This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer policy
When it comes to choosing a dog to have as a family pet, it is important to ensure that the animal is the correct fit for your family, and that your family is the correct fit for them too.
Chihuahuas tend to divide opinions amongst dog lovers, while some people love them, others are not as keen. However, when it comes to having them as a daily dog, they are typically a great dog to choose.
Even so, there are a few things you will need to take into consideration. On the whole, chihuahuas are a friendly breed, especially when it comes to their family. They are loyal, loving, and typically are very fond of their owners.
As a breed in general, they require a lot of attention. This is why they deal particularly well in a family setting. However, care will need to be taken if you have children. While chihuahuas are mostly great around children, they do prefer older children.
If you have younger children, it is very important to ensure that you teach them not to overly fuss the chihuahua, and how to interact with them correctly. When it comes to other family pets, chihuahuas are very accepting of other animals in the home, and typically do deal with them well.
Although chihuahuas are great with their own family, and familiar dogs, they are wary of people and animals that they do not know. As a result of this, they can become quite frightened, and even potentially aggressive if they are approached or placed in an uncomfortable situation. This is worth keeping in mind.
On the whole, a chihuahua is a great option to consider as a family pet. They are daily low maintenance, and being small, they are suited to smaller households. They do not require as much walking in comparison to other breeds, and they do make fantastic companions.
There is definitely far more to chihuahuas than just being a stereotypical “designer breed” of dog to have. While they might be the world’s smallest dog, they certainly make up for this with their larger than life personalities!
Is Chihuahua Easy To Train?
Yes, chihuahuas are quite an easy breed of dog to train on the whole. However, as with any dog, you will need to have a lot of patience and persistence. When it comes to training dogs, you will get out of it what you put in. So, the more you train and teach your dog, the more responsive and well behaved they will be.
When it comes to chihuahuas specifically, it is always best to train them as soon as possible. This allows the training to be enjoyable for the breed, and it will teach them how to respond quicker too. Chihuahuas can be a fairly stubborn dog on occasions, and this is why you should try to begin the training process as quickly as possible.
Chihuahuas prefer to be trained by their owners, or someone they are confident and relaxed around. With this breed, taking them to a trainer may not be the best option, as this can cause them to become quite wary and anxious.
The other thing to consider when training a chihuahua is their size. Given that they are a lot smaller in comparison to other dogs, the training may be slightly different. In addition to this, you cannot really carry out any agility training with a chihuahua in the same way that you would with a large dog because they are such a small breed.
If you are rescuing a chihuahua, you may find that it might be slightly more difficult to train if it is older. However, the most important thing to do is to keep up with the training, and ensure that you are being assertive with your tone of voice, but patient with the training process.
Asserting to your chihuahua that they need to listen to the commands you are giving is important because they can have a tendency to become quite strong-willed and have an attitude as they get older.
In addition to the training process, as they can be easily wary of strangers, and unfamiliar dogs, you will want to ensure that you are socializing them from a young age. This can help to prevent any adverse behaviors or aggression from occurring. It can also help with their fears surrounding unfamiliar people. Having a dog that has been correctly socialized is an important part of the training process.
Do Chihuahuas Bark A Lot?
Some dogs are prone to barking, and others are not. When it comes to chihuahuas, they are a barking breed. As a result, this is something that you will need to be very aware of when you are purchasing this breed. While it does ultimately depend on the individual dog, chihuahuas do typically bark more than the average dog.
There are a number of reasons why they will bark, but the main reason is to assert their dominance. As we have already covered, chihuahuas can be a protective dog, and because of this, if they sense danger they will bark. They will also tend to bark if another dog or stranger is in what they see as their own territory too.
Another reason why chihuahuas tend to bark is out of fear. Being a smaller dog, they need to make themselves seem larger, and barking can be a sign of this if they are fearful of someone. It is almost a warning to let others know that they are not happy with a situation.
Chihuahuas are a breed that can experience separation anxiety easily. This can be another reason why they have a tendency to bark. It is a way of them calming themselves down. If they are left alone, the barking can also be a sign of boredom too.
While the barking can be a frustrating thing to deal with, it is something that can be worked on, especially if the dog is younger.
