Sorry you cant find a good puppy class.
It is important for you pup to meet dogs of all sizes so he learns how to behave with them . He has to learn that he cant not treat them in the same way he can a larger dog .

I have (or did have, dibby went to the bridge last month) two tiny chi x breeds and they met dogs of all sizes . Unfortunately, while the large dogs may not see tiny dogs as prey , the high pitched noise they make and a tiny creature running in circles can excite their predatory instincts and just even if they just grabbed hold one of these tiny dogs they can do harm. ETA , most dogs are large compared to a chihuahua .

Theres nothing more heart stopping them seeing your 2 kilo dog running frantically trying to escape from a GSD or a lurcher intent on catching it.

Small and tiny dogs aren't exempt from being attacked regardless of reason , the worst dogs are the silent ones that spot your dog and run straight at them , looking at them intently , ears forward, all their weight forward and go straight to attack. Even Dibby rolling over every time didnt stop them , once he had bite marks in his neck .

I used to believe in not picking up small dogs but now I dont! Rant over!.

The ones that bark and wag their tail , if their ears are flat back (appeasively)its usually excitment and frustration if on a lead .
If ears not back , it can be conflicted emotions .
Depends in the wag and position of the tail . some dogs approach in a curve with their tail held high in a slow wag , these are confident and checking your dog out . Approaching in a curve is polite , so depending on how your dog acts, they are usually ok .

good body language book is Breda aloffs . has lots of photos and written text with in depth explanations .

But there is nothing more annoying than a yappy, snarky Chihuahua that attacks and snarls at big dogs and the owner finds it cute or funny... until big dog fights back and then it's... your big, vicious dog... blah, blah, blah.

If I met an overly excited Yorkie and my overly excited Labrador mix smashes him by accident playing chase, it's suddenly all my fault, even though both dogs were too excited and running all over the place. Not fair!

I take my dog to the large dog area in our dog park, and it bothers me when people bring in small dogs because "He's not scared". That is not the point. There is always an issue, too. I keep Nigredo away from unleashed small dogs because frankly, it's very hard for a 40 kg, young and active dog to safely play with a 3 kg dog.

I'm not positive what small dog owners expect of Nigredo, but he's better suited to play with dogs much closer to his size. If I had a small breed, I'd not even take him around large dogs, he's sure to get stomped or overwhelmed.

Rant over.

Oh, and if a GSD really attacked a Chihuahua, it would be over in seconds. I saw an American Bulldog attack a mini poodle mix and it was bite on neck, lift, shake and it was over that fast. Nobody could do anything.

@Myrsky<3: something I've forgotten to mention. Have you got insurance for Myrsky? If you can possibly afford it, get it, get it, get it. Make sure to get a policy that won't drop your dog for a chronic condition they might develop later in life. Seriously, it's the best birthday present I've ever received: dog insurance. You might be able to afford the day to day stuff but when you get smacked in the head with an £1800 bill it can throw you sideways. I've just been rather harshly reminded of that, so thought of you and your little guy.

Agree again. Nigredo has a mildly dysplastic hip. It will eventually go bilateral and might need surgery one day. Had I gotten the insurance when he was little (bought the plan when I adopted him), before they tested for this and it was discovered, I'd have a good plan for not a ton of money. To insure him now is so expensive, it's not worth it or affordable.

It just goes to show there's two sides to every story.

ETA We dont have any dog only parks in my area . I wouldnt mind if children were banned, they grab my dogs and try to pick them up . One kicked my little jap chin once
Here dogs are allowed in parks off lead except they are banned from childrens play areas.

and isn't that how dogs kill prey ?

Poor poodle and its owner .

Another excellent post!

Isn't the OP great? We could all learn a lot from HER!! She has a wonderful attitude, my warmest congratulations go out to her and to Myrsky who sounds a typical, well-balanced, intelligent Husky.

O wow, the whites ... when you see the whites of Ben's eyes, you know to take care. It means he has HAD ENOUGH. If you are grooming him stop for a few minutes and give him some nice hand massage. Hal, his father, would do his Mr Stiffy as we called it, with his tail like a loo brush and completely motionless. It's not rocket science, it is easy to read such a "vocal" dog.

My daughter has 2 entire male chihuahuas, and I have to say I treat them exactly as if they were the same size as Ben. No allowance is made for their tiny stature, on walks with Ben they have to keep up and go the same distance. They are both off lead most of the time ... Gucci is extremely well balanced, having being raised and trained by us, but Diesel is a typical yappy little chihuahua and frankly if he gets taught a lesson, then so be it. Gucci hardly ever barks, and is a high ranking male ... he is afraid of nothing and no-one, and will confidently go and say hello to all dogs regardless of size. He is a wonderful dog, proving that lap dogs like chihuahuas can still be little spunks if you treat them right. I NEVER pick either of them up, although occasionally in particularly deep snow or mud Diesel has collapsed and I have taken pity on him! Neither of them have ever been harmed by another dog ... attacked yes, but there is a world of difference between being attacked and being actually bitten. Neither of them have ever incurred an actual bite injury ... Gucci came close a few years back when he made the mistake of trying to take Ben's bone - he disappeared inside Ben's mouth for a second, only to be spat out completely unharmed but rather wet!! He shook himself down and carried on, this time leaving Ben's bone alone! They are dogs, just the same as my 45 kilo Ben is, and they deserve to be treated as such, not picked up and mollycoddled IMO. They are tough little dogs, bred to kill scorpions apparently, and they are as feisty as hell if left to be the dogs that they are.

I'm with you on the children bans. I've had brats snatch on Nigredo's ears and try to sit on him etc. No public places allow off lead dogs, so legally, you've got only private property (such as your house) or legally fenced dog parks. Yes, dogs who aim to kill tend to do it the same way. I've never had a small dog, but I can't see myself bringing him around big dogs... even if only from the terrors I've personally seen.

Excuse me , Gnasher . I do not mollycoddle my dogs, right !