New Chihuahua Owner

Karen23 · 07-30-2008, 08:11 PM

Lizzy is my first chihuahua. I'm learning quite a bit. In many ways, she is like other dogs I have had. In other ways she is way different! Anyway, if there are any other chihuahua owners out there, I"d love to chat.

***Cassiepeia*** · 07-30-2008, 10:28 PM

My boy died last year, but he instilled in me a great love for the Chihuahua breed. They're fabulous dogs with huge egos. My best advice is to treat her like any other dog. Do NOT coddle her and treat her like a baby. They're tough little things and their ego means they can end up taking advantage of you if you let them.
Best rule to remember is this...."If I wouldn't let a Rottweiler get away with it, I won't get a Chihuahua get away with it".

Being tiny is no excuse for bad behaviour.

Apart from that, lots of socialisation (not whilst being held...she must be on the ground) and at least basic obedience training, is essential.

Enjoy your Chi, she will give you many years of joyful companionship.

Cass.

P.S. Yes, Lizzy is right....she DOES rule the world.

***Swiftwind*** · 07-31-2008, 02:31 AM

Hey Karen and Lizzy, welcome to Global Paw!

I've got a 7 year old Chihuahua called Abby. Early socialisation is a MUST with Chihuahuas. If you don't socialise her now you could run into many problems down the track. We made that mistake with Abby, and now every time she sees a 'strange' dog she gets all defensive. She's much better than she used to be though.

I hope you enjoy being a member here!

Karen23 · 07-31-2008, 02:56 PM

Thank you for the replies! Lizzy and I have just completed four weeks of a seven-week puppy kindergarten. She is doing really well! She can heel, sit, come, and "leave it." We are having a hard time with "down," however. She refuses to unfold herself. She's down, but I have to hold her down, and she's continually straining. I think she is afraid of being too vulnerable. She is pretty much scared of all the other dogs there.

At home, she plays real well with my son's dog (a large pom) and two of the three cats. She isn't afraid of people at all. But at class, she's very wary of the other dogs. She doesn't want to approach them. She's especially afraid of the hyper puppies. The one dog she doesn't seem to mind is a rather lethargic English bulldog.

I confess I coddle her a bit. :-)

***Cassiepeia*** · 07-31-2008, 04:50 PM

Be careful to socialise her well with other dogs. Chihuahuas are actually a dog aggressive breed if they're not socialised well.

Sounds like you're doing really well though. So glad you're a responsible Chi owner. There aren't a lot of us around sadly.

for Lizzy, she's sooooooo cute! And hey...when I said don't coddle her, I didn't mean you couldn't spoil her a little bit. We all do that. They're our kids after all.

Hehehehe! Just remember she's a dog and, in my opinion, it's disrespectful to her to treat her like anything else. But that doesn't mean she's not you're baby.

Hope that makes sense? LOL

Anyhoo...about the 'down'. Don't hold her, she'll just associate that posture with something negative and it'll make things worse. You should do a google (and youtube) search for 'clicker training'. It works wonders (and you can replace the 'clicker' with the word 'yes' if she's scared of the sound....once you've read about it you'll understand what I'm saying).

So....where are all the thousands of pictures of your gorgeous girl we're expecting?

You know that's the law here right? You have to flood us with pictures so we can all get jealous and wish she was ours.

Cass.

Punkygirl0101 · 07-31-2008, 05:25 PM

Welcome! I also have a chihuahua, Lucy who is approx. 9 years old and is very inbred and tiny!

And then I have 2 chihuahua mixes (One is mixed with Jack Russel Terrier, the other is mixed with Rat terrier and could be mixed with other things.

Radar_Love · 07-31-2008, 08:05 PM

I am a Chihuahua owner as well. My boy is an 8 pound Chocolate & Tan. I can't wait to hear more about Lizzy, she is adorable!!!

Karen23 · 07-31-2008, 08:18 PM

Cassiepeia, thanks, I'll look up the clicker. We really do need to practice more.

Punkygirl - your pooches are cute!! Lizzy is about 3 lbs, 4 ounces right now, on track to be 5 1/2 pounds. I'm hoping she'll make it to 6. I don't want a teensy-tinesy chi.

