chihuahuas love to bark. it’s a perfectly natural thing for them to do, just as it’s normal for us humans to speak. it’s when our chihuahuas bark excessively that it becomes a problem for all concerned, including the neighbors. the goal isn’t to to stop our chihuahuas from barking, but rather learn how to control the excessive barking.
“is a chihuahua the right pet for you? find out in caring for your chihuahua made easy: breed information, health care and nutrition.”
the fact is, chihuahuas bark. they do it when they’re excited or when they sense danger. some do it when they’re bored – or worse, for no reason at all. in these cases, you want to teach your chihuahua that barking is only permitted under certain circumstances.
the first step in modifying this problem is to determine the reason why your chihuahua is barking in the first place. once you’ve identified the cause or trigger, you can then plan your training solution.
why do chihuahuas bark?
- to express their needs (being bossy).
- they are staking out their territory.
- to alert other members of their pack (that’s you and your family) of impending danger.
- when playing, just through sheer excitement.
- barking at other animals. depending on where you are in the world, it could be squirrels or any other small animal.
- if they are isolated.
- some chihuahuas bark excessively when separated from their pack (you and your family).
- if they are trapped behind some type of barrier like a fence or window.
- just for fun!
- to express dominance (puppies normally test you out at some stage with a display of dominance barking).
- they bark because their owners have inadvertently rewarded excessive barking in the past (this is crucial to understand)
- through boredom or a lack of physical and mental stimulation.
- may feel stressed or uncomfortable for some reason. things like feeling threatened or if they don’t have an appropriate place to sleep can cause excessive barking problems.chihuahuas that haven’t been properly socialized often become nuisance barkers.
- may be looking for a response or some attention from their pack.
keep in mind that even though it may appear to you that your chihuahua is barking at nothing, this is not necessarily the case.
this is because your chihuahua has a much more acute sense of hearing, smell and sight than us humans. your chihuahua’s excessive barking is probably being triggered by something.
how to stop your chihuahua from barking
the most important piece of advice to remember when trying to modify any dog behavioral problem, is to clearly communicate to your chihuahua what is acceptable behavior and what is not.
one of the biggest mistakes us chihuahua owners make is to inadvertently reward our chihuahuas excessive barking. we actually encourage and reinforce the barking problem when we commit these three dog training sins:
- yell and scream at the chihuahua – this just gives them the attention they were crying out for.
- let them inside. If your chihuahua is barking his/her head off outside, then you let it in, this just rewards the barking.
- if your chihuahua is barking and you react by giving him/her a comforting cuddle or a treat of some sort, you are definitely encouraging your chihuahua to bark again. by doing this you are communicating to your chihuahua that you are happy with them. you should be making it clear that his excessive barking is inappropriate.
training techniques to try and reasons why your chihuahua barks
chihuahua goes crazy every time the phone rings
this is a very common and annoying time for chihuahuas to bark excessively. try these training techniques:
- never yell at your chihuahua.
- get your chihuahua used to the phone ringing, don’t make it such a big deal. ring your home number from your cell phone or get a friend to keep calling you. when the phone rings just sit there, don’t say or do a thing. repeat this process over a few days, your chihuahua will probably continue to bark for a while but will give up before long.
- if you give your chihuahua basic obedience training, behavioral problems such as excessive barking are easily controlled. your chihuahua looks up to you as their pack leader and is eager to please you in any situation. teaching the quiet! or stop! obedience training command will soon correct nuisance barking problems.
- you may have some success by changing the tone and volume of your ring tone.
chihuahua barks when you are not home
chihuahuas are social creatures, when they are separated from their owners they can become stressed and frustrated. this type of excessive barking is often caused by separation anxiety.
- keep your chihuahua well exercised (physical and mental) and provide fresh water, chewing toys and a nice comfortable place to sleep. you can also try to block your chihuahuas view of the street or other distractions. basically, make sure your chihuahua is happy.
- if you know your chihuahua has been barking while you have been away, you must ignore him/her for a while when you return home. this is difficult for lots of chihuahua owners, but if you don’t do this your chihuahua believes that their barking is the reason you came back home to them. just go about your business for a little while when you get home, ignoring your chihuahua. when they have settled down, you can then initiate contact with them.
- this next method takes time and patience, but can be a very effective. it’s based on that important rule applicable to all training situations. praise or reward when your chihuahua does something good, create a negative association when they do something bad. leave the house as you normally would, but just hide somewhere nearby. when your chihuahua starts to bark spray him/her with water or throw a tin can full of coins or rocks in their direction (this is the negative association). try to keep out of your chihuahuas sight while doing this if possible. go and hide again, if he/she is quiet for a while, go in and reward their good behavior with some praise and maybe a treat. this process may need to be repeated over and over until you have broken the excessive barking habit.
chihuahua barks for attention or to demand something
this is one excessive barking problem that can be corrected very quickly.
