Controlling your Chihuahua Dogs Chewing and Nipping Behavior

Author: Richard Cussons
We love our large-eyed Chihuahua dogs because of their devotion and personality. But at times, these small creatures are acting out in bad ways with annoying habits.

To them, these habits are just normal dog activities, contrary to our standards of how they should behave. But since they dwell in the human world, they must learn to behave in such a way that is acceptable and conforms to human lifestyle and to keep the household a safe and peaceful place.

It is every owner's job to make that happen. It is every owner's responsibility to train it's Chihuahua to stop the unpleasant habits such as the ones discussed below:

Nipping: Chihuahua dogs tend to use their mouths during playtime, especially when they get excited. Nipping, despite of how harmless it may seem, is considered a habit that needs to be stopped right away. It is important to let your dog understand that even in play, his teeth should not touch human skin. It is important to stop this behavior as early as possible to prevent your dog from biting someone in the future.

Once your puppy starts to nip, turn his biting habit into focus on his toys instead of your hands. Provide him with toys that is acceptable and he find inviting like chewy, rubber toys, especially those that come with treats inside. Soft, colorful plush toys will also top his interest.


Start training your Chihuahua by the time that he's still a puppy. As young as 8 weeks, puppies can learn and understand that nipping is not allowed, provided they are taught properly. Teach your dog the fact that nipping results in an unpleasant consequences. Once your puppy starts to bite during play, look your puppy into the eye, say 'ouch' and ignore him. If he still starts to bite again, go to a different room and close the door. But avoid leaving him longer than one minute.

Doing this will make him realize that biting hard turns off any attention and social interaction with you. He will eventually learn to control the pressure of his nipping until he completely learns to stop the habit.

Chewing: There is nothing as frustrating as seeing your adorable Chihuahua dog chew your brand new shoes into pieces. Puppies normally chew to ease their aching gums, especially those that go through their teething stage. Stopping your puppy from soothing his pain won't do him no good, all you have to do is redirect his chewing to his toys instead of your shoes, clothes and other items.

It helps if you'll provide plenty of toys for him to chew on. Having these toys around him all the time will get him used to chewing on them. Just place these items in a confined area so that he doesn't focus his attention on other stuff around the house. Correct him at once if you see him chewing something he's not supposed to. Just say 'no chew' and quickly replace the item with his chew toy. And don't forget to reward him with praise when he starts to chew his toy.


Richard Cussons is great lover of dogs and you can find our more about Chihuahua dogs at Chihuahua Savvy.com.
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