last time I was measured they tried to say 5'1 and a half. So I fit the basset fairly well however my first one was a present from my sister but then got 3 more for myself because I fell in love with them. I've always wanted a large dog and think my first choice when I started looking would have been a Great Dane,Irish Wolfhound or Neopaliton Mastiff but found my Bullmastiff. I am a little strange because there are so many different breeds that I would love to own that I never will be able to have them all.

My husband is 6'2" and his whole life he wanted a Basset Hound, so I always say he only married me for my dog. I had my first one when we met. He doesn't look much like a Basset person because he has real long legs and is very outdoorsey type. Grew up on the Mountain backpacking and has to slow up for me and my Bassets, but he just loves them. I had to do some talking to have him let me try something different when my 2 Basset girls died and I wanted to try a bigger dog.

But now that we have them he says he kind of likes the bigger dogs. Although our dogs aren't really that big. My Bullmastiff is very small for one about 65 to 70 lbs. and the Pittbull is about the same size.

I do like to keep my dogs on the thin size and I would like to myself to as I was when I was younger, but now that I'm older it's not as easy any more and am trying to lose some weight (I hate getting older).

I sometimes think people must think we're crazy when they run into us on the Mountain with Bassets but they really are good mountain dogs. And we've been above timber line with them.


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## Paws&Tails (Sep 3, 2010)

I'm thin as a rail, barely 5'1 and 1/4". I have a small dog. I prefer dogs that are medium sized, though. My favorite dog breed is the Golden Retriever. At the time we were searching for a dog my mom wanted a smaller dog, one under 25lbs. so we went with a JRT, which is my second favorite dog breed.


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

I love big dogs! Absolutely love them. I'm 5'0 on a good day and of a healthy weight. I have to say my favorite breeds of all time typically outweigh me. All my dogs now, though, are of medium size, our largest one is 80 lbs. One day I'd like a dog that weighs in around 120 lbs. ;]


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

CavePaws said:


> I love big dogs! Absolutely love them. I'm 5'0 on a good day and of a healthy weight. I have to say my favorite breeds of all time typically outweigh me. All my dogs now, though, are of medium size, our largest one is 80 lbs. One day I'd like a dog that weighs in around 120 lbs. ;]


I figure I my weight should double my dogs...just in case they decide they want to play 'drag da hoomun'...at least then, I'll have a fighting chance at stopping them!


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

Lol, well, I'm double the weight of my 50 lb dogs, and if they wanted to drag me they could. Dogs are just really strong. I have no chance against holding Preston, my 80 lber, if he really really wants to pull. I will never forget this GSD puppy, I say puppy but she was around 1.5, my co-worker handed me her leash and she took off towards the door her owner had walked out of dragging me clean across the tile like I wasn't even attached to the leash. -__- Yes, I requested she had an easy walker put on her before I held the leash again.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

CavePaws said:


> Lol, well, I'm double the weight of my 50 lb dogs, and if they wanted to drag me they could. Dogs are just really strong. I have no chance against holding Preston, my 80 lber, if he really really wants to pull. I will never forget this GSD puppy, I say puppy but she was around 1.5, my co-worker handed me her leash and she took off towards the door her owner had walked out of dragging me clean across the tile like I wasn't even attached to the leash. -__- Yes, I requested she had an easy walker put on her before I held the leash again.


What's an easy walker?


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

Here is one. It's a harness that you attach the lead to in the front, it basically pulls them back and towards you when they pull forward.


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

in my experience, the easy walker does not help me much. i occasionally walk a great dane in the neighborhood when her family is out for the day and she outweighs me by fifteen or twenty pounds. her owners use an easy walker but she still pulls quite a bit with it. i honestly prefer a Mendota slip lead at the top of the neck, seems to work much better against pulling for me.


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

I prefer the gentle leader to the easy walker.










The gentle leader outdoes any other walking contraption bar none in my opinion.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

It's funny... I don't think I really 'match' with a particular breed. I am pretty average... 5'7" or so. Not skinny, not REALLY fat, but chubby-ish. I'm not real 'girly' but I'm not like 'manly' in any way either, LOL!!! But I think I fit walking a Rottweiler I dogsit every day, I fit with the Lab I walk, and just about any other breed I've spent a lot of time with. I think Jackson fits with me... though he's in a lot better shape than I am but I am a pretty active person.


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

I prefer medium-large sized dogs. Harleigh is 65-67 pounds and 25-25.5"... she's very athletic and fit. I'm 5'3"-5'4" and not as fit as I'd like to be :tongue: 

BTW a little OT, but the Easy Walker was fab for me and Harleigh!


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i think people choose a dog because they like them
not because human to dog porportions.