Hi Swiftwind, thanks for the advice. There's a puppy playtime at a doggie daycare near here. Maybe I should take her to it. Lizzy has met my mom's dog, but my mom's dog (a shih tzu) just hates her. It's like he's offended by her existence. It's really weird.

Radarlove, your pups are cute! Chocolate & tan is my favorite marking for a chi.... Lizzy is blue & tan with a white chest.

Funny thing, I haven't taken many pictures lately. Oh.... we can't just upload them, I see. We have to put them on Photobucket or something first, eh?

Sentry · 07-31-2008, 10:05 PM

We have a chi Paco and mastiffs...here's Paco and your Lizzy is a CUTIE!!!

Karen23 · 08-01-2008, 06:36 AM

Awww! Look at that sweet face.

Radar_Love · 08-01-2008, 07:17 PM

Sentry, Paco is way too adorable!!!

Sentry · 08-01-2008, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radar_Love

Sentry, Paco is way too adorable!!!

Thank you! he came that way,LOL I love his and lizzy's colors, the darker ones seem cuter to me and they always look like they have a smile on thier faces,LOL

Radar_Love · 08-02-2008, 10:37 AM

I so agree...lol....my Radar is such a deep chocolate that he's mistaken as black most of the time. But, you can really catch the chocolate when he's out in the sunshine.

Karen23 · 08-02-2008, 05:33 PM

Lizzy is blue - first time I heard that of that color for dogs. It's essentially a steel grey. I don't know why they just don't call it grey. Her mamma was chocolate & tan. Daddy was fawn.

Radar_Love · 08-02-2008, 07:50 PM

Well, she's one stunning little girl. Her coloring and markings are wonderful.

07-30-2008, 08:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Karen23 Karen23 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago area Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	New Chihuahua Owner Lizzy is my first chihuahua. I'm learning quite a bit. In many ways, she is like other dogs I have had. In other ways she is way different! Anyway, if there are any other chihuahua owners out there, I"d love to chat.

07-30-2008, 10:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
*Cassiepeia* Chihuahua Mum Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 8,281 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 284	My boy died last year, but he instilled in me a great love for the Chihuahua breed. They're fabulous dogs with huge egos. My best advice is to treat her like any other dog. Do NOT coddle her and treat her like a baby. They're tough little things and their ego means they can end up taking advantage of you if you let them. Best rule to remember is this...."If I wouldn't let a Rottweiler get away with it, I won't get a Chihuahua get away with it". Being tiny is no excuse for bad behaviour. Apart from that, lots of socialisation (not whilst being held...she must be on the ground) and at least basic obedience training, is essential. Enjoy your Chi, she will give you many years of joyful companionship. Cass. P.S. Yes, Lizzy is right....she DOES rule the world.
	__________________ Say NO! to animals in pet shops. Rescue a friend instead: Petfinder Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Book Club ~ Blogs ~ Art Classes ~ Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

07-31-2008, 02:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
*Swiftwind* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 5,748 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 204	Hey Karen and Lizzy, welcome to Global Paw! I've got a 7 year old Chihuahua called Abby. Early socialisation is a MUST with Chihuahuas. If you don't socialise her now you could run into many problems down the track. We made that mistake with Abby, and now every time she sees a 'strange' dog she gets all defensive. She's much better than she used to be though. I hope you enjoy being a member here!
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw: Art Classes / Blogs / Book Club / Photo Gallery / Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

07-31-2008, 04:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
*Cassiepeia* Chihuahua Mum Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 8,281 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 284	Be careful to socialise her well with other dogs. Chihuahuas are actually a dog aggressive breed if they're not socialised well. Sounds like you're doing really well though. So glad you're a responsible Chi owner. There aren't a lot of us around sadly. for Lizzy, she's sooooooo cute! And hey...when I said don't coddle her, I didn't mean you couldn't spoil her a little bit. We all do that. They're our kids after all. Hehehehe! Just remember she's a dog and, in my opinion, it's disrespectful to her to treat her like anything else. But that doesn't mean she's not you're baby. Hope that makes sense? LOL Anyhoo...about the 'down'. Don't hold her, she'll just associate that posture with something negative and it'll make things worse. You should do a google (and youtube) search for 'clicker training'. It works wonders (and you can replace the 'clicker' with the word 'yes' if she's scared of the sound....once you've read about it you'll understand what I'm saying). So....where are all the thousands of pictures of your gorgeous girl we're expecting? You know that's the law here right? You have to flood us with pictures so we can all get jealous and wish she was ours. Cass.
	__________________ Say NO! to animals in pet shops. Rescue a friend instead: Petfinder Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Book Club ~ Blogs ~ Art Classes ~ Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

