How to Train a Hyper Chihuahua to Calm Down
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Introduction
Whether she is deer or apple-headed, long-haired or short, your Chihuahua is almost certainly very cute. It is almost equally likely that she is energetic, with a larger than life personality. Chihuahuas belie their minuscule stature with big attitudes and committed loyalty. Your Chihuahua is happiest by your side, and she is willing to stick with you no matter what.
Many of us choose a small-breed dog because of the ease of exercising small dogs compared to larger dogs, among other things. Too often, however, a Chihuahua can become a little crazy when not exercised and socialized properly.
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Defining Tasks
If you realize you need your Chihuahua to calm down, perhaps because she is jumping off your guest's heads on the couch or spinning in circles around their feet, your goals will be twofold. First, you will need to teach your Chihuahua self-control. Dogs, like people, are not born with self-control, but must develop it through a painstaking process of slowly extending the delay of reward for some worthy purpose. If your Chihuahua has never needed to use self-control, the skill will have to be built gradually over time.
Secondly, your Chihuahua needs exercise and new experiences to gain the worldliness needed for her to keep her chill. If your Chihuahua's world extends primarily to your house and yard, she is likely to be overwhelmed with excitement by every new person or thing coming into that space.
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Getting Started
When choosing a training and exercise regimen for your Chihuahua, be careful to keep her physical limitations in mind. Chihuahuas have delicate necks and spines that can be injured easily on a neck lead, so it is best to always restrain your Chihuahua with a comfortable and securely fitted harness. While your Chihuahua may be willing to run with you all day, this may not be good for her, especially until she develops stamina. Make sure you are matching activities to your Chihuahua's abilities and build activity gradually. To develop self-control in your Chihuahua it helps to have desirable rewards. Use the smallest and lowest calorie treats that will motivate your Chihuahua, as they gain weight easily.
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The Exercise to Zen Method
Most Recommended
2 Votes
Most Recommended
2 Votes
Bouncing off the walls
If your Chihuahua is bouncing off of the walls with energy, she may need more exercise before she can control herself and develop calm.
Exercise safely
Build your exercise routine slowly, so that you don't overwhelm your Chihuahua.
Variety in exercise
The more variable your Chihuahua's exercise routine, the better. Maybe one day you play fetch for an hour, another you go for a long walk, and another you practice wading in shallow water.
Exercise until tired
As your Chihuahua builds strength, exercise her until she is tired and relaxed at the end of exercise.
Build self-control
Now that you have a calm Chihuahua to work with, you can begin building self-control for calm even when not tired by practicing extended stays for rewards.
The Job to Do Method
Effective
1 Vote
Effective
1 Vote
Can't get out
If it isn't practical for you to take your Chihuahua outside for exercise and exposure, that's OK, you can give her lots of mental stimulation and exercise at home so she will handle new people in her home with calm.
Give her jobs
Give your Chihuahua jobs to do. Train her to gather her toys or your spare socks from around the house. Teach her to drag a dust mop around. Make up any kind of jobs, real or imaginary for her.
Create routine
Use your Chihuahua's new jobs to build a routine into your daily life with her so she feels busy and has designated working and resting times.
Challenge her mind
Keep your Chihuahua occupied with varying types of chew and food puzzle toys. Keep teaching her new tricks and chores so she stays engaged.
Teach self-control
As your Chihuahua develops calm, teach her self-control with extended stays for rewards.
The New Experiences Method
Effective
0 Votes
Effective
0 Votes
Homebody spaz
If your Chihuahua doesn't get out much and goes crazy every time she does go out or someone visits, she may develop a lot of calm just by getting out more.
Get out safely
Make sure your Chihuahua has a securely fit harness, and bring a cozy bag that she can nestle into if she gets overwhelmed in the course of your outings.
Start with calm spaces
To build calm in your Chihuahua, take her to calm places without much stimulus. Going somewhere without many people around will also spare you embarrassment as your Chihuahua gets all the crazy barking out of her system.
Go out frequently
Try to take your Chihuahua somewhere new every day, or several times a day if possible. The more the better, just make sure you have her safe bag in case she gets overwhelmed.
Build stimulus
Gradually build up to more and more stimuli in the places you go. Encourage self-control by asking your Chihuahua to stay and wait for reward for increasing periods while out and at home.
Written by Coral Drake
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 02/22/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Little mighty
Chihuahua
4 Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
How do I pee pad train him before winter. He is good to go outside now but when winter comes who knows
June 26, 2022
Little mighty's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I would purchase a disposable real grass pad for consistency with outside potty training, then use either the crate training method or exercise pen method from the article I have linked below to train inside potty training too. For the first week, I would do just inside potty trips, then once pup is going potty on the grass pad willingly, even if not fully trained to be able to remove the exercise pen, take pup potty outside and to the inside potty both, so pup is getting used to going to the inside potty while maintaining outside potty training. Choose where you want the grass pad to be long term and set up the exercise pen there if you can, because pup will be learning not just to go on the pad but to go in that location, so location needs to stay as consistent inside as it can, to avoid pup going potty in the wrong location inside. Exercise pen method - mentions a doggie litter box but other indoor potty pads can be used instead, like the grass pad. https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Disposable real grass pad brands - also on amazon.com: www.porchpotty.com www.doggielawn.com www.freshpatch.com Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 27, 2022
Duchess
Chihuahua
4 Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
She is BEYOND hyper & spazzes every time she walks into the room with any of the 4 people in the household. She gets under feet, pushes the backs of knees, & jumps repeatedly into us. I have MS, so it is VERY dangerous. She also can't let us pet her without licking us, & 2 of us are NOT ok with it bc she doesnt do it then stop. It's like we are popsicles,. 😐 & it grosses us out.
April 11, 2022
Duchess's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Heather, I would start with teaching Place, Leave It, and Out, to help with personal boundaries. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite I would especially work on Out - which means move away. For the jumping, check out this article, including the Leash and Step Toward method. With your MS I would have someone else be in charge of teaching that, they can practice the leash method with you involved, but with them stepping on the leash so pup is never actually jumping on you. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-australian-shepherds-to-not-jump Check out this video on desensitizing to greetings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzvqN9JNUA Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 12, 2022