# Chihuahuas Second most Aggresive Dog Breed



## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2008/07/the_most_aggressive_dog_breeds.html


> Attention, America, or at least all you state and local politicians who are banning or considering banning ownership of pit bulls, Rottweilers and other big, scary dogs: In the midst of your rush to pass breed specific legislation, a new study has shown that the most aggressive dog breed in the world is ...
> 
> Yes, the dachshund, the weiner dog, better known in some countries as the sausage dog.
> 
> ...


This makes sense to me. They tend to not like non-Chihuahuas, they tend to not like non-family or anyone not 'their person' and they tend to be untrained/under-trained... they are not bred for temperament as much as size. I can see how this could happen.

What do you guys think?


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Honestly this doesn't shock me all that much. 

I see TONS of chihuahuas out and about and even in my meetup group that nip, bark, bite their owners and other dogs... but I also see lots of non chi breeds doing the same exact stuff.

It's def. an issue with people, not the dog IMO.

People suck at training their dogs... there are a lot of nice chis out there and their are a ton of nasty ones.. just like every other breed.

Thanks for sharing, thats was interesting to read!


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I dont think there are any mean breeds just owners that do not know how to train, or raise there dogs;-)


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## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

Yeah, I wasn't shocked that much. Apparently Kali is the only friendly chi the folks who work at petsmart have ever seen.

It is more a people thing, that is for sure. But maybe making people aware of this will change that!


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## Tanna (Jan 29, 2009)

Paco is very friendly, I can take him anywhere. I think it is the owners.


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

katsrevenge said:


> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2008/07/the_most_aggressive_dog_breeds.html
> 
> 
> This makes sense to me. They tend to not like non-Chihuahuas, they tend to not like non-family or anyone not 'their person' and they tend to be untrained/under-trained... they are not bred for temperament as much as size. I can see how this could happen.
> ...


Too much of a generalisation. 

The only thing that applies is that my male does not like other dogs.
Other than that he is as well trained as any of my dogs have ever been, basic....things. He and Rosie love EVERYONE and make a bee line even for service engineers that come into the house 
The Chi's have to be put in another room so the guys can get on with their work. 
When we have guests the dogs are more likely to be found on *their* knee rather than ours! They love everyone. My previous little Chi girl was rather more shy but like my present girl had the most gentle personality and never put a paw wrong. 

While temperament may be inherited to some point, I believe early socialisation and training are generally (not always) of more influence.
If this *is* an issue within the breed, then breeders need to be making a big effort to address it.


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## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

Your dogs sound like sweeties, but from reading around on this board, I doubt they are the norm. I know mine is a sweety to strangers about half the time. The other half she's an angry little guard dog wanna-be. :/

Oh yeah, it's a generalization. But these are breed general facts found anywhere you go for info on chis. It's rather like reading that border collies will try to herd anything (my mum's friend's dog is constantly trying to herd their cats..breed trait gone silly, lol) or a husky wanting to run for hours. 

These don't apply to all dogs of any given breed, just a majority of them. These things are partly why those dogs exist. 

With chis I find this interesting... simply because I doubt the temperament really comes into play when they are bred. Or, the dog acts one way with it's people and that is why it is chosen. I know with other breeds that have been overbred like chis recently (thank you Paris Hilton) the bad temperaments and whatnot are traced to the bad breeding (think Golden Retrievers, too many of them had inherited nervous disorders a few years ago because everyone wanted one, breeders responded by breeding anything they had). 

I'm curious how much of this bad behaviour is inherit to the breed (IE the 'clannish' nature of a chihuahua) bad training (allowing bad behaviors because it is 'cute') or bad breeding (this one is tiny and that one is tiny... no matter the mum is evil and the dad has health issues).


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Brody is an exception I guess. He likes people and other dogs. He's not clannish and loves all the puppy in his kindergarten class at Petsmart. But the reputation of the breed preceedes him. People will even shy away from him and act like they are afraid to pet him sometimes and they all have a story of their grandma's chi who bit them, etc.

The trainer at our puppy class always gives compliments on how well socialized Brody is and how he's NOT the TYPICAL Chi! She has a scar on her hand from a Chi that bit her hard and she almost needes stiches. Most people can relate to that and will chime in with stories of their own about mean Chihuahua's they have known.

It is sad to hear. But I think it is lack of socialization, rather than a breed characteristic, although some lines may be aggressive. They are small and so they don't get trained or socialized. If you carried around a Lab in your arms all day and didn't get them out around other people and dogs, they would probably snap too. 

