36 Angry Chihuahuas | Try Not To Laugh | That Pet Life
In my opinion, any dog that has not been given proper training (think LIFE SKILLS FOR DOGS), using Positive Reinforcement training, has the POTENTIAL to be an annoying dog.
Like people, there are good, desirable behaviors to develop, and poor, undesirable behaviors to develop.
When we train our dogs, we give them confidence, and tools to learn the good behaviors AND we give ourselves a big bag of good behaviors to ask for when a dog is about to make a poor choice of behaviors on their own.
Training with +R teaches our dogs that not only are WE accountable, trustworthy and fun… but that we also have THE BEST IDEAS EVER and are worth listening to to earn that HIGH VALUE reward, no matter what that is, for each dog.
Little dogs are too often treated as if they are human babies, carried around and not fully allowed to ACT LIKE DOGS…. but they ARE DOGS and so they end up really spoiled and confused and can even believe that THEY are in charge of everything.
I look at my own relationship with my personal dogs as being a PARTNERSHIP. They have unique abilities, and I have unique abilities, together we make up a team. We learn to trust each other and work together. I am the pack leader, but a good leader also learns to listen to those around them with good insights too. (By listening, I mean learn to READ your dog’s body language, because they actually DO communicate if you learn to do this. And believe me, THEY are masters of learning to read OUR body language, and they do it ALL of the time. )
This can be one of the biggest challenges for someone trying to train their dog. The human SAYS or asks for one thing, but their body language is saying SOMETHING else entirely!
This is one reason I always say… when you are training, working with your dog, if YOU are not RELAXED, HAPPY, HAVING A GOOD TIME…. YOUR DOG IS PROBABLY NOT HAVING FUN EITHER!!! Fun is ADDICTIVE, it is joyful, even if the dog is not quite on the mark for doing a particular behavior spot on, if they are listening, watching, focused on what you are TRYING to teach them… then it becomes just a simple matter of PRACTICE until they do get it right then BIG PRAISE… REWARDS (food for some dogs, pets for others and for some… getting a SPECIAL TOY that is only used for training time,) You have to figure out WHAT IS OF A HIGH VALUE to YOUR dog, and use THAT for the reward.
If YOU are becoming frustrated, annoyed, then just ask for a behavior you KNOW your dog can do successfully, Praise and Reward them for doing it correctly and STOP right there. You can try again tomorrow or later that day…. but stop for now. There is no point in frustrating yourself or your dog. A sour mood has NO place in Positive Reinforcement training, ever.
When you see an overly yappy, agitated, dog, little or otherwise, you are looking at a dog that has had at least one or two important things LACKING in its life. +R Training, and or ample opportunity to JUST BE A DOG… and do dog like things… run, sniff, play.
Fortunately… it is never too late and yes you CAN teach an old dog some new tricks/behaviors… as long as the dog is physically able to move without pain, or sickness, they can learn.
They are not annoying to everyone. But they do seem to be a breed that annoys many, me included. There are exceptions to every rule. Having traveled to shows with a friend who showed them and Malinois, I did become friends with a couple.
First, they don't seem to know thier size and the danger involved around other dogs. Not only do they not KNOW thier size, they seem to think they are huge dogs and try to dominate all others thru much barking with little hops, infringing on the other dogs by crowding wherever they stand, putting thier hackles up, and just daring the other dog for a fight. It's not easy to integrate them into a pack, except a pack of Chihuahuas. They are just a pain when meeting new dogs.
Also, they easily become overly protective towards thier main person, many sitting on couch or chair with thier person, and fending off all other people who come to close by growling, snarling, and making what I call “the ugly face.” I also believe they have a high propensity to bite with thier little pointy teeth, because they put themselves in the “guard mode” in the first place. I would like to throw a towel over thier head like a bird, snatch them up, and deliver them into a crate to be ignored for a day or so. Fed and watered but ignored. That's a change to thier environment that would cause them to take notice.
To continue, I'm not a person who cares for yappy dogs, meaning they bark at the drop of a hat in a high pitched irritating voice. The yap ends in a higher note than it started, just working my last nerve into a crescendo. My big dogs are ALLOWED to bark when they think there's a reason, but not excessively just to hear themselves bark. I teach them to be quite if they think they are going to nuisance bark.
