The Chihuahua is currently an extremely popular breed of dog, which can bring a great deal of happiness to its owner. However, if not trained correctly a Chihuahua can become unruly, disobedient and, at times, aggressive. Below you will find tips on how to successfully train a Chihuahua.

1. Begin When Your Dog is Still a [...]]]>

The Chihuahua is currently an extremely popular breed of dog, which can bring a great deal of happiness to its owner. However, if not trained correctly a Chihuahua can become unruly, disobedient and, at times, aggressive. Below you will find tips on how to successfully train a Chihuahua.

1. Begin When Your Dog is Still a Puppy

Obviously, it is possible to train an older dog and if you have adopted an adult, even one with behavioral problems, it is possible to achieve a well-behaved dog in a matter of weeks. However, when possible, it is far easier to begin training while your dog is still a puppy. It is crucial to the success of training that your dog identifies you as the leader of its pack. All dogs are genetically programmed to obey the hierarchy of their packs. Therefore, you will find training a relatively easy task if your Chihuahua considers you to be the dominant member of the family.

2. Training Takes Time

Housetraining your puppy, which is likely to be the first step in your Chihuahua’s training, takes time and patience. Some owners purchase a puppy and are then surprised that he, or she, makes a mess on the carpet. A dog will not know to go outside unless you teach it. Therefore, before welcoming a Chihuahua into your home, it is wise to ensure that you can dedicate some time in the first few weeks to train him, or her. Any kind of obedience training can be made relatively simply, as long as you have the time to spend with your dog.

3. Don’t Overdo the Fuss

Of course, if your dog obeys a command or displays good behavior you will want to praise it. In fact, praise is fundamental to successful training. However, it is possible to spoil a dog and this is particularly common among Chihuahuas. A spoilt dog can result in numerous behavioral problems, including aggression. Therefore, it is advisable to only offer treats and praise when your dog has done something to warrant them.

4. Social Integration

Naturally, dog temperament varies from one dog to the next. However, small breeds of dog have a reputation for being more aggressive than their large counterparts are. The fact is, even if your dog is perfectly well-behaved with you, it can display aggression with other animals and people. Therefore, it is wise to socialize your dog from an early age. Ensure that your Chihuahua has plenty of contact with people of all ages and different types of animals. If your dog views you as dominant, it will almost certainly take its cues from you. Subsequently, if you are comfortable with the visitors in your house, your Chihuahua will be too.

5. Don’t Change the Rules

Alarmingly often, people will bring a new dog home and they will play with it, make a fuss of it and allow it to sit on the couch. Several months later, when the novelty has worn off, suddenly, it is not so cute when the puppy chews your shoe or is shedding on your expensive furniture. However, your dog does not understand what it has done wrong. When trying to train your Chihuahua, consistency is fundamental. Ensure that your dog knows its boundaries, but, most importantly, you must stick to these boundaries. For example, if you know there will be times when you do not want your dog to sleep in your bed, do not allow him, or her, to do so from day one.

The Chihuahua is a very intelligent and affectionate dog. However, it is wise to remember that contrary to the behavior of some Chihuahua owners, it is a dog, not a toy. Therefore, your dog will be much happier if he, or she, is treated as such.

In all the basic obedience dog training courses I instruct I insist the handlers use [...]]]> For the majority of people, the main reason for getting a dog is for companionship and it follows then that you should complete a dog obedience training course and strive to build a really good, fun relationship with your canine companion.

In all the basic obedience dog training courses I instruct I insist the handlers use the “F” word as much as physically possible, right through the whole training course. The word I mean is of course “FUN”.

Dog ownership is not all about obedience training the dog. It is also about teaching the dog some fun things to do from a simple paw shake to riding a skate board. You can and should have some fun with your dog.

Using the click and treat system you can teach your dog to do all sorts of interesting little tricks. Every one you teach your dog means you are interacting and creating a bond with the dog.

One of the best things I teach my students is teaching the dog to tug,
simply because it is the start of a whole lot of other things you can do with your dog.

