Dog Community

Is it true??

Posted : 6/30/2006 8:59:55 PM

Is it true that dogs with chihuahua blood in them are mean?? I have a 4 month old chihuahua/dachshund mix and she's very agressive. When she sees strangers, she barks like crazy, but i know that a lot of other dogs doesn't react that way even if its a stranger. Also, when she's comfortable on my bed or the couch and someone picks her up, she growls and tries to bite them. The thing is, she never does that to me or my boyfriend, but everybody else in the family. I don't want to raise her as a mean dog and bite everyone she sees. I flick her nose when she bites. Is that a good idea??

Xebby

Posted : 6/30/2006 9:12:42 PM

You need to train her the same way a bigger dog would be trained with the same problem. Don't just ignor this behavor. Infact you can even start her in puppie classes with an obedience trainer, this should help greatly with socilizing her and give you ideas how to handel any agression issues that may arize. If she's already doing this as a puppy it will only get worse as she gets older unless you interupt it now. This breed tends to be a little mean but it's more based on the meathoud of training the owner does.

Julitza

Posted : 7/1/2006 12:21:52 PM

Chihuahuas have a really bad rep. The reason for this is that Chis are the smallest known dog breed and because of their small size people pamper them WAY too much. They do not take the time to properly socialize or train because it is such a small and cute dog. So the dog grows up fearing and/or hating everything.

No youre dog is not agressive because she has Chi blood, she just needs to be properly trained and socialize just as if you owned a large breed or maybe even more. Dont let her do whatever she wants just because she is small

Julitza

Posted : 7/1/2006 12:23:36 PM

And NO, flicking her nose when she gets agressive is NOT a good idea, nor is any other type of physical correction

spiritdogs

Posted : 7/1/2006 1:31:27 PM

Great little book you might want to get:
"Little Dogs - Training Your Pint-Sized Companion" by Deborah Wood. It has lots of hints on training the tiny tykes, and uses positive, non-threatening methods.

jones

Posted : 7/2/2006 4:48:04 PM

It is extremely rare for a 4 month old puppy to be "very aggressive." Your pup just needs some training, and you probably need a few tools in your handler belt (metaphorically speaking). I'd suggest you enroll her and yourself in a beginner obedience class.

spiritdogs

Posted : 7/3/2006 8:36:15 AM

It is extremely rare for a 4 month old puppy to be "very aggressive."

This is true, but it is also common for puppies of this age who have been inadequately socialized and trained to exhibit this behavior. The sad part is if you allow it to continue much beyond 5-6 months of age, it's way harder to correct. Take jones' advice and enroll in a beginner manners class. If you need to find one, you can go here:
[linkhttp://www.ccpdt.com]www.ccpdt.com[/link]
[linkhttp://www.clickertraining.com]www.clickertraining.com[/link]
Both sites have trainer searches.

whtsthfrequency

Posted : 7/4/2006 10:13:25 AM

Don't worry, nurture beats nature in practically everything. Saying a dog with chihuahua blood in it will be mean, is like saying that any dog with pit bull in it must be mean, or that anyone with Asian blood muct be a nerd, or anyone with German blood must be a Nazi.

Don't worry, she has a lot of growing up yet to do and she will be FINE

Definitely use this site and its wonderful members as a resource. I would also look into puppy classes. Does she gets to see a lot of other dogs on a regular basis?