You will be happy to know that you can train your Chihuahua to have good manners and be well-behaved. It will take some time and effort on your part, but it will be worth it. Your dog can learn to be polite around your family and friends. A well-mannered dog can be a wonderful companion. You are your dog's leader. Positive reinforcement or a reward, such as nice praise or a favorite treat can be very helpful when teaching good behavior to your dog. A dog owner should appreciate his dog’s good behavior. A Chihuahua with good manners doesn’t bark uncontrollably at people or other dogs. He doesn’t jump on people or chew up your expensive furniture. Also, good housetraining habits are very important for your dog.
Be consistent when training your dog. Remember to keep your dog's attention and have some fun during training. Reward your dog when he demonstrates the desired behavior that you are teaching him. If your dog does something right, it is helpful if you praise him immediately. Focus on the good behavior that your dog demonstrates, not the bad behavior. If you happens to see your puppy starting to chew on your expensive shoes, try to offer him a safe and appropriate dog toy made for chewing instead of the shoes.
Some behaviors you may want to discourage are the following:
Jumping up on people
Barking too much
Chewing on household or personal items, such as furniture or shoes
I will try to give some helpful tips on how to improve these behaviors.
1. Teaching Your Chihuahua Not To Jump Up When Greeting You, Your Friends or Family Members
You probably really love your dog and you may actually be happy when he jumps up to greet you when you come home. However, this is not always practical for you or for other people that may come over to your house to visit. Many people are a little scared when dogs jump up on them. Your friends and other visitors may wear very nice clothing that they don't want ruined by accident. Sometimes, you may have a few large grocery bags in your arms that you are carrying in from the store, or you may have some expensive clothing on that you happened to wear for work or a special occasion. It is up to you whether you want to routinely allow your dog to jump up when he greets you. If you decide that you don't want your dog to jump up, you will need to teach him not to do this and be consistent about it.
To teach your dog not to jump up, you can carefully help him get back down when he jumps up on you and tell him to sit. Give him nice verbal praise when he obeys you. It is good to be consistent when teaching your dog not to jump up when greeting you.
For example, if you are wearing your old clothes on the weekend and you think it is fine for him to jump up during these times, but not when you are wearing your expensive clothes, he will get confused. The important thing for your dog to understand is that he is definitely allowed to greet you, but instead of jumping up, it will be in a sitting position. If you continue to praise your dog when he obeys, he will probably quickly learn what is expected of him.
2. How To Help Prevent or Control Excessive Barking
It's only natural, dogs bark to communicate with their owners or other animals. It is important for your dog to understand when it is appropriate to bark and when it is good to be quiet. Dogs will bark for several different reasons. It's their way of communicating and expressing themselves. Listed below are some common reasons why dogs bark.
Dogs may bark to try to get your attention. They may start young as puppies with a little crying or whining sound to communicate with their mom and family litter. Puppies or grown dogs may whine when they want something like food, when they are frustrated or scared, or just when they want some attention. It is common for a new puppy to whine at night because they may be lonely or frightened. Sometimes, we may not realize it at first, but we may actually reward the puppy for whining by giving the puppy the attention he wants. It may be helpful not to reward a puppy or grown dog that may be whining just for attention. When your puppy is quiet and relaxed you may wish to reward him with nice praise or a favorite treat. It is important to remember that teaching your puppy good behavior from the start is easier than changing inappropriate behavior later on.
Socializing your puppy is very important. You may want to introduce your puppy to situations that may cause anxiety later on. It is helpful for puppies to learn how to cope with their environment in a healthy and positive way. Positive influence in the early weeks of the puppy's life can be very beneficial.
You can go slow and gradually introduce your puppy to a variety of items and sounds that are routinely around the house so they become a little familiar to them. Some sounds that may be new to your puppy are the following: doorbell ringing, telephone ringing, sounds from an alarm clock, noise from a vacuum cleaner, sound of the television or any music playing.
Your dog may bark because they are so happy about playing Frisbee outside, going for a walk or for nice ride in a car. They may also bark because they are excited when friends come to your house to visit.
