My chihuahua Pickles and I have a life together that some people find deeply amusing and others find genuinely concerning. We do agility courses in the backyard. We go on hiking dates. We have a weekly routine that involves a puzzle toy she takes more seriously than I take most of my professional responsibilities. And yes, I have signed up for a dog sport class where Pickles is consistently the smallest competitor by a factor of about ten, and she does not care even a little bit. This fun activities with chihuahua guide covers everything you need to know. This chihuahua activities guide covers what every chihuahua owner needs.
The thing I have learned about chihuahuas is that they have enormous energy and intelligence packed into a body that society has decided is meant for sitting on laps and wearing sweaters. Pickles does not know she weighs five pounds. She operates with the confidence of a dog who weighs fifty, and if I do not give her things to do with that energy and that brain, she will find things to do on her own, and those things usually involve my shoes.
Backyard Agility and Why It Is Not as Crazy as It Sounds
I built a mini agility course in my backyard using PVC pipes, some fabric, and a few things I found at a hardware store. There are tiny jumps that are about four inches off the ground, a tunnel made from a children’s play tube, weave poles fashioned from garden stakes, and a pause table that is actually just a low stepping stool with a mat on top. The whole setup cost about forty dollars and Pickles absolutely lives for it.
As noted by AKC: Things Only Chihuahua Owners Understand, this matters more than most owners realize.
Agility is not just about physical exercise though that is certainly part of it. It is about communication between you and your dog. Pickles has to watch my body language, listen to my voice commands, and make decisions about where to go and how fast to move. It engages her brain in a way that a simple walk does not, and after a ten-minute agility session she is more tired than after a thirty-minute walk because the mental work is genuinely exhausting for a dog.
Nose Work: The Activity Every Chihuahua Is Born For
If there is one activity that I recommend to every chihuahua owner, it is nose work. All dogs have incredible noses, but chihuahuas seem to take particular joy in using theirs. Nose work is essentially a structured hide-and-seek game where you hide treats or scented objects and your chihuahua has to find them using their sense of smell.
I started by hiding treats in obvious places while Pickles watched, then gradually made the hiding spots more challenging. Now I can hide a treat in another room while she waits, release her with a command, and watch her systematically search the space until she finds it. Her nose twitches, her body goes into hunting mode, and her entire demeanor changes from casual house dog to focused tracker. It is fascinating to watch and she finds it immensely satisfying.
Trick Training for the Chihuahua Who Thinks They Are a Genius
Pickles currently knows about fifteen tricks beyond the basic commands, and I am not sure which one of us enjoys the training process more. She can spin in a circle, weave through my legs, ring a bell to go outside, play dead with dramatic flair, and give high fives on command. We work on new tricks in five to ten minute sessions several times a week, using small treats and a lot of enthusiasm.
The trick training is not really about the tricks. It is about the relationship. Those training sessions are dedicated time where Pickles has my full attention, where she is being challenged and rewarded, and where we are working together toward a shared goal. The bond that develops through training is stronger than the bond that develops through passive coexistence, and I think that is why Pickles and I have the kind of partnership we do.
Hiking With a Chihuahua (and the Backpack That Made It Possible)
I take Pickles on hikes that would surprise people who think chihuahuas are strictly indoor dogs. She has been on trails through state parks, walked along beaches, and explored forest paths that most people would not associate with a toy breed. The key is knowing her limits and having a plan for when she hits them.
Pickles can comfortably walk about two miles on flat terrain before she starts to slow down. On hilly or rough ground, her range is shorter. I carry a small dog backpack that she can ride in when her legs are done, which means we can do longer hikes together without pushing her beyond what is safe. She seems to enjoy the backpack portion almost as much as the walking portion, sitting up high and surveying the landscape like a very small queen on a palanquin.
Puzzle Toys and the Mental Workout
I rotate through a collection of puzzle toys that require Pickles to manipulate sliding pieces, lift flaps, or navigate mazes to reach hidden treats. She has favorites, and she has gotten good enough at some of them that I have to layer the difficulty by wrapping treats in cloth before hiding them inside the puzzle. A bored chihuahua is a destructive chihuahua, and puzzle toys are one of the most effective ways I have found to keep Pickles mentally engaged, especially on days when weather or schedule prevents a longer walk.
The team at iHeartDogs: Things to Know Before Getting a Chihuahua offers helpful insight on this topic.
Swimming, Sort Of
Pickles does not swim in the traditional sense, but she has discovered that wading in a shallow kiddie pool on a hot day is actually quite enjoyable. I filled a small pool with about three inches of water, tossed in some floating treats, and after twenty minutes of suspicious circling she got in and spent the next hour fishing them out with great concentration. It is not exactly the Westminster Dog Show, but it is exercise, it is mental stimulation, and the video I took of her first reluctant steps into the water remains one of my most watched clips among friends.
The Point of All of This
Every dog was bred for a purpose, and even though chihuahuas were not designed to herd sheep or retrieve ducks, they still need purpose in their daily lives. A chihuahua who has activities, challenges, and engagement with their owner is a happier, healthier, better-behaved dog than one who sits on a pillow all day waiting for something to happen. Pickles is proof of that. She is the most content, well-adjusted chihuahua I have ever known, and I genuinely believe it is because we do things together that give her life structure and stimulation.
For more ideas, check out these fun games to play with your chihuahua and learn about how to keep your chihuahua entertained.
