Behavior and Temperament of chihuahua

what to know before getting a chihuahua?

For a chihuahua owner, it’s very important that he or she understands his chihuahua’s behavior, temperament, and other specific things. Make sure that you have all the information about this dog breed before getting one. And make sure that chihuahua is the dog breed you wanted and expected.

If a chihuahua is already a member of your family and you find that his other behavior is out of control or you don”t know what is normal and what is abnormal, you have to find out if the issue is due to your training or other problem.

If you have children and you are bringing a chihuahua to your home, you will want to know what to expect, and how this dog will interact with kids.

Behavior Review

This dog is the smallest dog in existence. Spotted a century ago in chihuahua town, the largest state in Mexico. Although there are a lot of scientific debates about their true heritage, no one knows exactly their origins.

Chihuahua is a one-person dog. Normally this dog breed tends to show love towards one person in the family, however, if they are well trained they can love all the family members. In addition, chihuahuas don’t show a big interest in ‘hunting’, this instinct is rarely triggered.

Even if they are the tiniest dogs in the world, they have a big amount of energy which makes them athletic dogs. They can play around the house for a long period of time. while they are notorious for their aggressiveness, little-dog syndrome, barking, and their isolation, chihuahuas should be great companions if they are raised in a good environment by the right people.

Loyal chihuahua

Normally a chihuahua is very loyal to just one certain person, even if the family has multiple members, the chihuahua will be loyal to that person who has time and energy to take care of him.

However, if all members of the family are involved with feeding, command training, playing, daily walks, and grooming, the little chihuahua will be attached to all of them.

They show protection mode to guard their owners whenever they think that there is a threat. They love hard, and According to the American Kennel Club, these adorable dogs are “enormously loyal and loving.”

Chihuahua and other pets

Some chihuahuas are known that they get along very well with other animals such as cats and dogs. If you have multiple pets in your house, don’t worry because these little creatures will love each other, they will be as a pack, traveling together, staying close, and shadowing each other. A chihuahua gets also along with a big dog breed. However, the owner must do his tests before committing to having both a toy and a big dog in the same house. If they are aggressive toward each other or toward other dogs, training can help resolve this issue.

To avoid a lot of problems and also a lot of damage, you have to socialize your chihuahua at a very young age. By introducing your chihuahua puppy to other pets, such as dogs in parks or pets in the store.

In the case of an older pet, try to introduce the dog slowly and never let them alone without supervision. Socialization of your chihuahua is the key to having him understand how to get along with other dogs.

Chihuahua’s protection mode

If you think that your little dog can’t protect you because of her size, then you are wrong. Because small dogs like chihuahua have the canine instinct to protect and guard their parents.

You must keep in mind that chihuahuas don’t show any fear toward anything if they are in “mode protection”, even if your dog is quiet, you have to expect this. A chihuahua is 100% loyal to his family.

Chihuahuas fit any place, they can adapt quite well to just any situation. The chihuahua can be happy in both a large house and a small one.

However, your friend should be an inside dog. Noise and severe yelling can scare a chihuahua. The owner must keep silent in the house, and everyone in the family must be aware that such a small animal is walking around.

Chihuahuas enjoy walks and playing outside the house but we must never consider them “outdoor dogs“. as a chihuahua owner, you should be ready to keep your chihuahua a living in the house as part of the family because your chihuahua will not last very long if he or she or she is tied up in the cold or hot weather.

Some of The Chihuahua’s Behaviors

Aggression

There are some chihuahuas that will show extreme aggression, like biting people, this behavior is not acceptable because it can put a kid at a big risk. When your dog is showing aggressiveness, you must know that there are some reasons behind his aggressiveness. For instance, the dog is experiencing anxiety, your dog lacks confidence, he is trying to show you that he is the pack leader, or/and he is trying to protect you when someone is approaching you. To avoid this behavior you should follow strict training.

If your dog was nice and suddenly starts acting aggressive, you should take your dog to your veterinarian because in this can your chihuahua is experiencing a medical issue.

Some owners think that their dog is out of control, However, most of the issues can be fixed with training.

YOU CAN ALSO CHECK: Why Are chihuahuas So Aggressive?

Clingy behavior

source: pexels

Some chihuahuas love to stay close to their human friend, but some of them take this a bit too far and become very clingy. If you want a toy dog that is independent and doesn’t need constant attention, then a chihuahua is not the right dog for you. These small dogs are renowned for being clingy and needy and can suffer from separation anxiety if you left them alone at home.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: When a chihuahua is Clingy

Shy chihuahua

source: pexels

Most owners don’t know that there is a big difference between a shy chihuahua and a fearful one. As a first step, the owner must determine this.

