i have a 9 month old puppy who is VERY anti-social?
May 11th, 2009 | 
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bay asked:
i have a 9 month chihuahua puppy and got her at 2 months. whenever she sees or hears someone, she starts barking and will not stop. i try to distract her but nothing seems to work. i also raise my voice sternly at her when does this, and she becomes cowed, but still barks and growls. she will stop barking a little less if i bring her over to them and hold her up so they can pet her, but she shakes and tries to hide in my arms. i take her out to places where i know there will be a lot of people, but all she does is shake, bark, and growl at the people and other dogs! when there is anyone else in my house, she will follow us around and bark at the guest. if we sit down, she sits on my lap, but continues to bark. she really is a very loving puppy, and is very good in all other categories! but the only people she likes are me, my parents, and my brother. how do i get my little one to be more social, and keep the barking to a minimal? is it too late to change these behaviors?
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i have a 9 month chihuahua puppy and got her at 2 months. whenever she sees or hears someone, she starts barking and will not stop. i try to distract her but nothing seems to work. i also raise my voice sternly at her when does this, and she becomes cowed, but still barks and growls. she will stop barking a little less if i bring her over to them and hold her up so they can pet her, but she shakes and tries to hide in my arms. i take her out to places where i know there will be a lot of people, but all she does is shake, bark, and growl at the people and other dogs! when there is anyone else in my house, she will follow us around and bark at the guest. if we sit down, she sits on my lap, but continues to bark. she really is a very loving puppy, and is very good in all other categories! but the only people she likes are me, my parents, and my brother. how do i get my little one to be more social, and keep the barking to a minimal? is it too late to change these behaviors?
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Posted in Dogs
Kansieo.com
This is sort of what a chihuahua is. You can try to modify the behavior with the help of a trainer but you cant change the breeding of the dog.
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chi’s are usually a 1 person dog and very hyper.
anti bark
It sounds like you need help from a professional dog trainer/behaviourist. They need to observe you and the dog to tell what exactly the problem is-way too hard to do over the net!
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just drown it and buy a new one, make sure you pick a good one this time
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Brace yourself, you aren’t going to like what I have to say. Read my profile, I do have experience with this subject.
This isn’t going to be easy to change.
You just described “normal” behavior for a Chi.
The breeding focus is on smaller dogs, not happy dogs, so you get hyper, snappish, yappy dogs.
So, it’s sort of like trying to train someone to change their hair color. It’s not possible with training, that’s just the way it is.
I think you should leave the dog home more. When people come over, put the dog in another room. This isn’t something that will get better with socialization (you’ve tried, it didn’t work). Training may make it a little better, but he probably won’t be 100% comfortable.
Sorry, just my opinion.
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Usually you try to socialize a pup with people before they are 5 mos. It is much harder after that. You might try this:
1. Get some friendly dog people to help you, and give them some tiny dog treats.
2. With you and one person, bring the pup into the room.
3. Have the person kneel or squat, or sit on the floor., and have him toss the treat, toward the pup… to the side.
4. I imagine the pup will stop barking long enuff to scarf down the treat. Throw another. Keep doing this for 10 minutes, then stop and leave. (You do nothing and keep silent.)
5. Next 3 days, repeat 2 -4 with the same person.
6. On the fourth or fifth day, don’t toss the food, just hold it…but don’t stare at the pup… and let her take it. Repeat this for 2 days… no more than a week with one person.
7. Now go thru the same process with a different person. The pup should be a tiny bit less timid.
8. With a third person, the pup may come up for the treat.
9. Bring back the first person, and see if he can pet her, after giving a treat.
10. Continue this process, until she is as socialized as you want, or as far as you think she’ll get.
anti bark
My dog acts the same way!! I thought I was the only one. My dog barks at everyone!!! Little kids always try and pet him and i can’t let them because sometimes he nips peoples legs….when people walk down the sidewalk he will run up to them and bark or try and nip their leg….I always have to say sorry to people about him barking, or warn them if an adult trys to pet him……..I got him at 2 months and socialized him very well. The only time he doesn’t act like this is when I take him to the puppy park.
I’ve tried everything though, and can’t figure out what to do. Hes just protective and territorial I guess. I dont know.
Just know your not the only one!!
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Hmm. my puppy use to growl and bark at other dogs for about a week, when we first got her. Try letting your chihuahua socialize with her own breed first. This might work, cuz that’s what happened with my dog. Good Luck!
anti bark
Because you didn’t socialize her a lot, that is the reason why she is like that. It has nothing to do with the fact of that’s how chihuahua’s are, like many people are saying. I have a chihuahua and he loves people and is super friendly.
At this point, it’s going to be a challenge not for your dog, but for YOU. You are the one codlling your dog. She’s a dog, not a human baby. She thinks you are her property and that’s why she doesn’t like it when other people are around.
First off, when she sits in your lap and barks at people, get her off your lap. That’s not how an animal that wants attention from it’s owner should act. She wants attention, she needs to be calm and not freaking out and being aggressive.
Get a water bottle with a mist/jet snozzle and ****** her, with the jet stream, every time she barks. She will soon associate her barking with getting ******** with water.
Also, don’t yell at her. She doesn’t realize that you are yelling at her. She thinks you are barking WITH her. She barks, you bark. She barks some more, you bark louder. She stops for a bit, you stop for a bit. She starts again, you start again. People think that this is a crazy concept, but there is thing where dogs are not people and the way that they see the world is not the same as a humans.
It’s never too late to change behaviors… Look into reading a few books at a book store or the petstore. And good luck.
Kansieo.com
i have the same problem but it has gotten a lot better. the worst thing you can do is yell. if you yell the dog will think that you’re joining in on the barking. he’ll think that its ok to bark cuz your doing it too. you should watch IT’S ME OR THE DOG. it’s on animal planet.
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lol i guess dats how chihuahas are and yorkies too, bastards, theyre very cute though and very over protective with theyre owners. i was petting my frends chiuahaha 1 time and he was calm and d next minute he bit me!