Hello. Sorry for this long message: I just got a second dog about 2.5 months ago for a companion for my 4 yr. old neuterd male chihuahua. She was 5 months old when I got her. The new puppy is now a 7 month old female chihuahua about 1/3(4 pounds) the size of my male chihuahua (10 pounds). The new puppy seems to have had no socialization at all. She was extremely shy when I got her as well but I felt sorry for her so I bought her from a guy that did not want her any more. I couldn’t stand her being with him since she looked really scared. She is really scared of humans still. She runs away when u are going to grab her. She has gotten better only with me, but sometimes is still a little shy with me. What can i do to make her more social and help her stop being shy and scared, because when my family comes over I try to bring her in so she can get used to them but she will bark and snap at them so I don’t put her in when we have visitors anymore? Also the main concern is that the new puppy still snaps at Lucky when she stares at him or when Lucky is chewing on a bone. She was a lot worst with lucky before though. Now they have gotten to the point to which they can be left alone together in the same room and they even share the same food cuz if I leave food out for them separately they will eat from both bowls. I believe she is doing this because she hasnt had any socialization whatsoever. What can I do to discourage the aggresiveness she has towards lucky? She doesnt bite me or my sister (she is 14 yrs.) or even growls at me or my sister. I have been working with her like checking her mouth and teeth paws etc. and will not bite or growl at me. She is also coming to me more on her own. Overall she has gotten a better improvement since we got her, but only with me because she is still a little shy with my sister and has bonded with me. She does not follow my sister anywhere. However I am in college and im only home on the weekends and my sister takes care of her then since it is really her dog and lucky is mine.. ANy suggestions as to make her social with dogs and humans and not be shy, because she will bite people I believe it is out of fear aggresion? Will she ever trust lucky and not lunge at him to try to bite him any more? The thing that im worried about the most is that she has been attacking my parents for no reason at all. When my parents pass by her crate she will bark and lunge at them. She even bites their anckles and my parents are doing nothing at her whatsoever. They just tell her “NO” but I guess that isn’t working. Also recently that I take her to my parents so they can pet her and she can get used to them, she has been snapping to get them to stop touching her! My parents also live home and I don’t want her to be aggressive to my parents since we are keeping her no matter what. Lucky does not do that to us. He is dominant over us but never bites or lung at any of us. I don’t want her aggressiveness to get any worse than what it already is. Next Saturday she is starting puppy classes. (Should she get puppy classes? She is 7 months old) I hope that will help her a little to get used to other dogs and humans since I have also noticed that she growls and barks at other dogs she sees. She has learned to sit quite well and to lay down a little also. So I hope she learns to be more obedient with my sister as well as to me also. I have not been able to potty train her to use the litter or her pads completely. She is always peeing and pooping everywhere in the house even though we have the puppy pads their so she can go on them. Any advice u can give me will be really appreciated. Thank you very much!!!
chihuahua- fear aggression?
- Thread starter ssbon
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Hi. I have a female Chihuahua as well. She's my first-ever pet, so I will try to help you as much as I can from what I have learned with her. Our girl never seemed to show many signs of aggression. She does bark at other people or growl at them, but she shrinks away instead of lunging at others. When we first got her, she would nip at us sometimes. Instead of saying 'no' to her, we would make loud yelping noises like dogs do when they are in pain. Perhaps the puppy classes will help with her socialization. Chili isn't very well socialized because we don't know a whole lot of people where we are right now. When she is nervous or jumpy, we just try to use calm, soothing voices with her to let her know it is okay. Chili also did not use the puppy pads. Even when we put them under newspaper she would find them and rip them apart. We just use regular newspaper. We set aside a small area and put up a little exercise pen to designate as a "bathroom", papered it all over with newspaper. Eventually she sort of picked out a spot where she likes to go, and she would just rip up the rest of the newspaper. We now just paper the one area, and she uses it all the time. When she would have an accident we would pick her up, say 'no', and place her in the "bathroom" area.
It does sound like this pup was not socialized and it is past the window (16 weeks) where a good deal of socialization must take place in order to have a well adjusted dog. You can try to improve her outlook on people but she may never be totally comfortable. I wouldn't rush her or throw her in the midst of a bunch of people. What you're doing with her on a one to one basis with yourself sounds good. I'd just keep doing that and a little later, try introducing one other person sitting down quietly. Give treats for calm behavior and make things as pleasant as you can. Don't make any fuss over her when she is cowering or snapping. Don't give any attention for that. Try to distract her and then, when she has calmed down, give a reward and praise. Be careful that you don't reward her inadvertantly in such a way that she associates the reward with her undesireable behavior. Don't skip ahead of where she is comfortable. Just add one more person to the livingroom little by little, only stretching her comfort zone a teensy bit.
Like I said, she may never be really trusting or comfortable around a lot of people. She's afraid and her personality has developed from the basis of no experience. It's ingrained in her little psyche. So, good luck and keep doing what you're doing with her as far as introducing nail trimming, brushing whatever. And work from the premise of positive, fun, reward...no punishment with this shy, fearful little dumpling. If she's doing something you don't like, use distraction or ignoring and play up the good behavior.
Like I said, she may never be really trusting or comfortable around a lot of people. She's afraid and her personality has developed from the basis of no experience. It's ingrained in her little psyche. So, good luck and keep doing what you're doing with her as far as introducing nail trimming, brushing whatever. And work from the premise of positive, fun, reward...no punishment with this shy, fearful little dumpling. If she's doing something you don't like, use distraction or ignoring and play up the good behavior.
Just a question. Is she as snappy with other family members when you aren't around? My grandmother (Nanny) had a little Chihuahua that my Aunt had dumped after she got tired of it. We christened her Scarlet No'Hara since she'd never even had a real name! Scarlet was fearful and snappy and would try to bite everyone but Nanny - unless Nanny wasn't around. If she was taking a nap or gone to the store Scarlet was just as eager to please us as she could be. As soon as Nanny returned though, she'd jump on Nanny's lap and snarl and snap at everyone, no matter how Nanny tried to calm her.
Scarlet was the first animal Nanny ever had a problem controlling - she even had a wild cardinal that would fly down and perch on her shoulder and come into the house with her!
Scarlet was the first animal Nanny ever had a problem controlling - she even had a wild cardinal that would fly down and perch on her shoulder and come into the house with her!