Even dogs with the greatest personalities and temperaments ever, have times where they display a little show of aggression. Depending on the dog’s breed and other considering factors, he may be more or less aggressive than other dog breeds.
With Chihuahuas, their moods and tempers are always very raw and on edge, hence, they tend to act mean and aggressive more often than other dogs. There are however reasons or triggers for these mean attitudes in Chihuahua dogs and we would be discussing them on this article, in just a moment.
Why Are Chihuahuas So Mean
Chihuahuas are so mean because of their instincts to protect their owners and their territories; this is why they are considered to be excellent guard dogs. Despite their size, Chihuahuas have very large and vibrant personalities. Chihuahuas may take a long time to warm up to you but when they eventually do, they are one of the nicest, loveliest dogs.
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Reasons Your Chihuahua Is Acting So Mean
There are at least seven reasons why your Chihuahua is acting so mean and aggressive towards people.
- Chihuahuas like to mark their territory
Chihuahuas are naturally protective and would always mark their territory. When a stranger comes around them, whether during a walk in the park or at home, they tend to become very defensive and aggressive towards the stranger in an attempt to guard their territory. For this reason, it is advised that you do not get too close to a Chihuahua you are not familiar with as they would perceive it as you crossing your bounds.
- Chihuahuas tend to freak out around new people and places
Chihuahuas are mostly always nice to their owners alone and no one else. Once a stranger is approaching, they instinctively get protective of their owner and their territory and begin to snap at the stranger out of fear. Chihuahuas are not the nicest dogs around strangers. It is mostly an act of defense. If the stranger becomes a frequent visitor, with time, your Chihuahua will warm up to them and be nicer. Socializing your Chihuahua at an early age will help them act better around other people and dogs.
Chihuahuas are also usually not very keen on relocating. They prefer to remain in their current location. relocating means new people, dogs, sounds, and places, all of which your Chihuahua is not interested in.
- Chihuahuas may have dominance attitudes
Contrary to popular opinion because of their size, Chihuahuas are not totally cute and lovely. Although Chihuahuas are lovely dogs, they also tend to have dominance attitude.
They never shy away from a chance to assert dominance. It is therefore advised that you adopt a firm attitude towards training your Chihuahua, else they would seize the slightest opportunity to overthrow you and take over leadership.
This firm training would also put your Chihuahua in his place and keep him conscious of your place as his owner.
- Anxiety
The more anxious a Chihuahua gets, the more aggressive and mean he becomes and the louder he barks in order to gain attention. A Chihuahua’s anxiety can be fueled by any of the following:
Separation (they do not do well with being alone); Sudden loud, strange noise; Past traumatic experiences (PTSD), etc.
- Health Problems in Chihuahuas
When your Chihuahua is in pain, they tend to snap and act aggressive, especially when the injured area is touched. Unfortunately, you might not notice the pain until it worsens because your dog cannot communicate exactly what is wrong.
- Chihuahua’s size
Everything looks big in comparison to a Chihuahua’s size and they tend to feel threatened and intimidated by this. This fear of intimidation usually translates into aggression as a form of defense. This in turn gives them a mean, rude appearance.
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Stages Of Aggression In A Chihuahua
These are the stages of aggression in a Chihuahua and these stages are in no particular order. They are only obvious signs to know when a dog is about to get aggressive. These stages show the various body languages that the Chihuahua adopts to pass across his message of warning before he attacks.
When a Chihuahua is about to show aggression and become mean towards you, the first sign of warning is that he begins to growl. This is a sign that you should back off. The longer you remain within meters of their territory, the louder the growling becomes.
The next stage after growling stage is that the Chihuahua begins to snarl and show teeth. This is still a warning sign for you to back off. They begin to see you as not just an intruder to their territory but also as a threat and they will possibly charge at you and start to bite, at that point.
An angry Chihuahua will have a stiff body posture just before attacking you. This is a show of his confidence in his ability to take you down. At this point, it is highly advised that you do not make eye contact with the dog and walk away as slowly as you can.
As is generally known, wagging of the tail indicates a dog’s happiness. As expected, the opposite is the case when a dog is unhappy. The Chihuahua stops wagging his tail when he is afraid or angry; his tail stands straight and shoot upward.
How To Stop Your Chihuahua From Being Mean An Aggressive
A very effective method of stopping your Chihuahua from being so mean and aggressive is to Socialize your Chihuahua. Dog training class or daycare is one of the easiest ways of socializing your dog and providing him with obedience training. Look out for a daycare that can handle Chihuahuas, particularly.
When your dog gets comfortable around people and other dogs, he will get over his fear and anger and aggression. Due to their sizes, Chihuahuas can be really energetic and quick on their feet. These trainings will keep your dog active as he engages in activities that would help him build his bones and muscles.
As much as this is of benefit to your dog, avoid maintain a scheduled visit of not more than 3 times in a week, in order not to encumber your Chihuahua.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Chihuahuas All Mean?
Chihuahuas are not naturally mean dogs, but tend to be easily threatened and intimidated by many things due to their size.
Do Chihuahuas Have Anger Issues?
A Chihuahua’s initial response to threats is aggression in a bid to protect and defend themselves; this is as a result of their protective nature, but once he gets used to you, you will be surprised at how nice he can be.
Conclusion
Although Chihuahuas may be popularly known as or considered to be mean and aggressive dogs, they are not always so mean. There are a number of things that can trigger aggression in your dog but that does not mean that he is generally a mean or aggressive dog.
Ensure to pay close attention to your dog, just in case there is a real reason for his aggression and meanness like pain or a sense of threat. Also consult your veterinary doctor in extreme cases where your dog seems to be extremely irritated and snappish.
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