- if you establish yourself as the pack leader or alpha dog in your owner-chihuahua relationship, this type of barking problem won’t occur. you’ll also form a strong bond with your chihuahua based on trust and respect.
- another effective method you can try to stop this attention barking is simply ignoring your chihuahua. your chihuahua will probably become frustrated and bark a lot initially, but once they realize that it is not getting them anywhere, they will stop. this training method can be hard on the ears for a while!
chihuahua barks at passers by
workers like the postman and delivery driver’s are constantly being barked at throughout their day.
- your chihuahua perceives these type of people as intruders or a threat to their territory. they bark and every time they bark they are rewarded as the intruder goes away. your chihuahua is then very pleased that they have averted this threat, which leads them to do it again and again. their behavior is reinforced and therefore this can be a difficult problem to turn around.
- if possible, you could try to block your chihuahuas vision or access to the area where these people pass by.
- if your chihuahua consistently barks at a particular person, you may need this person to help modify your chihuahuas behavior. just say your chihuahua gets really agitated each time the postman arrives. have a chat to your postman and give him some of your chihuahuas favorite treats. each time they deliver to your house, they can also deliver a tasty treat to your chihuahua. in your chihuahuas mind the postman goes from being a threat, to a welcome guest.
if you consistently apply the above training techniques and add a little patience, you should have your chihuahua under control before long.
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source: dog-obedience-training-review.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-barking.html
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Comments 125
I did take the time to read the replies and it seems some folks like to live in denial. Yes, they are that loud and no, they don’t just bark at “certain things” unless everything 24/7 is considered “certain things”. It’s not just the loudness of the barking but the insanely high pitch of the bark and the fact that it never seems to stop that most people find so annoying.
Through further research, it seems of the million of hits from my original search, the vast majority are not owners complaining about their own mini-dogs, but NEIGHBORS complaining about mini dogs. This only supports my argument so my original statement stands.
Honestly I have no issue with the animal itself. I don’t particularly like them but I don’t dislike them either. They exist. Animals only exhibit behaviors and do what they do. It seems that many (not all mind you) of the people buying this particularly noisy breed don’t understand that though small, they are not toys. They are apparently quite insecure animals and need constant attention unlike toys that can be turned off and put back on the shelf when you’re done playing with them. I’m sure that some owners do indeed have well behaved animals that are given the emotional support they need but if a dog of ANY breed is barking constantly, the owner is the problem and not the animal. Some breeds are simply far more independent than others. As I suggested in an earlier post, I think many mini buyers who are obviously, for whatever reason, incapable of providing for the special needs of the minis should consider either a less needful breed or a cat. Again, a cat is very low maintenance and doesn’t actually care if you come home or not as long as it’s fed. Though it has no off switch, you can leave it alone for hours without fear of alienating your neighbors.
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Hi Joe, there are some replies to your comment on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Famous-Chihuahua/7464602476
I have a new neighbor, a renter of course, with a Taco Bell dog. The thing never stops. I did a Google search using “chihuahua barking constantly” and was astonished to see 14,000,000 (yes 14 MILLION) results in 1/4 of a second. That alone makes me tend to believe there is something inherently flawed with those noisy little mutants that belong in a hamster cage or better yet, simply not have been inbred to the point of creating an inferior miniature with inherent neurological issues in the first place.
Anyhoo, I digress… I ended up calling the owner of the house next door and apparently I have more patience than anyone else in the neighborhood as 5 neighbors before me had contacted the owner regarding the little beast. He says he plans to give them a warning to remove the animal or face eviction. Please consider that this is a quiet tree-lined neighborhood with houses and not apartments or condos. There’s a bit of distance between houses. There are plenty of dogs in the neighborhood but only the tiny little noise machine seems to be the one in the spotlight; it seems from what I’ve read, they are all like that. That’s how noisy and annoying those little pests are. Do your neighbors a favor and be a good neighbor by getting rid of it. One day when you need a good neighbor, do you want to be the one that doesn’t annoy everyone else or the one with the yappy little pest?
I actually feel sorry for the new neighbors. They seem to have been trying all of the suggestions listed above but to no avail. While those who seem to love the animals claim they are intelligent, I have my doubts. I have two large and quiet dogs myself and over the years have noticed the only people who seem to have such behavioral issues with un-trainable animals are those who choose the smaller-brained miniatures. Contrary to what some may choose to believe, brain size does matter.