I have made socializing Brody a priority and make it a point to hand him off to strangers and have all kinds of people interact with him. Men, kids, etc. I think it is VITALLY important that puppies be socialized to different situations on a consistent and frequent basis. It's very important for the dog and could prevent a dog bite in the future. Or at least prevent having to shut the dog up in another room when company comes. 

Brodysmom


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2009)

I am very careful with my puppy mill Chi girl when meeting strangers, but she has never shown any inclination to growl, snap, or bite. She is very shy and cowers, but if approached gently, she stands up and enjoys attention and will even lick fingers. She is my third Chi and the other two were very friendly to everyone and my blue Chi was headed toward being a therapy dog when circumstances intervened. He would have been great at it. He loved everyone and was very outgoing and sweet.


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

ladyj said:


> I am very careful with my puppy mill Chi girl when meeting strangers, but she has never shown any inclination to growl, snap, or bite. She is very shy and cowers, but if approached gently, she stands up and enjoys attention and will even lick fingers. She is my third Chi and the other two were very friendly to everyone and my blue Chi was headed toward being a therapy dog when circumstances intervened. He would have been great at it. He loved everyone and was very outgoing and sweet.


Bless her, given this little ones back ground, it's no surprise she is shy.
I think there are a lot of loving, friendly and outgoing Chihuahuas around.

The only people mine hate are the window cleaners , the dogs go berserk when they come around, but that's understandable! 
Good little watch dogs


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## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

Yoshismom said:


> I dont think there are any mean breeds just owners that do not know how to train, or raise there dogs;-)


i agree 

Twig is very shy with strangers until she sees they are ok and she would never snap and Bentley just loves everyone and all the attention


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## Kristin (Nov 12, 2004)

Yoshismom said:


> I dont think there are any mean breeds just owners that do not know how to train, or raise there dogs;-)


I agree.

Boss was a nipper until I got a handle on him. It all depends on the owner.


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

Reminds me of the tattoo hubby is wanting get...
"punish the deed, not the breed"


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## Pinkchi (Nov 21, 2008)

I can understand where this is comming from. I work at a boarding kennels and 9 times out of 10 it will be the little dogs that cause a problem rather than the larger breeds, although I don't think type-casting certain breeds as 'vicious' is necessary. Every dog is an individual, and any dog has the capability to bite.

IMO i think its the owners fault for not training the dog correctly. A dog, no matter how small or cute it is, should not be allowed to get away with bad behaviour of any sort. A dog needs discipline much like a child, they need boundaries. 

We had an issue in the kennels recently where a collie has bitten people. The last 2 times he has stayed with us he has bitten. The 1st time we wrote it off as a one off, the 2nd time we realised this dog has a problem. The dog would bite if we tried to get him to do anything he didn't want to do. The 1st time we were trying to shut him in at night, and the 2nd trying to get him into the van to take him home. The dog has now been banned from returning and although the owner was very understanding, she acknowledged the fact that she never told us that he may bite. It is obvious that biting is his way of getting out of things he doesn't want to do, so he has obviously learned that if he bites people will give up. Classic case of lack of training and discipline


I hate the breed specific legislation to. Why should gorgeous animals be euthanised and locked up and banned for something that isn't their fault?
If the owner trains them to be agressive they won't know any different. The owners should be punished, not the breed, they are only trying to please their master, dogs cannot decipher between right and wrong if they are not disciplined or trained in the right way to begin with


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

carrera is exactly what their talking about, she bites, nips, everything- dont know what to do!


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## Harley's Mom (Feb 5, 2009)

I like the idea of your hubby's tatoo lilbaby! I agree that there are really no bad dogs, just bad owners. If you choose to own a dog known for their agressive behaviour or that have a bad reputation, keep a handle on that dog. Don't let them out of your sight, don't have them off leash, and if someone approaches to touch the animal, politely say "no". 

The problem with chi's is they are so small and they become frightened and if they are being held like purses and can't escape...of course they are going to nip - fight or flight...it's an animal's basic instinct.


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## lynx8456 (Feb 26, 2009)

When I purchased Jasper from a breeder I met in my area, she 
told me she works on socializing the pups as early as possible. 
They are handled by all of her kids, go out in public and get handled 
by alot of people. Some even go to senior centers to visit senior
citizens. So I guess I got really lucky. My chi loves kids, strangers 
and he is really well behaved every where he goes. Since I got 
him @ 8 weeks (now 5 monthes) I make sure to take him every 
where possible and keep him with as many people as possible. 
Even when the weather is bad...I make sure he gets a ride atleast 
twice a week to the local pet stores to socialize and check things out. 
He has a ball and does nothing but give out kisses, hugs and 
roll-overs for all the people he meets. Not to mention he gets a
toy and chewies evey where he goes

I do believe training, lots of expierences at a young age
and a owner who can devote quality time to their dog
makes for an excellent chi personality and an all around
great pet.


