Chihuahuas...good or bad family pets!???

Question

I am wanting to find out more about chihuahuas, i have kids in their younger teens, and i know they'd love a dog, but i was wondering if there are any experienced chihuahua owners who could tell me a little bit about that breed? Many thanks!!!

Answer 1

honestly i own 4 chihuahua's 2 pure breds male and female and 2 chihuahua/rat terrier mixed and i love them they are everything to me. they are one of a kind of dog. like my male is my dog and the female is my mom's but she will come to me but not like my male though. the mixes go to anyone! they are a sassy little dog and they do atend to get mean and might snap but thats a chihuahua. my 2 pure bred's don't like strangers at all they will growl and just look at them funny!  chihuahua's aren't for everyone honestly.

The Chihuahua is a good companion dog. Courageous, extremely lively, proud and enterprising, it enjoys affection. Bold and saucy, it moves swiftly to avoid being stepped on. Chihuahua's can be strong-willed, intensely loyal and become very attached to their owners. They like to l**k their owner's faces. For some, they may be slightly difficult to train, but they are intelligent, learn quickly, and respond well to proper, gentle (positive reinforcement) training. May require patience to housebreak. Many owners simply paper train this breed. Be sure to socialize your Chihuahua as a pup to avoid excessive aggressiveness with other dogs as well as reserve with strangers. Do not let the Chihuahua get away with things you would not allow a large dog to do, such as  jumping up on humans. While it may be cute for a 5 pound tiny dog to put his paws on your leg when you come home from work, it is allowing a dominate behavior. If you allow this little dog to be your pack leader it will developed many behavior issues, such as jealousy, and will become undeniably suspicious of people except for its owner. When strangers are present, it will start to follow his owner's every move, keeping as close as possible. A Chihuahua who is pack leader of it's humans may snap at children. This breed is not recommended for children, because most people cannot help but treat the Chihuahua differently than they would a large dog. Because of his size, this breed tends to be babied and things we humans clearly see as bad behavior for a large dog is looked over as cute with a small dog. Small dogs also tend to be walked less, as humans assume they get enough exercise just running around during the day. However a walk provides more than just exercise. It provides mental simulation, and satisfies the migration instinct, all dogs have. Because of this, small breeds such as the Chihuahua tend to become snappish, yappy, protective, and untrustworthy with kids and humans they do not know. Chihuahua's who are their human's pack leader tend to be fairly dog-aggressive. An owner who realizes this and treats the Chihuahua no differently than they would a large breed, becoming a clear pack leader, will get a different, more appealing temperament out of this wonderful little dog.  

Answer 2

Chihuahua's can be great family pets, when placed with the correct family, just like any dog. They can be more fragile than other large dogs, which is why I usually don't recommend them for really young children. However, if your children are in their teens, and are aware of how to properly handle small dogs, then there shouldn't be a problem. Just do plenty of research on the breed before you buy. Just like any small dog, they can take a little longer to potty train and usually don't like to be left alone for long hours. Also, when you're buying, be sure to ask plenty of questions to your breeder of choice. Best of luck :)

Answer 3

Chihuahua's usually get attached to one person. They can be extremely aggressive, but they are so small so its not serious. I have a jrt chihuahua mix and he is the smartest dog i know. He is really attached to me and protects me. For example if I'm sleeping and someone comes near me he'll chass them away. They are really good dogs.

Answer 4

I don't have a Chihuahua. However, when I was looking at dog breeds, I read that Chihuahua's are very yappy. They tend to bark a lot. Like Yorkies! I would advise you to get a Pomeranian. I just got one. They're so cute and they are also like a Chihuahua with being to adorable!! :)

Answer 5

i will say it a very good or very bad family pet. they are sweet but they usually bond to one person only and get aggressive to others. well chihuahua need to get socialize with other people so they don't feel being threaten when others ge close to it. a lot of my friend has  chihuahua as pet and they just evil. however there are chihuahua that is socialize with people, in that case they are soooo sweet.

Answer 6

Chihuahuas are a hyper type breed and are  basically a one person type dog. They are great for 1 child or teen, but its hard for them to spread the affection. They are very intellegent & trainable with a low maintenance factor.They are a very popular dog today.  

Answer 7

No chihuahuas are nasty little pests.  A dog would make a much better pet than a chihuahua.

Answer 8

Chihuahua Behavior

Chihuahua behavior can be improved with proper dog and child socializing and training while it's a puppy. The dogs of this breed have many of terrier-like features: they are curious, alert, protective, observant and keen on interacting with people. They are very loyal to the master and suspicious of strangers, which makes them excellent watch dogs. It seems that the dogs are unaware of their small size and often challenge larger dogs. Some people consider these dogs to be very demanding and needy. This breed is ideal for lonely people and makes perfect lap dogs. Chihuahua behavior can be improved with proper dog and child socializing and training while it's a puppy.

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Answer 9

Well i have a 8 year old chiuahua i had since a baby he is way over protective even with tons of training and i took him out to people everyday he also has seperation anxiety but he is really loyal and he is like a child to me i love him and would never trade him for the world

I also have a year old chiuhaua i had since a baby she is also protective and she is a b*tch to other dogs. She is very hyper active but not mean like my other one and does not have seperation anxiety bur can be protective from big dogs/

Hope I helped  

Answer 10

I have a chihuahua and love him to pieces!  He is friendly and playful but can be aggressive with others if they get too close to me.  He is a one-person kind of dog and I've heard they all tend to be that way.