Why Are chihuahuas So Aggressive?

For some chihuahuas, There is a saying that goes like this. If the size of them would have been a little larger, then they might have been the deadliest dogs on the planet”. People say so because of the fact that some chihuahuas are, despite their small size, quite aggressive. Aggressive chihuahua is not as aggressive as compared to dogs like Rottweilers and Pit Bull. But considering the small size of the breed, they are considered to be the most aggressive. Also according to an AABS survey, some small breeds are more likely to bite humans.

In this article we will cover:

• Why are chihuahuas so mean?
• Types of aggression, and the appropriate Training
• How to stop chihuahua from being aggressive
• Training duration

Why Are some chihuahuas So Aggressive?

 This question will always face us when we ask where this aggressive nature of the chihuahua has come from? It is possibly due to their small size they are trying to be more protective of themselves. It is not only that they show aggression only towards Humans but also towards other dogs as well. This shows that they are quite insecure about the world. They have a very small scope and want to include very fewer people in it. It is not something that is in the genes of chihuahuas and is inherent. It is mostly because of the environment in which they live and endure.

Health issues

If your chihuahua is super healthy and suddenly becomes aggressive, It is probably due to a health issue and not due to incorrect behavior. You should know that when a chihuahua or any other dog is in pain, he will behave very aggressively. Even if there is no sign of obvious injury.

Ill chihuahuas can become very anxious and restless, and these two indications are always mistaken for aggression.

Another factor to take into consideration is when someone is close to the dog area (bed, eating area, or resting area). Then the dog may act aggressively because he will consider it a threat.

There are different diseases that can put your chihuahua in pain such as urinary infection, tooth issues, etc. For the above reasons, it is very necessary to take your chihuahua to have a dog’s veterinarian perform a complete check-up.

In order to deal with severe aggression problems, there is training available for this reason. However, you must not start any type of training until you are sure that your dog doesn’t suffer from any health issues.

YOU CAN ALSO CHECK: Common Signs your chihuahua is Ill and Tips for a Happy Healthy chihuahua

When your chihuahua is getting dominant.

The very first step to take is to realize that a chihuahua is also a pet and do not their size bias your decision. It is something normal that when large dog bark at you respond by showing some aggression. Behave with your chihuahua in the same manner. Do not let the size of your chihuahua change your decision to something easy. Some of the signs which will help you to recognize the dominant behavior nature of your chihuahua are:

• Their pushy behavior
• They might be trying to get your attention towards themselves.
• They’ll hold their heads high in a very lofty manner.
• Chihuahuas also try to ignore your commands. Do not let that happen.

Training

When you realize that your chihuahua is perfectly healthy and you decided to start training. Please note that the training is divided into two different classes Moderate and severe. Each of these two categories has different techniques to follow to fix the aggression issue.

Moderate

This classification is the most known among dogs, especially chihuahuas. Fortunately, in this division, the aggression problems can be fixed easily if the guidelines are respected. But, what are the signs of this category? Here are some signs:

• The chihuahua may bark at his parents with the teeth that are exposed and he looks clearly agitated.
• The dog may nip without any attention to heart his humans, he may do it very close to his owner in the air.
• Attacking the owner without making any contact.

Severe

Dogs who are in this division are very rare. They are dogs who were raised by bad people, and who were trained to attack. There is also another case where a dog can display severe aggression, it is when a dog was neglected or had a past abuse. Because it is almost impossible for a dog who was raised in a healthy environment to become out of control and severely aggressive.

• A chihuahua may bite his owner or a stranger. We mean by biting, the contact, and breaking in by the teeth. 
• The dog is control everything in the house as he always acts in a threatening manner.

How to stop your chihuahua from being aggressive?

A lot of chihuahuas who have aggression issues will fit into the first category which is the moderate category. 

Please note that before starting the training all the members of the household must be involved. Because the training will not succeed if one of the members is showing weakness or he/she is not in agreement. The main purpose of this training is to show your dog that you are in charge.

After a period of time, your dog will learn that he must respect all his owners. Therefore, he will never display any aggressive behavior. However, it’s crucial to maintain this situation to have a healthy and peaceful relationship with your chihuahua.

Tips to ensure that your chihuahua is calm and not aggressive.

 There are a lot of methods to calm your insecure chihuahua and not let his aggression take over him completely. They are below

• Teach your chihuahua basic commands. The first one is the sit command because it will help to establish other steps.
• Food is a great weapon to use to train your dog, you have to note that your dog doesn’t know where the food comes from. For this reason, you have to show your dog that you are the leader by deciding when and where to eat. And you should do it every day. There is another bad behavior that a chihuahua can display, is being overly protective of his food and can snap at anyone who comes close while he eats. Order your dog to sit before giving him any meal or treat and he must obey it. Be patient when your dog doesn’t respond to you at first, he may need time to learn the command.
• As we know all dogs including chihuahuas that are well domesticated tend to mark their territories. If we see things from a dog’s perspective, the house if the den, and the yard surrounding it is the territory. Then the leader is one who enters/exits the house first. Never let your chihuahua or any other pet in the household enter/exit the first. Because this way you are sending the wrong messages to your pets. In other words, the chihuahua will interpret it as if he is the Alpha. This is the start point of some behavioral issues such as aggressive problems.
• When your chihuahua doesn’t obey you and is not friendly and cooperative. Then you should never let him set on the sofa near you or sleep in the same bed. The goal here is to show him that you are the Alpha.

• Take your chihuahua to new places and introduce them to new people in a very measured manner.

What to avoid

When bringing a chihuahua home, we do it to have a great loving companion. No one really plans to have an aggressive dog. People react sometimes to a dog snaps in a bad manner and this can make the situation even worse. Please avoid doing the following:

• Never try to hit your chihuahua as it might trigger aggression in his behavior.
• Do not let any other person touch him in an undesired manner that might irritate your chihuahua.
• Menacing the chihuahua physically
• As we said above food is a great weapon to use, however never prevent your chihuahua from eating. Try to control when and where instead of Withholding food.

Training duration

You may ask now How Long For the Results to Show? The answer here is it depends on your dog. As some dogs will get it very quickly just after a few days. While others will take a couple of weeks. If your dog doesn’t show any progress, you have to ask the help of a licensed canine behavioral expert.

Here is a video on how to deal with an aggressive puppy

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