If you teach the dog to tug a piece of rope, you can use this to teach the dog to retrieve. Once he is a retrieving dog, you will be able to use this as an exercise to tire the dog before leaving it alone when you go to work so it does not become a problem barker.

If you can throw the retrieve toy into a river, dam or swimming pool or even into the waves at a safe beach, and have the dog retrieve the toy, you will not need to spend as much time exercising him, and you will end up with a very healthy and fit animal.

There are lots and lots of books available that show you the dozens of fun things you can teach your dog to do. Using the click and treat system will ensure that the dog learns to use his brain and there is nothing nicer than seeing an animal displaying intelligence that you have developed in them.

Teaching your dog to roll over and to shake with the left paw to left hand and right paw to right hand will amuse your friends. Crawling on his tummy or standing up high on his rear legs will build muscles that might not otherwise get enough exercise.

I have seen the “bang” exercise used by an agility competitor whose dog would not lie down on an agility table.

I have taught my own agility dogs to spin left or right on command and use this fun game to both limber them up prior to running a course and to direct them whilst running the agility course.

And once you have him sitting and begging, it is not hard to have him drop his head between his front legs and say his prayers. After saying his prayers it would be nice if he put himself to bed and pulled his blanket over himself.

You can teach a dog to sneeze or talk on command, or ask you for his dinner or sit and wait for the command to tuck in.

Riding a skate board is really quite hard for a dog and riding a surf board even harder, but both can be achieved and can be fun activities for both of you.

All of these tricks however have their roots firmly embedded in the exercises that a good dog obedience training course would supply. So find a local dog club or training group and start building that fun relationship.

Dogs are very popular pets all over the world, no wonder they are referred to as man’s best friend. They have very many characteristics including the fact that almost everyone can find a type of dog to adore. However, no matter the type of dog that a dog owner prefers, the first important step in [...]]]>

Dogs are very popular pets all over the world, no wonder they are referred to as man’s best friend. They have very many characteristics including the fact that almost everyone can find a type of dog to adore. However, no matter the type of dog that a dog owner prefers, the first important step in peaceful and fun coexistence is having a smooth relationship with the family. The second step is training the dog. A dog which is not trained can be very disruptive and even destructive in a family.

A dog will be an obedient and loyal companion once it is trained. What can be more beautiful than a dog that will follow you diligently to the park on the leash, does not jump or bark at visitors or even leave its droppings at the doorstep? A well trained dog should have proper etiquette when there are visitors around, takes instructions, knows what to do and when to do it, and best of all, does what it is told to do. Since dogs are pack animals, they always look up to a leader. It is vital to make the dog understand that you are the leader of the pack and not it your leader.

Before starting any other training, the first two things a dog must learn are housebreak and obedience training. Housebreak is teaching a dog where to relieve itself to avoid leaving its poop all over the house or other unacceptable paces. Obedience training is important to instill respect and chain of command to the dog. You can train a dog to be obedient from the time it is 49 days old. Once they have mastered these two, you may now go ahead and teach it basic tricks and any other fun training.

One thing you will learn fast is that dogs will always be trying to please their masters and will appreciate little treats and recognition whenever they do something right. The most common tricks you can teach your dog include “Sit”, “Lie”, “Shake”, “Fetch” and “Play dead”. With time, you can introduce it to complex play games like catch the Frisbee, flip a treat from the nose to the mouth and chase a tennis ball.

During training, it may be necessary to punish a dog. However, there are some very bad punishment methods that you must never use. Here is a list of safe punishments that you can administer to a dog within 10 seconds of it committing a crime. Delaying a punishment will cause confusion because the dog will not understand all the cruelty and will not associate it with the wrong doing.

1) Deny it treats – these are treats that it normally gets for good behavior
2) Time out from an activity
3) Take away its toys – For a short period of time
4) Ignoring the dog – and isolating it from the family members as well.

Dogs are very friendly creatures but the main problem now is that there are very many of them now, with more being born every day. To train the dog properly, it requires proper treatment, positive reinforcement and hygienic environments.