May I ask how long you have had him? Did you get him as a pup or as an older dog? How to treat the situation would depend on the WHY behind the behavior. If he has ever been abused, then you can understand why he acts this way....and the thing to do is to show him that people can be loving...show unconditional love, no raised voices no physical punishment, ect. Punishment of any kind takes on a new meaning if the person/dog has suffered abuse.
Maybe he is an alpha dog, in which case the treatment is to show that YOU are the leader of the pack. Make him submit to your authority. If he becomes aggressive, put him on his back and hold him gently but firmly until he submits. Wear gloves if you have to, but don't give in. He will have to learn he is NOT the boss. Maybe he simply was never properly trained. Maybe he has always gotten by with this behavior and sees no reason to change it. Give him a reason. If it is a lack of proper training, start all over from the beginning just as if he is a new pup. Show your alpha status, ignore attention getting behaviors, reward proper behaviors, ect. Bottom line, you gotta first determine WHY he acts the way he does before you can change it. Sometimes though, it is a case in which it has gone to far for too long, and the average person will not be able to change the behavior. I hope this isn't the case, but sometimes it is. If it is the case and you do find yourself having to re-home him, give yourself enough time to find the right home. It isn't about who is willing or who has had a chi before or something. The proper person has to be someone who has a "sixth sense" so to speak into a dogs mind. Some people simply can connect with dogs in a way most people can not. It comes more from the heart than the head...and just really loving your dog doesn't cut it. Don't get into a hurry and place him with just anyone. After all, if the family he loves can not connect with him, then a strange family will not be able to either, unless they have that "gift" I hope, for your sake and his, that it is something that can be re-trained. Marsha ----- Original Message ----- From: Sheila To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2007 3:36 PM Subject: [Chihuahuas] Bad Chihuahua... Hello, my name is Sheila and I have a very serious problem that I need some advice on.I have a 3 year old Chihuahua named Max, and I am very seriously thinking of giving him up today because he just bit a young girl at my apartment complex. I am sitting here shaking and trying not to cry because I can very easily see myself getting sued over this. Max can be loving with me sometimes, but he hates everyone else. He chases and bites at people where I live, for the simple crime of just walking by him. He does not listen to me when I call him and when I try pulling him back he just lunges after the person again. This is not the first time he has lunged at someone, barking and with teeth bared, and he has destroyed the vertical blinds in my apartment from jumping up and down barking at people passing by. I can't have visitors to my place because he is so awful. It's to the point where no one can understand why I keep him. I'm not sure if I can afford to get him trained. I live paycheck-to- paycheck, and I'm a part-time student. He is neutered, so that's been taken care of. I just don't know what to do, I'm at wit's-end with this dog. I jokingly asked my vet last year if they made doggie Prozac. My family had a Chihuahua when I was growing up, and she was the sweetest, most obedient dog. It's because of her that I accepted this dog when he was being given up by my brother. He can be loving at times and sweet with me, and it's for those brief flashes of sweetness that I continue to deal with the aggravation. I just don't understand his behavior, and I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. I would give him to someone if I felt sure they could correct his behavior problems and he would have a better home than the one I can give him. Can someone knowledgable about Chihuahas give me some advice on this? I realize there are not enough good homes for the dogs that are out there, let alone one with such aggression issues, and I'd rather not give him up. But I am fast seeing that I may have to for both of our benefits. Please help! Sheila
