I can't take him anymore. He's too aggressive.

I don't believe crating is by any means a cure all (in fact, only one of my three has one, and that's because he loves to den. He's in there, door open, snoozing on a pillow as I type this), but I do think it could help in your case. Giving him his own place to 'cool off', eat, etc can go a long ways. Just because you use a crate, does not mean you have to abuse it (as his former owner did, if he did indeed crate him all of the time).  If it came to rehoming him (likely via a rescue, if they would take a dog with aggression issues) he'd likely end up crated at some point. Crates do not have to be a torture device with the dog being 'jailed' 23 hours a day.

I'd also start NILIF, as was suggested. I'd also have the humans alter their behavior a bit and cease eating at his level, end his being at your level while you eat, and for the time being, put an end to his having access to chewies/bones. I'd keep a light leash on him when you're home, as well, so that you can redirect him to something else if he shows aggressive behavior.

If you can set a goal to save up some cash for classes by, perhaps, summer, that could be helpful as well.  I made minimum wage when my dogs were pups and, while I may not have been able to get the cash at the drop of a hat, I was able to save up for the things they needed (classes, neuters, etc) in time. 

redlegos

I also have 2 of his DVDs, but I've never watched them.

Watch them.   Season one, episode one is about a "demon" chi named Nunu. He's now a famous dog. He was aggressive and bitey. They have done a follow up and he's a happy, balanced dog.

Nunu Video 

Nunu's Owner's Testimonial 

 The good news is that he has not been aggressive toward people.  Aggression toward people and dogs are not the same.  Some dogs will be aggressive to one or the other, and some to neither or both.  Aggression toward dogs does not necessarily mean your dog will ever aggress toward a human, although redirected aggression is always a possibility that you must keep in the back of your mind.

Lori gave you some good advice, and she has been dealing with this issue for a long time.  When dealing with aggression, the key is to try to remove what triggers it (So, don't feed him near other dogs, and don't have people eating on the floor at his level, and don't have him on the couch with them while they are eating up there either.)   Every time a dog aggresses, he is learning that it works, and that's why you work under the triggering threshold.  The object is NOT to knock the dog down a rung, it's to elevate the people in the home to a leadership position.  You can do this with gentle NILIF.  You can also get yourself a clicker (cheaper than a behaviorist LOL) and start teaching him attention and eye contact.  The goal, eventually, is for you to be able to tell him "leave it", "watch me", "come", or "go to your mat", etc.  Training can help you deal with aggression!  Start here: www.clickerlessons.com

In fact, don't stop with him - train the other dogs in the same way - you can then tell them "wait" before they approach, or "come" away from him, etc.  The more control you have over all the dogs, the less control they seek.  And, when you finally get good at maneuvering them via commands, you may even be able to do a bit of conditioning, hand feeding them treats together.  So, they start to learn that it is the presence of the other dogs that gets them the good stuff.   (Ya, I know that seems to contradict what I said earlier, but remember, this is only AFTER you attain control through obedience work.)

For information on aggression, you can try looking at this site: www.k9aggression.com 

Does your dog ever break skin, or is he just snarking at the other dogs as they pass by him?  Is he ever food aggressive toward humans? (The latter makes him unsuitable for a home with children, IMO, and I would consider re-homing him BEFORE he has a bite incident, since you would not be able to place him easily afterward.) 

FourIsCompany

Season one, episode one is about a "demon" chi named Nunu.

LOL, that's what my family calls him. Demon dog.

Does your dog ever break skin, or is he just snarking at the other dogs as they pass by him?  Is he ever food aggressive toward humans? (The latter makes him unsuitable for a home with children, IMO, and I would consider re-homing him BEFORE he has a bite incident, since you would not be able to place him easily afterward.) 

He never breaks the skin, but he does "attack". He'll bite them, growl, jump on them. It's pretty scary. He's usually not food aggressive toward humans, but he will snatch your food though. He acts hungry 24/7.
*And what I mean by "eating on the floor", is not me eating my dinner on the floor. It's like if my niece has an apple and she's sitting in the living room on the floor watching tv.

I think at this point if your niece or any one else for that matter is eating on the floor then he shouldn't be allowed in the room.  He shouldn't be given the chance to steal anyones food.  Especially, if he could become aggressive over it. 

I also wanted to mention I think that following NILIF and separating him from potential problems is the way to go right now--for a long while.  Especially, until you are a lot more comfortable in understanding and reading what's going on with him.  Hopefully, this will make sense, but I've seen this before, if you try to "work" on the problems without a good grip on what you are doing, it might end badly.

