The question everyone wants to know the answer to: Are Chihuahuas Mean? First, try to see the world from a Chihuahua’s point of view:
EVERYTHING. IS. HUGE.
Chihuahuas are tiny little dogs, therefore, everything in comparison is very, very big. Big things can be intimidating. Dogs, when intimidated, have two responses: fight or flight. Actually, ALL dogs, have these two natural responses, so a large-breed fearful dog will choose one of those two behaviors too.
So, while Chihuahuas are NOT naturally mean dogs, the chances of being intimidated and thus feeling the need to “fight” can be greater than other breeds simply because of their tiny stature.
But are Chihuahuas mean? No. These tiny dogs are not naturally mean, but are instead naturally intimidated by this World of Giants, how can you make sure a Chihuahua doesn’t bite, growl, or otherwise display their “fight” instinct?
Socialize. Reward. Socialize. Reward.
The most critical socialization period for any breed of dog is between 7 and 16 weeks of age. During this time, the more puppies are exposed to new things, new people, and other dogs in a positive manner, the better they will respond to those same stimuli as adults. Small dogs seem to do best with EXTRA socialization for the first two years of their lives!
Again, size is intimidating, so sometimes, the best socialization for a small dog, is the ability to see the thing/person/dog, but not necessarily interact with it. When socializing a puppy to other dogs, be sure to KNOW the other dog is friendly, and comfortable with puppies and small breeds. You do NOT want a bad experience.
Pay attention to the signals your puppy is giving you. If he is trying to run away or starting to react aggressively, you have probably pushed him too far past his threshold (his comfort zone). This doesn’t mean it is a stimulus you should avoid! Instead, just try a less intimidating approach: greater distance from the scary thing, higher value of reward for acknowledging it without fear or aggression, and so on.
Any dog can be mean.
It is not a breed-specific trait, but rather the result of their early life experiences and training.
However, other than the breed-stereotype of Chihuahuas being mean, tiny dogs, Chihuahuas actually vary greatly in personality. You can find Chihuahuas who are energetic or calm. Bold or timid. Vocal or quiet. Confident or nervous. Stubborn or eager to please.
How your Chihuahua turns out depends very much on the genetic temperament of his parents, grandparents, and so on. In other words, entire lines of Chihuahuas are social or antisocial. This is why, if you choose to get your Chihuahua from a breeder (instead of a shelter or rescue), it is highly encouraged that you meet your Chihuahua’s parents. You can learn a lot about your future Chihuahua by meeting his parents first!
If you bring home a Chihuahua who has inherited genes for bad temperament…. well, even though studies have shown that your “final” dog is created by 65% training and only 35% genetics, it can still be extremely difficult to create a friendly Chihuahua who has “unfriendly” genetics. Again, socialization and training can only account for sixty-five percent of your Chihuahua’s personality.
BUT socialization and training ARE still extremely important! Regardless of if your Chihuahua comes from very friendly, outgoing parents (or not) or if he is a rescue so you have no idea what his genetics are, you can make a big difference in his personality by dedicating yourself to giving him as many good experiences and positive training as possible!
Chihuahuas do not have a great reputation among the general public.
Ask a few people, “Do you think Chihuahuas are mean dogs?” and see how many of them exclaim, “Yes! They’re mean and nasty and they bite!”
Sadly, this reputation has some basis in truth. And it is not just due to poor breeding (choosing two cute dogs, but with bad personalities, not realizing that personality is an inherited trait too). It can also be due to lack of socialization and training OR bad socialization and training.
What is bad training and socialization? Choosing to not teach your Chihuahua any behaviors, laughing at signs of aggression, making excuses for bad behavior, carrying him everywhere instead of allowing him to have social experiences, and so on.
Don’t fall prey to breed stereotypes. Instead, teach your small dog to be confident around new things, help them build a positive association toward other dogs and people, and don’t encourage reactive behavior by “thinking it is cute” or putting them in a situation where they feel they have to defend themselves.
Are you having trouble with your Chihuahua or other small dog being snippy? Let us know in the comments below and we’d be glad to share our opinion on how to improve the behavior.
Problem is two-fold. My chihuahua mix is 8 years old and has started snapping at people’s ankles when they come over, even people that have always come over.
We also have a new puppy & she goes into a rage when the puppy wants to play. The puppy thinks she is playing but she’s furious. I feel worse for her 🙁
The ankle biting started long before the puppy arrived.
Any suggestions?
If this is a new behavior for your Chihuahua, you may want to consider underlying health issues as the cause. For example, here in Arizona, dogs can get Valley Fever. Like many illnesses, Valley Fever can cause behavioral changes such as aggression. If she has no health issues, then this may be caused by something else. Did you move? Did some other major life change occur in your family? As you know, Chihuahuas are very sensitive to our lives, so big changes can cause behavior changes. Oftentimes the quickest way to fix a problem behavior is simply to prevent it or create a conflicting behavior. So, until you can figure out what is causing this behavior change in her, try not to let her have access to any ankles…maybe have her on a leash or on the other side of a baby gate when people come over. Everyone can ignore her until she calms down, then she can be acknowledged and even given treats so she forms a new association with house guests.