07-31-2008, 05:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
Punkygirl0101 7 Doxies-1 Chi-3 Mutts Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Valley,California Posts: 2,045 Rep Power: 83	Welcome! I also have a chihuahua, Lucy who is approx. 9 years old and is very inbred and tiny! And then I have 2 chihuahua mixes (One is mixed with Jack Russel Terrier, the other is mixed with Rat terrier and could be mixed with other things.
	__________________ R.I.P Brad!(November 1st, 1998-July 1st, 2008) R.I.P Zen! (January 10th, 2008-May 17th, 2008) 23 Kitties-2 Rabbits-7 Rats-1 Hamster-2 Turtles-Fish

07-31-2008, 02:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Karen23 Karen23 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago area Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	Thank you for the replies! Lizzy and I have just completed four weeks of a seven-week puppy kindergarten. She is doing really well! She can heel, sit, come, and "leave it." We are having a hard time with "down," however. She refuses to unfold herself. She's down, but I have to hold her down, and she's continually straining. I think she is afraid of being too vulnerable. She is pretty much scared of all the other dogs there. At home, she plays real well with my son's dog (a large pom) and two of the three cats. She isn't afraid of people at all. But at class, she's very wary of the other dogs. She doesn't want to approach them. She's especially afraid of the hyper puppies. The one dog she doesn't seem to mind is a rather lethargic English bulldog. I confess I coddle her a bit. :-)

07-31-2008, 08:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
Radar_Love Sandy Jo, Tedro, & Radar Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwest Virginia Posts: 490 Rep Power: 45	I am a Chihuahua owner as well. My boy is an 8 pound Chocolate & Tan. I can't wait to hear more about Lizzy, she is adorable!!!

07-31-2008, 08:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
Karen23 Karen23 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago area Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	Cassiepeia, thanks, I'll look up the clicker. We really do need to practice more. Punkygirl - your pooches are cute!! Lizzy is about 3 lbs, 4 ounces right now, on track to be 5 1/2 pounds. I'm hoping she'll make it to 6. I don't want a teensy-tinesy chi. Hi Swiftwind, thanks for the advice. There's a puppy playtime at a doggie daycare near here. Maybe I should take her to it. Lizzy has met my mom's dog, but my mom's dog (a shih tzu) just hates her. It's like he's offended by her existence. It's really weird. Radarlove, your pups are cute! Chocolate & tan is my favorite marking for a chi.... Lizzy is blue & tan with a white chest. Funny thing, I haven't taken many pictures lately. Oh.... we can't just upload them, I see. We have to put them on Photobucket or something first, eh?

07-31-2008, 10:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
Sentry Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 458 Rep Power: 26	We have a chi Paco and mastiffs...here's Paco and your Lizzy is a CUTIE!!!

08-01-2008, 06:36 AM	#10 (permalink)
Karen23 Karen23 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago area Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	Awww! Look at that sweet face.

08-01-2008, 07:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
Radar_Love Sandy Jo, Tedro, & Radar Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwest Virginia Posts: 490 Rep Power: 45	Sentry, Paco is way too adorable!!!

08-02-2008, 10:37 AM	#13 (permalink)
Radar_Love Sandy Jo, Tedro, & Radar Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwest Virginia Posts: 490 Rep Power: 45	I so agree...lol....my Radar is such a deep chocolate that he's mistaken as black most of the time. But, you can really catch the chocolate when he's out in the sunshine.

08-02-2008, 05:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
Karen23 Karen23 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago area Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	Lizzy is blue - first time I heard that of that color for dogs. It's essentially a steel grey. I don't know why they just don't call it grey. Her mamma was chocolate & tan. Daddy was fawn.

08-02-2008, 07:50 PM	#15 (permalink)
Radar_Love Sandy Jo, Tedro, & Radar Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwest Virginia Posts: 490 Rep Power: 45	Well, she's one stunning little girl. Her coloring and markings are wonderful.

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