The Yorkie Who Rules Pitbulls

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4 Pitbulls & a Teacup Yorkie

Having a big family can get hectic, especially when you have as many dogs as you do humans.

Our family of 12 consists of six humans and a big, happy family of five American Pit Bulls, ruled by the oddest of leaders — Our four-pound, dainty, prissy Teacup Yorkie pooch, Bellah.

It’s quite entertaining to witness the amusement and shock of people who witness our gigantic 50+ pound beasts running in terror and submitting to the whims of a dog no bigger than my size 8 shoe. 

We often get a barrage of questions centered around the same theme: “How did we get such large, dominant animals to submit to a pipsqueak?” 

Don’t let that phrase offend you. She is so small that she really does sound like she’s squeaking as she barks and bounces across the floor to get the big dogs’ attention. 

Introducing Bellah to our original furbaby, Zeus, was a piece of cake. We simply put the tiny five-week-old fur ball next to his big bowling ball-headed, 100-pound clumsy, muscled, deadly tail-wagging self.

The love was instant, and his gentleness was a sight to behold. We never expected such a large male to be so easy with something smaller than his chew toys. When she barked or nipped at his feet, he did what she wanted. Every time. 

Four years later, we decided to grow our canine family with a female partner for Zeus. But instead of one, my considerate husband brought home two sisters, Athena and Aphrodite. 

Introducing new dogs to each other can be tricky, especially when dealing with older canines. We knew Zeus would be great with anyone, but Bellah can be trickier. 

I call it the small man complex. She doesn’t realize that her small size doesn’t match her big attitude. A big dog can be a risk to small dogs when not properly handled. Both of our ladies were young, but they were already larger than her.

But Bellah is a trooper, with zero fear of anyone, including her new roommates. We took our time letting them get to know each other, with short visits under supervision. With a few yips and a lot of nips, she got them in her servitude. 

And if that isn’t enough to impress you about our primadonna darling, how about the fact that she trained 19 American Pit Bull puppies to have respect for smaller beings? 

Our Zeus-y boy mated with both sisters, and we added one more male and a final female to our pack. We let Bellah decide which puppies she connected with the most, and ended up with Hercules and Calipsa. 

She interacted with all 19 puppies from birth, teaching them patience and gentleness with her smaller size. And when they were old enough to train, they learned at her heels. What she did, they copied.

At five months old, both pups consider Bellah their best friend and role model. She’s the boss! 

If you’re introducing strange dogs to each other, go slow and let your pups decide when they’re ready for more. Every dog moves at its own pace. Never leave unfamiliar dogs alone together before they’ve become acquainted.