Chihuahuas often get lots of dental disease involving the gums, making it impossible to eat regular hard kibble and other hard items. Unfortunately, small dogs are more prone to tooth decay than the larger breeds. Tooth decay can cause infection in other parts of the body, and bad bad breath. Yuck. Owners must teach dogs to have teeth brushed at least once a day, or, if not, will be coughing up the money to have teeth cleaned while dog is put under anesthesia, which is dangerous for itty bitty dogs and costly.
Thier display of anxiety and nerves, thru shaking and panting, also irritates me to no end.
The good news is they can be trained, and they are easy keepers as far as food intake.
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Chihuahuas are the only dogs I am afraid of. Really, truly afraid of. I’ve only had very large dogs over my lifetime, such as a Boxer, German Shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and many Dobermans. But these teeny dogs. Holy COW!
The only dog bite I have ever had was from a Chihuahua. Like freaking NEEDLES that went right down to my thumb joint. The little critter looked friendly.
I suspect many tiny breed dogs become annoying or menacing simply because their owners felt they were too small to discipline or to consider as a risk to anyone. I’ve even seen these dogs bite their owners, who’d just say, “Oh well, I surprised him, so it’s okay.” Yeah, blood all over the carpet and 10 stitches in your wrist ,,, okay, really?
WRONG. Dogs of any size need to know how to behave cooperatively in the human realm. Any dog that constantly is allowed to nip, bite, bark its head off and ignore what its owner asks? That’s a dog that needs serious Boot Camp.
Size isn’t the problem. Owners’ attitudes that Chihuahuas aren’t quite dogs (in sense of needing to be trained like ‘regular’ dogs) is the problem with these little guys. They are dogs. They need to be treated like any other dog, with the same expectations as ‘regular’ dogs, that they can learn obedience, behave at home and be trustworthy around anybody in public.
However, the majority out there are the spoiled, nervous, and unpredictable ones that I refuse to give another shot at my other thumb. I do not go near them.
Depends on what you mean by annoying . A lot of people find small dogs annoying because they are so small. Chis can be yippy, posessive and protective of their owners and home just like any dog. Their bark is higher on average and sometimes will nip at strangers ankles.
Personally I love chis. I have 2 full breds(both rescues) and 2 chi mixes(also rescues). They are extremely smart and can be easily trained. They bond very strongly with their person or family.
The problem with chis is that most people spoil them rotten and treat the more like a toy than a dog. That's when you can get an annoying little dog. Some want to be carried constantly and demand attention. And just generally are always underfoot .
Are my dogs spoiled? Oh yes. But, they are dogs. I dont carry them everywhere and they are trained. I simply allow them to be dogs and do dog things. In my opinion they are no more annoying than any dog, they are just smaller.
The annoying Chihuahuas are those whose people didn’t bother to socialize their dogs with people and, often, other dogs. Chihuahuas can be delightful dogs if their owners took the time to socialize their pups, and to give them some training.
I met a precious Chi today while waiting for a prescription to be filled at Walgreen’s. Her dad was holding her in his arms and told me I could pet her. She was a joy to be around—no nervousness (she was shivering as it’s cold outside today_. No barking and she was anxious to give me kisses.
Some people consider Chis accessories, something to be carried around in a purse or in their arms. Those that aren’t trained and socialized are often afraid and may nip if someone approaches them carelessly. Another problem is that sometimes they don’t get enough exercise—yes, they do need exercise—and get restless and excitable.
I like Chis; I have a Chiweenie (Dachshund-Chihuahua cross) whose ears stand out like the Flying Nun’s. Chis’ ears stand out to the side or upright; Doxies have ear leathers like most hounds.
While Dachshunds remain my favorite dog, my Chiweenie is a great addition to the pack.
They do not start this way. People spoil them and treat them like human children. Dogs are dogs and should be treated as dogs. They get confused if they are not and this is when you get the bad behaviors. Dogs raised among dogs know their place and do not have these issues. This is a human’s doing. I have a chihuahua mix and I’ve never let her get away with behaviors that I would not want a big dog to have.
She is sweet and gentle. And she knows the rules in the house. In fact when people come to my house they are surprised that I do have a dog; they never hear her and she is never rude. She has learned to never jump on me when I enter the house and is one of the most respectful dogs I’ve ever had. So you set rules and boundaries, as you would a big dog, right from day one and you won’t have a rude, aggressive chihuahua. It’s the humans that mess them up; it is not the dog.
This is their owner. Typically an upper class, teenage to middle age girl usually blonde and they don’t train them. It’s especially a problem with older people, as they don’t train the dog because they’re too small to cause harm
