Care For Chihuahuas

You may not believe it but Chihuahua aggression is a social problem that can be solved early in your dog’s life. Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed in the world, but the Chihuahua is completely oblivious to that fact. In their little hearts and minds, they are as big and tough as a wolf. Many Chihuahua owners find the feisty little attitude that their Chihuahua possesses as funny, cute, and harmless. It may look to be funny and cute, considering how small the dog is, but it is far from funny and cute the day your Chihuahua turns its Chihuahua aggression on a child or another small animal or dog.

It is important to make your Chihuahua aware of unacceptable aggressive behavior. Chihuahuas are wired to serve as a watchdog regardless of their small size. Their nature is to protect their owners or the people they love. You may find that your Chihuahua barks and growls at the sound of the doorbell or a stranger walking by. Your Chihuahua may even bark and growl at visitors in which he or she finds unfamiliar.

There are a few steps that you can take to control Chihuahua aggression. When you have a visitor or someone at your door who your Chihuahua finds unfamiliar, pet your Chihuahua gently and say things such as “it’s okay”. Your gentleness and calmness around that person will show the Chihuahua that the person is not a threat to you. Have the person at the door or in your home give your Chihuahua a treat as well as any person who comes to your home that is welcome. Your Chihuahua will associate these visitors with treats and eventually become excited to see them at your home.

It is very important to not let children play with Chihuahuas, or any pet for that matter, unsupervised. Many children tend to play with Chihuahuas too aggressively making your Chihuahua feel threatened. Don’t ever allow a child to push, tease, or kick your Chihuahua even if it seems harmless to you. Your Chihuahua will find this as a threat and will bite to defend himself. Instead, teach your children to play with your Chihuahua by playing games such as fetch with your dog’s favorite toy or to just pet or scratch the Chihuahua gently. Remember, Chihuahua aggression doesn’t have to be a problem.