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## ahra1284 (Sep 3, 2008)

this makes sense to me. not that i think typecasting breeds are necessary, but i think people don't train the little ones with the same urgency as they do with the bigger breeds. its not a problem to have your 5lb chi jumping on your guests but it would be a huge problem to have your 70lb rottweiler jumping on everyone that walked through your door. it's obvious to see everyone here is devoted to training and socializing their chihuahuas but considering how many chihuahuas are up for adoption at the moment, it's not hard to see how this might come about. 

i think the portable size adn the cuteness of hte chihuahuas are both a curse and a blessing. we cherish and adore our chihuahuas for this reason but because they are so cute and so little, careless and less devoted people might not put enough consideration before purchasing a chihuahua and bringing one into their home. purchasing, say, a lab would require more thought than bringing home a puppy that is supposed to top out at 5-7lbs. i'm rambling but in the end, it's all up to the owners on what kind of temperament you want your chi to end up with, or for that case, any dog that you bring into your life. when your dog is nipping and biting and aggressive towards strangers, you are really teh only one who can put a stop to it. and i truly believe that with time and hard work, this is a problem that can always be fixed. i really didnt mean to write this much!


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## Kioana (Mar 1, 2005)

well i have 2 chiweenies , and i can see why they are on the list. Jemini is very protective of her family or who she see's in need.
She doesn't like rough play so we don't do it around her. and i don't allow visitors to act in that way , If i had to take a dog down a dark alley i'd take her lol!


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## ahra1284 (Sep 3, 2008)

kioana, my boyfriend wants to get a chiweenie - can i see some pictures of yours?


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## Kioana (Mar 1, 2005)

AHRA I've PM'ed you


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## bnbjones1994 (Feb 25, 2009)

I believe it's all about the owner nd how u raise your pet ( any breed) My chi is a sweetheart nd loves to give kisses to anyone who will let her...lol !!!


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## Kioana (Mar 1, 2005)

yes that is so true!


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## Ciarra (May 6, 2008)

Blame the owner no the dog...bad dogs are made not born.


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## *Princess* (Feb 7, 2009)

Elise is quite vicious, she bites tinkerbell and everyone and anything she can..but surely thats the puppy stage coz we had that with tinkerbell when she was a baby


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## Pepe&Thia'sMom (Feb 18, 2009)

I breed for temperment which to me is more important than size


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## Dazy Mae (Aug 10, 2008)

Dazy will react but it seems to be only when she is frightened or unsure of someone new. She barks and will sometimes growl.
We sometimes wonder how she was handled by her breeder since she was already 4 mths when we got her. She has always been a bit jumpy and noises set her off.
We have socialized her as much as possible...She loves the grandkids, and pretty much everyone else she visits in the family.
Lulu is a cuddle bug..somewhat shy at first, but has a very sweet nature. No aggression from her at all.
It is so important as to how the puppy is handled to start with. They also learn aggression from being with other aggressive dogs.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

To play devil's advocate for a moment I can see how chi's would be the most aggressive breed. They do have a bossy temperament and a short fuse at times. Its not their fault tho, the kind of treatment that a large dog could deal with before having enough could injure or kill a tiny dog like a chi. They have to be less tolerant of rough play for self preservation reasons. Also owners do baby them as puppies but as you all know its terrifying having this insanely small 2Ib life form relying on you! The temptation is to protect them which of course does them no favours.

My two have been thrown in at the deep end since puppyhood (often with my heart in my throat!) and are sweethearts. Adam just today caused alot of laughs by play bowing and trying to get an enormous German Shepard to play with him! And Hannah, as a chiweenie, should have bitten at least 12 people by now according to research! Someone really needs to tell her tho that a tongue is not an offensive weapon no matter how far you can jam it into someones ear!! But if you want a watchdog that is always on duty then get a chiweenie definatley...


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## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

Pepe'Mom AWESOME. There need to be more like you!!!!

I'm really enjoying these stories and bits of infos. More knowledge is power. I'm currently trying to convince Kali that the nieghbourhood kids aren't the enemy (but, heck, maybe they will stay out of my yard *old-lady-grumble*)

Now the weather is decent, there will be much park going in my future. Must. Socialize. More.

Chiweenie? I don't think they could be better then my chi who growls at rabbits and deer 30 yards from a shut up house. LOL


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