# My Chihuahua is the smartest dog I've ever met



## Falcon (Dec 21, 2017)

Shadow is my 1 year old Chihuahua, and after teaching him a new trick at the cost of 2 minutes and 3 treats I started thinking that he's the most intelligent dog I've ever met. Before I got my Chihuahua I was under the impression that the common stereotype that Chihuahuas were unintelligent was real. I was sorely mistaken. I'm a first time dog owner and I've been able to teach him a great number of tricks without much difficulty. I may have gotten lucky because Shadow is very socially and food motivated which makes teaching him easier, but Chihuahuas are a lot smarter than people give them credit for. The entirety of the stereotype comes from the reluctance of some of their owners (not the people here) to train them because they're so small and cute. 

Below are some of the tricks I've taught Shadow, almost all of them have taken me 5 minutes or less to teach him

- Jump (Jumps over my outstretched arm, the trick he learned tonight)
- Give paw
- High five
- Both (Dual high five with my two hands and his two paws)
- Fist bump
- Tag (I touch him, he touches me back with his paw)
- Stand up (stands on hind legs)
- Sit
- Stay
- Lay down
- Play dead
- Speak (will do repeatedly on subtle hand motion)
- Hold hands (will put both paws on my flattened hands)
- Dance (Puts both paws on my one hand and lets me shake him as if dancing)
- Let go (releases what he's holding)
- Avoid it (will stop approaching something he's heading towards)
- Wall (Will stand on his hind legs and put two hands on a wall)
- Come here
- Wait, and get it. (I put treat down and say wait, he waits until I say get it then eats it)

There may be some I'm not remembering but he's a very smart dog and anyone who tells you Chihuahuas aren't intelligent doesn't know what they're talking about.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

(you must be an early bird--3:50 am!) Yes you are so right. Most chihuahua owners just adore their little pups, but don't train them much. House training is it. Both of mine went to 'puppy school'. One of mine is so emotionally a wreck, I can't hold her, or 'train' her without her shaking. I hold her for a few minutes in the am when I first get up, but she just tolerates it, shaking the whole time. I don't think I'll ever get a chihuahua from a 'good' breeder again. They breed for looks only; ignoring the emotional or genetic problems that come with that.


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## Falcon (Dec 21, 2017)

susan davis said:


> (you must be an early bird--3:50 am!) Yes you are so right. Most chihuahua owners just adore their little pups, but don't train them much. House training is it. Both of mine went to 'puppy school'. One of mine is so emotionally a wreck, I can't hold her, or 'train' her without her shaking. I hold her for a few minutes in the am when I first get up, but she just tolerates it, shaking the whole time. I don't think I'll ever get a chihuahua from a 'good' breeder again. They breed for looks only; ignoring the emotional or genetic problems that come with that.


I just suck at falling asleep. It's horrible how many breeders ignore anything aside from looks, it was that kind of irresponsible breeding that earned the Dobermann a terrible reputation not too long ago. I don't know too much about my breeder's methods but I got lucky with Shadow, he loves to show off how smart he is.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I use melatonin for sleep when I can't get to sleep. Maybe it might help? It is a 'natural' substance. You can get it at a health food store. I can remember those poor Dobes being 'hung' at obedience school (years ago, before more knowledge was known).


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## Falcon (Dec 21, 2017)

susan davis said:


> I use melatonin for sleep when I can't get to sleep. Maybe it might help? It is a 'natural' substance. You can get it at a health food store. I can remember those poor Dobes being 'hung' at obedience school (years ago, before more knowledge was known).


I have some too, I just have pretty good anxiety that makes it difficult at night. Thanks for the suggestion though. That's terrible, those dogs are such sweethearts too, loyal beyond all reason.


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## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Wow that's a pretty smart pup. Good job on teaching all that. 
I could never teach Sunshine anything she literally gets a treat to just stand there lol. Jojo comes up next with knowing only sit and always lifting his front paw. Buddy Bear knows sit and down. I've taught wait but were never consistent. Jr was the one that listens to me the most but still its only sit, down, wait (he has a very good wait) drop it, ignore, go to kennel. 

I feel you on anxiety and not being able to sleep. I'll also look into Melatonin (sp?) I'm sure it couldn't hurt.


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## Falcon (Dec 21, 2017)

Ari1405 said:


> Wow that's a pretty smart pup. Good job on teaching all that.
> I could never teach Sunshine anything she literally gets a treat to just stand there lol. Jojo comes up next with knowing only sit and always lifting his front paw. Buddy Bear knows sit and down. I've taught wait but were never consistent. Jr was the one that listens to me the most but still its only sit, down, wait (he has a very good wait) drop it, ignore, go to kennel.
> 
> I feel you on anxiety and not being able to sleep. I'll also look into Melatonin (sp?) I'm sure it couldn't hurt.


Thanks, he gets most of the credit though. Have you tried capturing? It's a pretty easy way to teach a dog a trick. It's just when you wait until they do something and then when they do it you say the word you want to be the command and reward them. For example I noticed shadow would put his paws on the wall if I put my legs against it, so I would put them against the wall and then when he did it I'd say "Wall! Good boy" and give him a treat. 

Melatonin's pretty good, even when I'm not anxious I'm an insomniac and it helps with that part of it.


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

Wow, that's great! I have one that plays dead, But he came knowing that. They all know drop it, no, and git. And they all know num num num means come here now! lol I use it with and without treats so they never know if I have something for them or not and I can use it if they get out and I have nothing with me. But the sit and down, I never felt they needed that and most of mine are rescues, some are very skittish and they run if I get too pushy with commands. I have 8 chihuahuas right now, only one was bought, the rest were rescues from abusive homes, Craigslist, running loose or the pound.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Wow! Eight!! I have only 2, and think that is plenty!


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

I used to have 13... Plus a few chi mixes. And my lab mix Bouncer. And a few miscellaneous dogs. At one time I had 27. lol I'm a rescue, I take in unadoptable dogs, special needs dogs or dogs on death row and try to rehabilitate them and find them homes.


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## Falcon (Dec 21, 2017)

svdreamer said:


> Wow, that's great! I have one that plays dead, But he came knowing that. They all know drop it, no, and git. And they all know num num num means come here now! lol I use it with and without treats so they never know if I have something for them or not and I can use it if they get out and I have nothing with me. But the sit and down, I never felt they needed that and most of mine are rescues, some are very skittish and they run if I get too pushy with commands. I have 8 chihuahuas right now, only one was bought, the rest were rescues from abusive homes, Craigslist, running loose or the pound.


That's great, and a 8 Chihuahua household sounds like paradise. My guy was bought, but that was mostly because around here rescues don't really adopt out dogs to people without fenced in yards.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I live in a condo, and am not allowed to have a fence. They told me to put in an electric 'fence'. For a tiny chihuahua? So they became indoor doggies. I have seen hawks, and once a coyote trotted thru 'my' yard. I have a 4 lb little girl, and just don't want to take chances. My doggies have access to a sun porch, and many windows, so they can 'take in the world'.


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

I have 15 acres in the desert, we have coyotes, bobcats, hawks, snakes and scorpions. And my neighbor has dogs that kill chihuahuas on sight.  Unfortunately, I lost a few dogs and cats out there. When I first moved there, it was barren land and had no fences. Once the fences went up, no most lost dogs. It was tough at first, but by the time I move back to Bakersfield to watch my brother's house while he took care of my dad, it was getting pretty nice out there. I'm fixing it up even more now that I'll be moving back there in a few months.


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