Welcome to the list...... I'm rather new so don't always jump in. But have lots of dog experience and have studied the Chihuahua dog intensely after I adopted a rescue in 1994. My neighber had lots of chi's apple heads, deer heads, tinies, and mixes that she had taken in, so was exposed to all different kinds.
My first chi, was an applehead male with a weak back leg......(probably the knee I now find out) who when I took him, they didn't even neuter him as the vet said he couldn't physically mate. I don't know about that because, later after therapy and nutritional support and work with him, his leg was better, but he was never allowed to try! He was from the beginning attached to my husband and I, but no one else. He particularly did not like my teenage son and friends, even though they did not bother him, he would bark and bite and pull on their pant legs. My daughter he tolerated better, but never was trustworthy with strangers and kids, used to have to lock him in the bedroom when I had company. I tried dominance on him per my training coach that I had been taught with my doberman and shihtzu both who socialized well and were sweet dogs. He did not respond to well to the holding him down and growling at him, he would give in, but did not give up. With my husband and I he was very good, and was a jolly fellow with the other dogs (lhaso, shih tzu) used to get them to play with him and run them in circles around the house. Loved the sun on the back steps. Tunneled in the bed and learned to "climb" up on things with those little mousey toes when he could not jump! He was my "heart" replacement for my doberman who died, and had lost her mobility from a back problem and was so big, I could not bear to get another big dog, but wanted another one. At the rescue place he was the one who picked me, curling around my neck and hugging. He was chunky or cobby bodied type so was six pounds when he should have been five. He was like so many chi's liking to have something in his mouth, when he was about 9 years old he found a dead bird in the yard and contracted a bacterial infection that took him out before I realized how serious it was, under 12 hours. I know because I had him autopsied (what ever the word is for that in animals.) I found the upside of Chi's was their portability, easy upkeep, clip the nails, give a little flea control, maybe a bath in six months......low maintenance, not like the shih tzu's I had so many of...... Also they are cheerful dogs for the most part. Mine only bark at proper times, someone at the door, etc.... As companion's they are great! So little, it requires carefulness for children to handle them. Now the personality can vary like people, and of course with early bad imput, they can be quite fearful and biters. When I got my current little chi from rescue at 10 months, she was a basket case. She screeched at every thing and bite at you if you touched her wrong. I wrote in another post, that it is possible to bring them out of this. They need to have the "pack handling" just like bigger dogs, they need to have calm assertive handling done with them. They more than others need to feel you are their pack leader and they will be safe, as they are so small and can get into fear biting. I found walks with my shihtzu was very good for the chi, she felt secure with us and now is very socialized. When people would come up, I would pick her up and present her to them "but" first, see I was the pack leader showing her they were okay to "smell" her and to be friendly. She learned not to fear people and now runs to anyone (which saved her when she escaped over a four foot wall--but that is another story). I watched Ceasar Millan the Dog Whisperer show on National Geographic and he has a classic on of how to work with agressive chi's. On youtube is a short part of it. Following is the link http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZTzZDCtNZkM&mode=related&search= I do dominance on her with my two fingers gently in her neck until she gives in, keeping my anger aside and being calmly assertive. I learned also, that yelling and anger and fear just amplifies with chi's they are so sensitive already to all your moods. So apply a lot of what I call "goo goo" talk to them and they eat it up and try harder. Like making a production out of when they do good things. "Good girl" is my chi's favorite words! I think I could have cured my earlier chi of some of his attitude if I had had that input back when I got him. My current chi is a deerhead, and she has that more high strung body type, needs to eat a lot and have snacks to keep up her blood sugar, never seems to gain at all, still 4.5 lbs. Now one thing I read in the history of the chi's is they were bred to be ladies court dogs, sit on their lap and protect from anyone trying to get to close, so any wonder they go for the fingers? It is in their breeding to be protective! Hope this helps. Phylis ----- Original Message ----- From: brigitte stahre To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] feeling ignored hi all. i am a volunteer for "friends of the animals" and foster for them.. FOTA is mostly boston terriers and that's the breed i normally foster.. because of the overwhelming number of adoptable small dogs being euthanized in the midwest, FOTA has been bringing other small breeds up to new england where we don't have many.. O'brien originally came from arkansas and was fostered in missouri before transport.. If the mo. foster home had not been so full of puppymill rescues, she would have kept him.. he came to me after biting several people in a failed adoptive home and a foster home with small kids.. he has issues and a dr. jeckyl mr hyde personality disorder.. He needs an experienced chi home with people who are used to little dogs with big issues.. my personal dogs are a 1 and 1/2 yr old boxer and 8 year old gsdx and an 11 yr old deaf boston terrier.. brigitte stahre maine [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/2852 www.canine-epilepsy.com/ http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MA226.html friends of the animals bt rescue www.boxerbuddies.org www.betterphoto.com?willow56 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.13/840 - Release Date: 6/8/2007 3:15 PM
