To stop a Chihuahua from biting, as a Chihuahua parent, you know the important lesson:
Don’t underestimate them because of their size…
Yes, they remain loved all over the world…
But, Chihuahuas have a reputation for being short-tempered. Plus, they might get bitey…
That’s why the contents of this article might be essential for a Chi parent like you.
You’re about to discover:
- Seventeen tips to stop a Chihuahua from biting.
- What’s the usual reason why Chihuahuas bite.
- Five signs that your Chihuahua’s about to bite you.
- And much, much more…
How to stop a Chihuahua from biting?
To stop a Chihuahua from biting, you need to train their bite inhibition. You can use desensitization and lessen resource guarding. Other ways include exercise, socialization, redirection, hand-feeding, increased productivity, and ignoring them. It would help if you also watched them and their body language.
17 simple tips to stop a Chihuahua from biting
#1: Watch their body language
To stop a bite from happening, you have to be alert.
Luckily, there are signs that your Chihuahua intends to bite.
Dogs communicate using their bodies, and that’s something to take advantage of in this situation.
Closely watch your Chi’s body language. Especially if they’re starting to show the following signs:
Sign #1: Growling is the most obvious indication that a bite’s about to occur.
This is a sign that your pup’s unhappy. And it’s like a warning for you to back off.
Sign #2: Wagging their tail.
Usually, a wagging tail is a sign of a happy dog…
But not this time.
Your Chi might be wagging their tail as a sign of an impending bite.
Their tail will move back and forth in a quick motion.
How do I know it’s not a happy tail wag? It’s when…
Sign #3: Their body is stiff.
They might be wagging their tail, but their body is rigid.
Note: That’s the difference between an excited and aggressive tail wagging. An excited dog would not keep it to themselves, so they bring their body along with enthusiasm.
Their body posture is something to note, too.
You would see that they’re holding tension in their body by its stiffness.
Sign #4: Yawning and licking their lips.
It’s not the time for a nap or a meal…
But your Chi yawns and licks their lips.
Uh-oh…
You might need to back off.
That’s because such behaviors are performed to release tension.
It’s like your dog’s way of calming themself down…
However, if a threat or stimulus persists, they will not be hesitant to bite.
Sign #5: Their fur is standing up.
There are only a few scenarios where a dog’s fair will stand up. Those cases are fear and overstimulation.
Both of those situations could make your dog want to bite.
That’s why you’d see the hair on the back of their neck is raised.
#2: Redirect them with a chew toy
Dogs are both complex and straightforward creatures…
In this scenario, they’re the latter.
That’s because you’ll use simple redirection to your Chihuahua. Once you do that, you could be free from a bite.
The redirecting object is a chew toy.
Your Chihuahua will be encouraged to bite on the toy instead of your hand or finger.
With that, it’s an excellent opportunity for me to remind you not to offer your finger or hand alone to your Chi.
Make sure that you don’t put your hands near their mouth. If you do, your Chi might disregard the knick-knack and go straight for the hand…
You wouldn’t want that…
So, the next time you play with your Chihuahua, get a chew toy ready on the side…
#3: Hand-feed them from time to time
Hand-feeding is the action where you give food to your canine with your bare hands.
And, as opposed to popular belief, hand-feeding dogs could be helpful. AKC tells us so.
That’s why, from time to time, you should try hand-feeding your Chi.
How exactly is hand-feeding helpful in this case?
I would provide three answers for that…
Effect #1: It teaches your Chihuahua to control its impulses.
In this, you’d have to close your hand a little bit or totally.
This will make your dog back up a little. After that, you must open your hand fully and offer them the treats.
Doing so will make your Chi think mugging you won’t be rewarding.
It’s like teaching a child about greed. Your Chi will learn that they won’t need to be eager to be fed.
Effect #2: Hand-feeding encourages slow eating.
Since you’re in control of their food in this, you get to choose how much to give per chew.
By doing so, your Chi would eat slowly. Then, that would prevent them from bloating and having lousy gas.