Your dog may bark when he hears other dogs in your neighborhood barking.
Your Chihuahua may bark to try to warn you, if he sees an unfamiliar person coming to your home. It is common for dogs to bark at mail carriers.
Another common reason why dogs bark is because they are bored. It is important to routinely provide enough appropriate exercise and attention for your dog every day.
You may need to understand that chances are you are probably the most important person in your dog's life. When a dog that is routinely used to constant human companionship and attention is left alone, the dog can experience some separation anxiety. Your dog may not understand why he cannot go with you and he may worry about whether or not you will be coming back home to be with him. Your dog may bark or howl when he is experiencing separation anxiety.
Some ideas that may possibly help minor separation anxiety include the following:
Don't be very dramatic when you are leaving or returning to your home. When you return back home you can calmly pet your Chihuahua and reassure him.
When you have to leave your dog in the house, you can give him a piece of clothing that has your scent.
You can make a reassuring habit of using a certain word that you routinely use every time you leave that tells your dog you will be coming back home.
Possibly, if the dog could hear the sound of a radio or television, it may be calming and relaxing.
Sometimes, having safe and appropriate dog toys available for your dog will be a little distraction and help to keep them busy.
Next, I will mention ideas to help dogs that may have a habit of chewing furniture or some of your personal items.
3. Why Dogs Chew and Some Helpful Tips About Chewing
There are some basic reasons that dogs chew. Puppies may check out some of the new things in their environment by putting objects in their mouths. Puppies may also chew to relieve pressure of their new little teeth erupting through their gums. They may teethe for about 6 months, which usually causes some discomfort. Chewing can make their sore gums feel better.
Some dogs chew because they are bored. It may be helpful to give your dog enough daily attention. Safely taking him with you when you do errands, if possible, may give him a change of scenery and some variety.
Dogs chew to relieve stress. Maybe, your Chihuahua is experiencing separation anxiety. Dogs that don't get enough exercise use up some energy by chewing. Another reason why dogs may chew is because as a puppy, they were not taught what to chew and what not to chew. For example, chewing can be done on a safe bone or safe chew toy.
A Few Helpful Tips About Chewing
You can make a good habit of keeping clothing, shoes, books, trash, and children's toys out of your dog's reach.
You may decide to use a safe place that's dog-proof in your home and provide fresh water and safe and appropriate dog toys.
It is helpful for your Chihuahua to have enough attention and exercise each day. When you are deciding on the amount of exercise, keep in mind his age and health.
If you happen to see your dog chewing on something he shouldn't, you can offer him a safe chew toy instead. You may also wish to offer your dog a treat in exchange for the item in his mouth.
Your dog will need time to learn the rules about chewing and remember to take precautions, and keep things out of his reach that you don't want him to get. Training your dog to learn good behavior is so important for your dog or puppy. Effective communication is necessary to teach your dog what you want him to do or not to do. Hopefully, it will be a positive experience if you teach your dog not to jump up on you or your friends, and not to chew the furniture.
A dog may be more calm and relaxed when he knows what is expected of him. Always remember the following factors are very important when training a dog: attention, consistency, repetition, patience, love, rewards and understanding.
It is also important to routinely spend quality time with your dog. You will want your dog to trust and respect you and feel secure. A dog should feel that his new home is a safe and dependable place. Dogs enjoy spending time with their families. A dog usually appreciates an owner who will love, lead and protect them.
A few ideas for spending quality time with your dog include the following:
You can enjoy walks together.
You may wish to take your dog on errands with you, if possible.
You may want to let him sit with you while you watch television or talk with friends on the phone.
You can provide a special place for your dog to sleep, like a nice dog bed.
Maybe, you can get into the daily habit of brushing his coat, while he sits nice for you.
Dogs usually respond well to a daily routine schedule. A good schedule may help him stay relaxed and confident. Your dog can understand your house rules.
Hopefully, some of these things may help you develop a nice relationship with your Chihuahua. Reward your dog when he has done something right. You may want to reward him with lots of positive praise, a big hug, a favorite treat or some nice play time.
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