Spiritdogs and willowchow are giving you good advice, imo.

 Your dog is not aggressive but rather it sounds like he has guarding issues - a trait I find to be quite common in Chihuahuas.  They can sound quite nasty when fighting, but don't do any damage.

My suggestion is to not put him in the position of guarding any more.  If someone is eating, remove the dog from the room BEFORE any issues start.  I have done this with bones with my 2 chihuahuas and it is the solution.  Sorry if it seems inconvenient, but if the dog is a loving, sweet dog as you describe (and so cute I could die!) then he deserves to succeed.  He can only succeed if you put him in the position of succeeding and that is by first removing the cause of his issue - in this case food.

Chihuahuas are notorious beggars and always seem to be starving.  I don't think your dog is showing anything unusual and his issue just needs to be properly managed.  You will find that in time you may be able to re-introduce him to the room while others are eating (though humans should not be eating at dog level as long as you have this dog, imo).  I truly believe that for a dog this tiny who isn't doing real damage and isn't a true threat, the best method is proper management of the situation.

 ETA, if you truly don't want him anymore, I will be happy to take him and pay the cost of shipping him to California (actually I will come get him - I wouldn't make him fly alone).  He will have a fantastic life here!  PM me if you are interested!  I am serious.

 As to the guarding issue, grab a copy of "Mine? A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" by Jean Donaldson, and get to work.

The good news is that with a dog that has good bite inhibition, you should be able to train him not to guard against humans.  Dogs may be another story, but the simple solution is not to feed them together. 

willowchow

Hopefully, this will make sense, but I've seen this before, if you try to "work" on the problems without a good grip on what you are doing, it might end badly.

This makes sense, I was only encouraging her to "work" on the issues because it gets a lot worse if you just manage it and never deal with the issues. That's my experience, anyway.

spiritdogs

but the simple solution is not to feed them together. 

It's weird because they all have 3 different bowls. At feeding time, they all eat and mind their business. None of the dogs want the other ones food. It's just human food, or treats or anything they don't get at feeding time.

And no, I'm not giving him up. "I can't take him anymore" doesn't mean I don't want him, It just means "Gosh, Chico, stop this!" lol. I think I'd be seriously depressed without him.

redlegos

And no, I'm not giving him up. "I can't take him anymore" doesn't mean I don't want him, It just means "Gosh, Chico, stop this!" lol. I think I'd be seriously depressed without him.

 

Oh well - my loss!  lol

 Just keep me in mind if anything ever comes up! 

kelliope

Just keep me in mind if anything ever comes up! 

Will do. Even though I don't ever plan on it, thank you for having open arms.

OK, first of all, don't panic just yet.  It's not unheard of for a dog aggressive dog to become aggressive towards people, but being dog aggressive doesn't make it more likely he will become aggressive to people as well (unless someone stepped into a fight for example, and he re-directed on to them in the heat of the moment, but I think that is a bit different). 

Some simple measures to put in place would be, teaching the children never to touch him if he is eating, resting or in his bed (or crate).  Teaching the children how to pet him in ways that he is comfortable with and keeping them elevated from him where possible (eg, dog on floor, kids at the table or on the couch... for SAFETY reasons, not because of dominance).  Never leaving the children alone with him, always giving eyes on supervision, and always providing him with the option of Flight in the form of a bolt hole that he can retreat to that the children are not allowed to encroach upon.  (A crate is ideal for this!)

Secondly, I understand totally where you are coming from with the crate idea.  I would never suggest you put him in a crate for an extended length of time, or as a punishment.  But I do think that for you to dismiss their value entirely is throwing the baby out with the bathwater a bit.  Introduced properly, a crate will give him a coping strategy - a place where he feels GOOD and secure, not under threat from anyone (human or dog).  He needs to know the crate is (a) a HAPPY place and (b) HIS.  NO ONE will encroach on that space, it's his and his alone.  He doesn't have to defend it. 

Just FEED him in his crate with the door closed, then let him out.  Nothing else.  Just meals and high value treats.  You can work up to that point gradually over a few days if you think he needs it.  In the meantime, definitely feed him seperately from the others, even without the crate.  When the family are eating, you could pop him in the crate with a high value treat (a bone, or a pre-prepared well-stuffed Kong).  This kind of management is relatively inexpensive and can be implemented without classes or a trainer.  It is also a subtle form of training... for example, over time, if done consistently, at family mealtimes he will anticipate his treat and run to his crate and wait for it.  And when that is happening... where is the need for any aggression? 