Warning: It’s essential to encourage dogs to eat slowly. I mentioned that it prevents bloating, which could be fatal for canines.
Effect #3: It builds trust and strengthens the relationship between you.
It makes your dog think that approaching you will make good things happen…
Like being fed!
Hand-feeding is also an effective distraction method, and it keeps your Chi focused on you and the food you gradually provide.
Now, there’s an effect #4 for this…
However, I’ll save it for later. That’s because I’ll be using a separate section.
I don’t want to spoil you as I’ll be explaining it further in the article…
#4: Exercise them
As a Chihuahua parent, you know how it feels sometimes…
It’s like you have a tornado for a companion…
I say so because they’re dogs with high energy.
Which is such an anomaly for some people. Chis are small dogs, but they have such huge personalities…
Oh, how dogs work in mysterious ways…
Going back, your Chi could be too playful because of that energy. And sometimes, they go way overboard and begin acting aggressively…
Maybe they’re that way because they didn’t have the chance to burn their stamina for the day…
With that, even a little attention from you over-stimulates them…
Remember: An over-enthusiastic dog might not have any breaks.
That’s where the importance of exercise comes in.
Your Chihuahua must get enough.
If they do, the activity might lessen playful or aggressive behaviors.
Not only will exercise burn their high energy, but it will also help your Chi to be more:
- Relaxed.
- Attentive.
- Obedient.
“How much exercise do they need, then?”
Chihuahuas need at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
If that isn’t met, biting is not the only risk. According to PetMD, an under-exercised dog shows the following:
- Whining.
- Weight gain.
- Hyperactivity.
- Persistent barking.
- Sudden withdrawal.
- Destructive behavior.
- Lack of interest and reluctance to activities.
#5: Keep them productive at home
Imagine this:
Your Chi’s daily exercise routine is done for the day…
However, they’re still packed with stamina.
They leap here and there. Then, they jump on you and become too playful…
It makes you ask:
“What’s up with my Chi?”
It’s simple…
They still have too much energy because they do!
The exercise isn’t enough for the day.
Or maybe, your Chi took a nap and regained their spirit.
Whichever it is, how could you prevent such from happening?
I have an easy hack for you:
Keep your Chi productive at home.
Not the kind where you make them do chores around the house, though…
What I mean is to keep them busy and stimulated throughout the day.
How?
You can provide them with toys that are interactive and cite their curiosity.
Moreover, such toys are beneficial for their intellect, and it’s an exercise for their mind and keeps it sharp.
Here’s a list of terrific recommendations for your energetic Chi:
- Check this beginner dog puzzle for your curious Chihuahua. It hides treats in easily-accessed compartments.
- Want something more advanced for your pup? This strategy toy puzzle called ‘The Mini Mover – Level 3 Dog Puzzle’ will be a fun challenge.
- What StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy does is more than wobbling. As it does, it dispenses treats for your persistent and excited Chi.
Note: Make sure to switch between toys every other day. Doing this keeps your Chi interested with their knick-knacks for a long time.
Now, why is this necessary?
I advise this because there’s this thing called neophilia in dogs…
What is neophilia?
It’s a hard-wired condition in your canine.
It makes your puppy grow tired of the old things that they have. With that, they begin to desire brand new toys.
Take it from this study:
Out of all the scenarios, the unfamiliar object is chosen by the subject dogs 76% of the time.
With that, researchers can conclude one thing. And it’s the fact that dogs have a strong preference for new items.
#6: Supervise!
A method for preventing bites is always to supervise your Chi…
Furthermore, doing so will help you do my tip #1 (Watch their body language).
Now, this is important, especially if a child is present, regardless of whether your Chi is familiar with the kid or not.
The point is that you must constantly keep an eye on your puppy.
Note: You could still let your Chi socialize with other people and fellow canines. I’ll explain the importance of this later in tip #11.
I want to clarify that your Chi could still be part of the group.
They need extra supervision when other beings surround them.
But with enough training and getting used to it, your Chihuahua can adequately behave. That’s why you should…
