The Chihuahua is the tiniest dog breed, often weighing in at less than 6 pounds, with an height of 6 to 9 inches. They are good little dogs for apartment life. The Chihuahua’s temperament makes them excellent watch dogs. They have the ability to hear strangers and other dogs long before they are even close. Chihuahuas are very loyal to the people they love. This breed is also friendly toward other pets and shy toward strangers.
So, Do chihuahuas bark a lot? Yes, Chihuahuas are known to bark. A lot. They will often bark constantly at anyone they perceive as a potential threat, and to them, that could be almost anyone in your house, even friends of yours and family. Sometimes they bark constantly for no reason at all.
Chihuahuas bark as a way to communicate with the world. If your Chihuahua barks occasionally, this is perfectly normal. The problem is when your dog bark constantly. Your Chihuahua may bark for attention, but he may also bark because he hasn’t been socialized. Other reasons including fear, dominance, boredom, hunger and aggression.
How to stop the Barking Behavior?
First, to stop the barking behavior, you need to understand why you Chihuahua is barking. Are they trying to protect you? Are they hungry and need some food? Are they scared of something? Are they bored and just trying to get your attention? For example:
- If your dog bark constantly at anyone in your home including friends and family, take your dog on daily errands or bring a new guest over to the house once a week. Soon your Chihuahua will begin to adjust and be OK with new situations.
- If your canine is barking to release excess energy then your answer is pretty simple. Chihuahuas are high energy dogs and without enough activity in their day, that excess energy needs to get released somehow, they often turn that extra energy into a high pitched, mono tone bark.
Exercise including daily walks can help to get rid of the excess energy. The excess energy can also lead to other bad negative habits, such as chewing, digging or scratching, messing around and more.. a tired dog will never think about these bad habits again. - If you tried both methods and your dog still bark constantly for no reason at all, you may wanna try an anti bark collar. Luckily, anti bark collars were made to break your dog’s habit of incessantly barking when you are not able to tell them “Stop it”. The problem is there are a variety of different anti bark collars and devices, but we have found the best anti bark collar for your doggy that is inexpensive on Amazon.
The daily walks also give them the opportunity to meet other dogs and make friends, and helps them to stay healthy.
If you cannot take your dog for a walk or a run, here are some tips on how to work out your dog’s body and mind indoors:
- Run your dog up and down the stairs.
Using the stairs is a great way to tire out your dog. - Make your dog work for its treats.
Take a variety of your dog’s favorite treats and hide the around the house. Your dog will be so busy tracking down his treats that he’ll physically tire out in the process. - Keep away and fetch.
Engage your dog in a good old fashioned game of fetch and keep away. - Get your dog on the treadmill.
A treadmill is a great way to get your dog a dose of healthy indoor exercise. - Tug of War.
Many dogs love to play tug of war, it’s a healthy display of their predatory nature.
Though, exercise needs are based on a dog’s age, breed, size and overall health, your dog should spend between 30 minutes to two hours on an activity every day, and for Shihuahuas, 30 min of exercise is enough for them.
This was “Do chihuahuas bark a lot?” see also: Are French Bulldogs disobedient?