Thirdly, I agree with others that he should be banned from furniture for the time being and NILIF should be implemented.  Any time he wants something, ask for (for example) a sit.  Make sure you have his attention first, ask him clearly and kindly and give him time to think and choose to comply.  If he does not comply, "disengage".  Look away, turn away from him.  If he WANTS that "thing" he is likely to try to engage you again by doing as you asked.  You can then reward him by turning back to him with a pleased smile and a "goood boy!" and, most importantly, giving him what he "asked" for.  If he still didn't "get it", just walk away and try again later.  You might be surprised how quickly this approach yields results.

If you would LIKE to let him get up on the furniture, then put that off for the time being.... put your strategies in place and let him adjust.  Then, make "sofa time" a treat.  Make getting "up" and "off" a really fun game which you control.  The aim is that he should come up when invited, and get down willingly when asked.  TAKE him to the living room, sit on the couch and invite him up with a clear cue (I used "hup hup!";)  Likely, being up there will be a reward in itself!  Throw a tasty treat on the floor (his favourite) and as he hops down say "off."  You might have to block him from coming back up straight away, either with your body or you could leave a lead on him.  Ask for a "sit", pause for a moment and then: hup hup! again.  And "off" in the same way.  Making the "sit" part of the game means he "sits" and waits for his "hup" cue.... a way of "asking" if you like, rather than just jumping up by himself when he isn't given the cue.

Thank you so much.

That helps a lot too. For some reason I thought everyone meant to keep him there for awhile (15+ minutes), which made me think "Oh goodness, he will hate me if I do that."

I have some questions, if you don't mind:

*What do you suggest is a good amount of time after he's used to it?

*Also, after I feed him in there and all that is "cool" with him, when he needs his space, like if a lot of family is over or something.. should I still shut the door?

*If/when he's in trouble, do I just sit him in there? How will he know the difference between a "time out" and a "mom's just trying to protect me" thing?

I do want him to think it's his "get-a-way space." I want him to want to get in it, I think that's why I was so afraid afraid to get one, because the lady before me always kept him in one. She didn't even have a yard, so when he got to go outside, he was on a leash. All day inside, he was in a crate.

I've been doing some NILIF.. before he gets to go out, before he gets to eat, before he gets treats. He's doing well even though he only knows 3 commands, lol. (Beg, sit, lay) Training him to get on and off the couch is an excellent idea. (Duh to me on that one!) He's been doing so well. I am so proud of him. I don't know if it's the medicine or the NILIF, or even both.. but he hasn't been even half as agressive as he was. I know this sounds stupid, but can he still sleep with me at night, or is that a no-no for right now? And I don't have to make him sleep in a crate do I? Again, thanks to everyone for all of your help and advice!

I have always made the crate a positive place to be.  They get treats in the crate, lots of warm blankies, etc.  My two LOVE their crate and run in there if they are feeling overwhelmed, need some downtime, etc.

I do not use the crate for punishment.  Rather, if I feel the need to crate because the dog is doing inappropriate behavior, I just get a treat, say "go to your house" in a positive, upbeat tone and they just run in - happy as clams.

So basically you can still use the crate to prevent issues while still making it positive for the dog.

When I fostered them my sister (who rescued them) told me some very good advice.  I didn't want to crate them (because I too thought it mean), but she said "a chihuahua without a crate is like a turtle without a shell".  This is so very true for mine - their crate is their safe spot, their travel bed, their rest area. 

My dogs slept in their crate for about the first month I had them, from that point on they have slept with me.  Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with your little dogs sleeping with you.  Since that is what they are used to, I think it may cause them stress about the crate to force them to sleep in it now (knowing snuggly little Chi's as I do!).

One more thing I learned from the humane society.  Do not pull your dog from the crate if he doesn't want to come out.  He should come out on his own.  If he doesn't and you really, really need to get him out (such as at the vet's, etc.) then remove the top of the crate and lift him out.  The crate, as his safe spot, should be respected, imo.  Otherwise it isn't so safe as he would see it.

 Best of luck and I am happy to hear things are going better (even if that means you won't be sending him to me!)

Thank you. That is very helpful.

How do I get them to go in there in the first place? Food and bones/treats? Do I then shut the door?

I'm already picturing it in my mind.. Pedro getting scared, won't go in, tail between legs, looking at me like "Mom, what have I done to deserve this?"