The Chihuahua: A Little Friend

Small but tough: this is how we could define the Chihuahua, a nice earthquake that, despite its very small size, in terms of liveliness and destructive fury, is able to compete with its older relatives, especially when it comes to a puppy. . However, if he is properly trained, he is a charming dog that will conquer your hearts.

It may be that its small size will prompt you to consider it as a baby and, consequently, to treat with indulgence certain behaviors that you would not normally tolerate in the case of a normal sized dog. For this reason, it is essential that you learn to educate your Chihuahua in a balanced way.

Five basic steps for Chihuahua education

Author: Angie Tarantino

Chihuahuas are dogs that, if not trained properly, tend to be very aggressive. In this regard, we want to give you some advice, which we hope will be useful to you.

• Educate your Chihuahua to socialize. Surely you will have seen other specimens of this breed acting aggressively, barking and growling at other dogs, due to a lack of education. For this reason it is important to get him used to interacting with other dogs and other people outside his home environment since he was a puppy: in this way you will make your little friend a nice and sociable dog.
• Make rules. Talk to all members of your family and decide together a common strategy regarding what your Chihuahua can or cannot do and also what you want to teach him : you will all have to keep the same course with your dog, otherwise he will tend to rebel, because of his character.

• Make a corner of the house available just for him. The Chihuahua is a dog that, due to its small size, easily adapts to living at home, but you will have to ensure it a place to sleep quietly, another to do its business and a third place to eat. And if there are other dogs in the house, remember that it’s best to keep separate kennels and bowls.
• Correct misconduct. If your Chihuahua misbehaves or does not respect your rules, do not scold him, rather say a sharp “no” and punish him by picking up his favorite toys or returning home from the park in advance of the scheduled time. Chihuahuas are intelligent dogs and will know how to connect punishment with their bad behavior, avoiding repeating it in the future.
• Don’t treat him like a baby. Their tiny size can deceive you and lead you to consider them an eternal puppy, but nothing is further from reality : when they grow up and become adults, they are dogs in all respects, just like their larger relatives.

Below we also give you some advice about the care that Chihuahuas need, since their small size leads them to need special attention.

The care of a Chihuahua

The food

Although Chihuahuas, being small dogs, do not need to eat a lot, the food you give them must be of good quality, as their small stomach is very delicate. We are aware that this type of feeding involves a greater expense, but we are equally sure that in this way you will avoid many health problems, with the visits to the vet that this entails.

The vet

Take your Chihuahua to the vet at least once a year, for a complete check-up, even when, apparently, there are no health problems : they are delicate dogs, which tend to get sick very easily. An annual check-up will save you headaches in the future.

The walks

Even if you think that Chihuahuas have enough space at home to run, it is not so: like any other dog, even your little friend needs to go out for his walks. Obviously you will have to pay attention to the outside temperature: avoid letting him out when it is too hot, as they would have difficulty breathing, due to the small size of his lungs. Take him out at least once a day and avoid long walks, which could tire him extremely.

Chihuahuas may seem like dogs that need a lot more attention than other breeds, but they are perfect pets if what you are looking for is an independent friend who is perfectly suited to apartment living.

Images courtesy of: Stuart Richards and Angie Tarantino.