As for her behavior toward your puppy, try pushing your puppy away from her (gently) when she is trying to instigate play. You don’t want your puppy to learn this angry behavior and you don’t want your Chihuahua Mix to continue aggressing. Instead, teach her that you’ll protect her from the puppy and give her time to socialize with the puppy on her own terms. Polly Pocket gave Porky Pig the cold shoulder when she first came home, but now they’re best friends! We just didn’t let Porky Pig overwhelm Polly Pocket during this transitional period in her life.
We hope that helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!
It is the same thing with pit bulls, you can’t just blanket stereotype any animal!
The is a great interpretation of the context for little Chi’s…. but I disagree with the premise that they are mean, they are beautiful little personalities, as you’d know 😉
Exactly! It is Fiction that Chihuahuas are mean. But the Fact is, any dog can be mean without proper socialization.
My Hayley is the sweetest little girl, and I would not have known how sweet chihuahuas could be until I adopted her! Thanks for helping break the myth!
Socialization is so important, especially as you say in that early window. Any dog can have issues if they do not get training and socialization. I wish Kilo the Pug had had positive experiences not negative ones as he would be happier and less fear reactive now. It’s much harder to untrain.
Such a great post. A nice reminder to look through the eyes of the dog – and to a Chi the world is big.
We adopted our dog Ruby (not a chi) at 8 so she had a world of experience that in some ways we are always trying to work through and get past. I like the idea of socialization and exposure without interacting. We have done this a lot with Ruby – just trying to get her comfortable with anxiety producing situations from a distance.
Cats suffer from the same stereotypes – I don’t have a lot of experience with this breed, but enjoyed your article.
I grew up seeing very stereotypical Chihuahuas… It was nice to meet some well-socialized ones later.
No! Chihuahuas are not mean! My first dog was a chihuahua / daschund mix. She was my first love! I love your article at training tips! I’d love to put a gopro camera on my dog’s head just to see life through her eyes!
We just purchased a GoPro this year for that exact type of video! Stay tuned…we’re working on building our YouTube channel!
Small dogs just get intimidated more easily. Good suggestion to create distance to avoid reactive behavior.
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv
Our little Chi is a sweetie pie, but yes, gets a little skittish when people he doesn’t know approaches him in exuberant ways. We’ve worked with neighbors to help teach them how to work with our little fella, Spike, on his terms – so far so good with those close to us! p.s. Spike loves me to bits, he thinks my husband is just so so 🙂
I can relate to feeling intimidated because everyone is larger than you. I think some of the stereotypes of Chihuahuas comes from owners who don’t know how to work with these small dogs.
Socialize. Reward. Socialize. Reward. YES! It’s so important to keep up with socializing, rewarding and making sure a puppy/dog is comfortable in their environment. Keep up the good work.
Baby was a Chiweenie and in the park she was known as Mini Bitch, warm and loving to everyone BUT if I just sat down for a second all hell broke loose. I put that attitude to being possessive and protective of me and our backpack. BUT in a nutshell would not have had it any other way
Yes they are known to have attitudes, I see it in the park or at the Chi Meet when I go but they also have so much love to give
100% agree. We started telling people (especially kids) You are huge to him so come in slow and from below…. what a change! Because people do get it the moment you tell them.
Travel across Europe helps since we can socialize him in a lot of places we can’t back in Canada. Like restaurants, train stations and airports. So that too plays a big part in why Montecristo is so mellow.
I think your statement “any dog can be mean” sums up everything. 🙂 I am completely against BSL and associating any act with any breed.
Awesome article! All dogs need to be socialised and trained right, or they end up aggressive/snippy! But sometimes it’s just more tempting to spoil the little ones :D!
Some brilliant pointers here. I own a rescue Yorkshire Terrier who isn’t great with other dogs. We don’t know whether it is through bad experiences or lack of socialisation as a puppy. She was five years old (ish) when we got her so therefore we don’t know her full history. She’s so loving towards myself and my family though and the barking at other dogs is something we’ve just had to work around when we are out and about with her. Chihuahuas are beautiful dogs by the way with such wonderful personalities.
Growing up, my mom always talked about neighborhood dogs that would chase her on her way to school – German shepherds, she still hates them, and they’re big dogs, so I understood – but she always hated chihuahuas, too, she thought they were mean little things! The ones she met definitely were. It wasn’t until I got Matilda, my chihuahua-minpin that I realized their bad rep couldn’t be further from the truth!
Matilda can be yappy, but she’s so sweet, and always runs up to people for kisses – little girls, big men, she loves them all. She’s been around all kinds of people, and has gathered a lot of courage in her first year. She’s nothing like what people think a tiny dog should be like.
When it comes to a bad rap, I think Chihuahuas are up there with Pit bulls! The truth is, all dogs thrive with love and socialization, and there’s a lover in every dog!
Very true, Lindsay! Chihuahuas have a really bad reputation for being “nasty little dogs”. However, that oftentimes stems from under-socialization or even encouragement from the owners, because they think it’s “cute” or “funny”. We have found Chihuahuas are slower to socialize and gain confidence (which is understandable since they are so small), but they are just as capable as big dogs to become friendly, well-socialized family members!