Hi everyone! As we’ve all heard and read before, Chihuahuas definitely have big personalities. Many people describe them as being prone to aggression or being unsociable, but as for me, the two I know are absolute darlings. How does your Chihuahua behave? I’m looking forward to hearing your stories! (No judging each other, please! Every individual is different, humans and dogs alike!)
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Hi everyone,
I have a little female Chihuahua who has just turned one. I bought her from a hobby breeder when she was about ten weeks old.
She is a total sweetheart... maybe too much so!!! She doesn't bark much, except when she's being protective. For instance, if the gate is open, she goes out... looks left, then right, and barks, even if there's no one there; I think she’s probably just saying "we're going out!" (?) I also have a little female Maltese and three cats... and they all get on really well together.
The problem is her house training... she can’t hold it through the night... even though my Maltese was house-trained by ten weeks... it’s such a pain... every morning, I start the day with a mop in my hand.
Hi everyone,
I have a 6-month-old Chihuahua who has been living with us for three months now...
She’s a real mix of being quite timid but also really bold at times...
One strange thing is that she sometimes won’t let us catch her; I get the impression she’s a bit intimidated by our size. It’s also partly that she just doesn’t want to be caught, but the worry is when we’re out on walks and there’s a potential hazard... because of that, we can’t really let her off the lead much.
Right now, we’re away camping and she’s started growling and barking at people, especially when there are other dogs around. This is something new...
At home, we have three other dogs that she plays with a lot, and up until now, she’d never barked at all.
Yes, exactly. You have to stay vigilant, but you still need to meet his needs as a dog and not overprotect him or carry him around in your arms all the time :D
People always say you should let them off the lead and let them play with other dogs, but it’s only natural to be more cautious and feel a bit more stressed when you consider their size... when you see some dogs attacking others, you just know that a poorly trained dog against a Chihuahua... personally, my girl is off the lead most of the time, but if we come across Pomeranians, Pugs or Chihuahuas I put her back on the lead as I’m terrified she might be a bit too rough with them... and funnily enough, the smaller they are, the more scared she is, lol!
I’d also add that we let him be a dog. When we’re out on walks, we let him meet other dogs, have a good sniff around and just do his own thing. When another dog approaches, we’re a bit cautious because of his small size, but we let them say hello if the other dog seems to have good social manners (basically, we let him live his life as a dog; he’s not constantly being carried around).
Evening everyone,
My mum has a long-haired Chihuahua called Nemo and he’s absolutely lovely!
He isn’t aggressive at all, just a bit possessive and does a bit of resource guarding, but as my mum manages it so well, he does it less and less.
I dog-sit him regularly and he’s the kind of dog you can take absolutely anywhere! He’s calm in the car and is sociable with other dogs, although he can be a bit timid at times.
Honestly, I had quite a few preconceptions about the breed, but he has completely changed my mind! He’s such a sweetheart!
On the other hand... he’s definitely a walking alarm system... Whether he’s in the house or the garden, as soon as he hears someone passing by he starts barking, and it’s a very high-pitched, piercing bark ^^
I've seen loads of them, but only ever one that seemed well-adjusted. Off-lead next to my mastiff and another shepherd-type, well, the Chihuahua was just acting calm, no fear of the big dogs, no snapping or anything...
You've got to let them off the lead, treat them like any other dog, and give them proper exercise – they're a really active breed.
The first one is a female who's almost 2 years old. She’s playful and calm, but a bit timid when she doesn’t know someone, and she barks whenever the doorbell rings. She’s very obedient.
The second is a male, nearly 4 months old. He’s playful and lively, and also barks when someone rings the bell. He's obedient too.
Neither of my Chihuahuas are aggressive; they’re sociable and they aren’t snappy at all.
It all depends on how the owners train their Chihuahuas.
Chihuahuas are actually very active dogs. They were originally used to hunt small vermin in the fields (honestly, they were hunters to start with, so they're very high-energy). They're intelligent and need to be kept busy and trained just like any other breed.
They need at least an hour of exercise a day, and don't just get a 'teacup' one because they're cute. A standard-sized Chihuahua is fragile but not made of glass; they can jump off a sofa without breaking anything. This is why choosing a reputable breeder is so important.
The Chihuahua is a brilliant little dog—intelligent, sporty, and affectionate. They’re basically big dogs in a small body, so you really have to be able to handle them properly and give them everything they need.