>>>> what do you wonder when you see a small woman
walking a Mastiff, ROTFL???<<<<



nortknee said:


> Do you think people choose their dogs based on size and likeness to themselves, or does it just sort of happen that way?
> 
> >>>>And, what do you do when you see say, a very petite woman walking a mastiff? Do you wonder?<<<<<
> 
> I do.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Around about here, most people would see nothing wrong with mountain "hiking" with a basset. But then again they're considered hunting dogs here.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> i think people choose a dog because they like them
> not because human to dog porportions.
> 
> >>>> what do you wonder when you see a small woman
> walking a Mastiff, ROTFL???<<<<


Well, my theory comes from the idea that people pick mates based on their own likeness. (It's actually an incredible study, I'll have to link it on here sometime...I digress), so I was wondering if it's a similar fashion for people who pick their dogs, regardless of breed. 
And I wonder what the heck made that woman choose a HUGE dog! I had a class with a girl who had a dog whose collar could be worn as a belt by her. She had picture proof. It was insane and awesome, all at the same time!
I tend to think I'm picking my dog (lab) based on my fiance's personality...I'm extremely type-A, he's super laid back...and really, I think a lab fits us pretty well. We aren't small people, but we tend to love being outside and are water fiends.


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

I don't know about the size thing because I have a big dog and a little dog. A couple of weeks ago I was snuggling Tiffa and she wrapped herself up in my hair - I noticed that I couldn't tell where my hair ended and hers began, it's the same color! I've had people comment when I'm walking Tanis and I have my hair in a ponytail that his tail wagging and my ponytail bouncing looking the same.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

I think my dog fits pretty well! I'm 1,66 m (~5,4") and my dog is a medium sized weim! We're both pretty active. I think he is prettier than me !
Also my horse fits me quite well!

I always have to LOL when i see a huge man walking a chihuaha and talking with a baby voice with the dog ! But i think there are many dogs that just perfectly fit their owners. There is this one lady who has mix (looks like maybe a Aussie mix or somethin) And the dog has long gray hair a bit curly and the owner has the exact same hair  Or a man who has at least 100kg and has the biggest st. Bernard i've ever seen! I love watching people with their animals!


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

I don't think I choose a rotti based on what I look like .

I did choose it because I think it is fairly close to me in temperament, activity, and working ability.

ie
activity - can be very active likes long walks but will sleep all day if nothing more interesting turns up - yep thats me
Working ability - can be trained to do almost anything but does non of them exceptionally - yep thats me as well
Temperament - calm, confident, trainable, head strong, loyal - yep that is about me as well

As for size, they are medium and I am average.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

We don't have a dog park in our area, but we have areas where everyone walks their dogs but its just walking not a park! Ha, I thought I picked my dogs because I loved their personalities and I still belioeve that is what I did!!!!! They are the four so different! roxi my chocolate lab is getting thinner wee haw she's around 72 lbs. now yesssss! height well what the heck ~lab height ~I don't really know! And Sandi my yellow lab she's 86 lbs. and she's taller than roxi very muscular for her height and weight! Lucky the beagle is a senior citizen and he's 25 lbs. 13 years he's the shorter beagle the 13 inch and he's dashing looking right now haha! Gordon the 1/2 sharpei/1/2 pug is 67lbs. Quite the handsome/shall I say /STOCKY guy! I am 5 ft. 3 and 1/2 right now 123 lbs. which I was around 118 so UGHHHHH I have to lose those 5 lbs still haha! Working it by walking it! Ok so I don't know how this fits into any theories about height weight and dogs! But I just pick the dogs I like! I never really thought of them as looking like anyone here in my family nor had I thought of size proportioning haha! Oh well have to go back now and relook at the cuties!


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

Most people would never guess that I have Great Danes. They weigh more than I do! But the breed works well with my lifestyle.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

i don't think that hight is the main thing, but rather face expression and movements make humans and their animals look alike! I don't think that i look like my horse


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## Hadley (Jan 6, 2011)

I think it just sort of happened that way lol. I've just always wanted a pit bull. The breeds I've fallen in love with since getting my pit bull all seem to have the same phenotype tho lol. Dobermans, GSPs, vizslas, greyhounds, mals.. I love 'em all .


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## goldiek (May 5, 2011)

I'm not obese per se, but I'm not thin as a rail and I love medium-large dogs. It wouldn't feel right to me to walk a Chihuahua or something of that stature. And I love dogs I can roughhouse and play with...
So I guess it applies.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

I'm short (5 feet) and thin. I like small-medium dogs. By that I mean 20-30 lbs. It is funny, though, because my hair looks like my Cocker's hair (wavy, long, and brown/blonde-ish)! She's also short for a Cocker and I'm short for a human . We also both worry about everything, haha.

Thinking about it, my other dog was a dachshund so maybe I naturally pick out short dogs.


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