Chihuahuas have a big personality and showing a behavior like this one is rare. When a chihuahua is overly timid, you have to find the reasons behind it. They can be shy because of a lot of reasons. For instance, your dog didn’t receive enough socialization when he is a puppy, shyness is a learned behavior, they develop this behavior when you give them treats whenever they are so quiet. Finally, shyness may be a sign of a health issue.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: How to help a chihuahua that is scared of his world?

Rolling around on the Grass

source: pexels

Chihuahuas love warm rays of sunlight and grass. So it is totally normal for a chihuahua to roll around on the grass.

However, if your little dog does this quite often, you must first examine your chihuahua for any sign of health issues, such as food allergies, or issues with carpet cleaning, flea, skin infections. All these health issues can cause your dog to feel very itchy.

Also, you will want to check your chihuahua’s skin. Look for

Redness
Swelling
Sores
Bumps

If you find any signs, you must visit the veterinarian to perform tests to help find the culprit.

Begging

Dogs have so many skills to stay alive and to ensure the outcomes. Begging is a behavior that all the dogs without any exception have. However, you have to know that this behavior is stressful for you and for your dog too. People call chihuahuas lapdogs for a reason. So try to find the best plan concerning this unwanted behavior to have good company with your little pooch.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: How to stop a Chihuahua from begging

Sleeping Behavior

source: pexels

The average for a dog is 12 to 14 hours per day. however, we can”t consider sleeping for 18 hours including naps abnormal behavior. You have to know that there are two types of sleep. lighter sleep, called also slow-wave and deeper sleep known as Rapid eye movement.

Keep in mind that chihuahuas just like us need REM deep sleep to rest the body and begin fresh once again. The only difference is that dogs wake much more often than we do. This is why they need more hours to sleep than we do.

Mood Swings

Changes in the home environment can affect the mood of your little dog. If you notice that your little chihuahua is showing drastic mood swings or is acting out of character. This means that your dog suffers from a health issue or some factors related to the environment in the household. Such as bringing home new people, or new pets, changing the location, etc.

Hyperventilating

source: pexels

It’s hard to know the reason behind hyperventilating, and it‘s also not easy to say if it is a medical issue or a behavioral problem. In addition, some health issues like Kennel Cough can look like hyperventilation. There is also another situation where hyperventilation can be a sign of an allergic reaction. In this situation, you will notice that your dog starts hyperventilating immediately after eating or licking something.

Please in order to do a correct diagnosis take your dog to the vet. In some serious situations, the vet will give your dog a shot of adrenaline to slow down the chihuahua’s heart rate.

After doing a full medical check-up and the vet claims that your dog is healthy, then you consider that hyperventilating is a behavioral problem.

Excitement is the cause behind hyperventilating (behavioral issue), dogs can get excited very quickly and very easily. Here are some tips you can follow to slow down your chihuahua’s excitement:

When the dog is hyperventilating, cover her mouth to make her breathe back in a bit of carbon dioxide to stop hyperventilation.

You have to detect the trigger of this behavioral issue, does it happen when you come back home or does it happen when you take her out for a walk, etc.

After detecting the trigger you have to train your chihuahua not the be so excited slowly and at a steady pace.

For example, your chihuahua becomes hyperventilating when you bring her a new toy. In this case, you have to break the procedure into small pieces. For example, you will want to bring her a toy every day until the chihuahua realizes that this is totally normal and belongs to her routine, this way she will never lose control whenever you bring her a toy.

THIS ARTICLE MAY HELP: How to Calm Down a Hyper chihuahua

A lot of issues at the same time

Sometimes we will notice that our dog or puppy is suffering from what we call “little dog syndrome“. This means that a dog has multiple behavioral issues.

Tips for helping a Chihuahua behaves The right way

Some people have a lot of wrong ideas about chihuahua’s behaviors. They think that they are snappy and bark a lot. Based on our experience chihuahuas are extremely calm and friendly, it totally depends on how the puppy is raised.

A lot of factors will shape your chihuahua’s behavior. Such as the environment that you offer, how you handle negative behaviors, the way in which all family members interact with the dog, etc

There are some cases when it is normal for a chihuahua to bark. For example, when they eat their meals or when they don’t feel safe…

Scolding doesn’t fit this breed, so the owner must reinforce acceptable behavior via praise, treats, and pats.

Because of their size, some chihuahuas may face some trouble with their environment. The owner then must teach them how to handle the world around them. Other people, children, dogs, events and situations, need gradual socialization to these things to gain self-confidence.