The Chihuahua is one of the cutest dogs in America. Few owners are ever interested in training their little dogs, considering their small and harmless demeanor. But despite its size, it is a breed of aggressive little dogs. Chihuahuas are known to be very stubborn. Hence, they need a more serious training regimen which should be started while they are young.
Why You Should Know How to Train a Chihuahua
Chihuahuas have their own distinct ways. They have developed these traits for hundreds of years that they have been treated as personal pets. While it is good for dogs to be attached to their masters, this can also lead to aggression issues, especially if they are not provided with the necessary training and socializing classes.
All Chihuahuas do not realize how small they are. This will give them the tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs which have all the capability to hurt them. They are also prone to be unfriendly. Training your Chihuahua to be more sociable will keep them out of harm’s way.
How to Train a Chihuahua
The Chihuahua has a high sense of dominance. Being allowed to run freely in the house, it thinks that it is in control. If you want to train your Chihuahua, the very first thing you must do is to let it know that you are the alpha leader. Do not allow it to go just anywhere it likes. Establish boundaries and clearly define the places where it is not allowed to go. This will be clear enough to make the it learn that you are the one in control.
Take control of your Chihuahua’s feeding schedule and let it know that it can only eat at your disposition. This is one way of getting its allegiance.
When walking the Chihuahua, make sure that you are in control of its leash. Do not allow it to choose the direction where you should both go. The leash should give it the signal that it can only go where you want it to; that’s control.
Again, defining boundaries is very important in keeping your Chihuahua’s behavior in check. You should not allow it to go just about anywhere in your house.
Do not caress your it each time you arrive or leave the house as this reinforces separation anxiety in them. You have to ignore it for at least 10 minutes. You can stroke it only when it calms down. This is a way to make it understand that good behavior is rewarded.
Be the alpha leader, otherwise you will not be able to control it.
Optimizing Mental Stimulation
Most Chihuahuas lack exercise because they are too small to perform routines that people let normal sized dogs do. Train your Chihuahua to perform basic commands such as sit, stay, speak, quiet, fetch and other tricks. This will give them mental exercise.
You can train the Chihuahua by eliminating or limiting its chances of challenging your leadership. Avoid getting overwhelmed by its energy and stimulate it mentally by teaching it to perform some basic commands. This will reduce the bad temperament issues of your cute little Chihuahua.
Stan Beck is an experienced dog training consultant whose free Dog Training Guide is an essential factor in improving your dog’s behavior. Find out how Stan Beck can help improve your dog’s behavior. Visit his website and get useful tips how to train your dogs the easy way.