I’m sure such a critter would be well behaved were it shown constant attention and love but some people have to work. It’s a living, breathing, feeling creature with needs. Had you done your homework I suspect many of you would have realized that unless you are a shut in, you simply don’t have the time or patience to meet the needs of these minis. If you want something small and cute that’s easy to keep indoors, I’d suggest a cat. I don’t really like cats myself (or any other animal in the house) but they are generally quiet and low maintenance and are more than able to supply the emotional crutch that many people seem to need. While kind of creepy, they are affectionate and won’t get you evicted for constant barking and they will wait patiently till you get home without feeling the need to alert everyone within 2000 meters of their agonizing loneliness. Some may argue that cats stink but I have news for you. If you keep any animal in the house, your house stinks. Humans stink too but we’re all used to that. The fact that no one has said anything in no way suggests your dog is the exception, only that those who enter your home don’t want to embarrass you.
My chihuahua barks at everything and everyone, I can’t even walk down the street without him freaking out. Even my friends that he sees quite often are barked at non stop. I tried squirting him with water when he barks, and blocking his view but nothing is working. Also whenever I leave the house he whines and barks really loud. I don’t know what to do please help?
please help, I live in sheltered accomadation, andIhave a yorkie and a chichuhua, they are both good, but when I go in the gardens that belong to all of usin the block, my chow barks constantly, Its getting to the stage, were i am going to have to rehome her, or I am going to get evicted, she does not bark when inside so really its about 5 times a day for ten mins, then Ibring her back in, because the barking drives me mad never mind everyone else. but I let the yorkie stay out in the hope the dog will learn that way, I have tried water everything you can think of, really do need help coz Ilove her to bits
hey all you commenters above…..(and all dog owners)
PLEASE watch the Dog Whisperer
He has a WHOLE EPISODE devoted to barking and problem chihuahuas
here is a link to his free Hulu channel
hulu.com/search?query=Dog+Whisperer&st=0
Cesar Millan teaches a way for owners to understand and gently guide their dogs to better behaviors without punishment and the results are immediate…he is awesome
My lil Chi Olive is sooo much happier (and quieter) since i started watching his shows
We recently bought a chi from an animal shelter. I have a Border Collie/Healer Mix and another Chi. The new chi loves the other chi, but growls whenever the Border Collie comes into the room. He will even chase the Border Collie. Help he is about to get injured from the big dog.
i have a 5 year old chi, in the past year he has started staring at the same spot on our stairs like he can see something, he doesn’t really bark but he keeps looking away then instantly looking back for a while until he decides to hide in the corner and shake like mad which makes his very stressed and anxious! we have lived in the same house since we have got him but he has only done it for a year. its freaks me out to as all i can think of is that he can see a ghost! also whenever our next door neighbors open their front door he starts constantly barking at the top of his voice! they have a dog which he seems to hate, we have let them out together and my chi just hung on his throat! i would have thought he would have got used to the neighbors dog in 4 years!!! whats should i do?
I have a 7 month old male chi. He hates my husband and just starting to get use to my oldest son. We got him when he wa 5 months old. He just goes off when ever my husband comes into the room. After some time he will slowly stop but continues to growl. My husband has never done anything to the him and as of today has never even gotten to hold him. He has been able to pet him but only while I have held him and kept him somewhat restrained. He talks softly to him and is the only one that gives him treats but this doesn’t seem to make any difference.
PLEASE HELP. This is wearing us all out
P.S. She is a medical alert dog. . . .
Training, training and more training. Start with obedience ! Very necessary. I have a 2 1/2 yr old who recently completed SERVICE DOG TRAINING ! Obedience first, then private training. The secret is in the follow-up. It won’t do any good to train if you don’t do the follow-up! We walk 45 min almost every day. She sleeps with me and is very quiet. The only exception is when someone approaches the front door. I’ve had her since she was 7 wks old and have lavished her with love as has my husband, But she is accepting of others. She goes everywhere with us ( even to church and the movies !) If I have a problem with another person I pick her up and introduce them, letting her know I think the other person is ok.
2 days ago I was given a 6 month old chihuahua. she very cute and getting use to her new environment. I’m 19 and home for college so in a couple of months I will leave again. She likes my sister and I but when my mom tried to pet her…. she growls and snapped at her?!? I don’t want her to dislike my mom cause shes the one who will be taking care of her when I’m gone. Is this because shes new and still learning…. or is this a problem I need to worry about.
hi i got a female chihuahua in feb she is a year old but she barks every time my kids come in from school at the door bell and she tries to hump my 90lb black lab can you help me with this what do i do to get her to stop all this
thanks
The trouble is Chihuahua shouldn’t be kept in a pen in the day and I don’t keep mine in one at night..they need to explore otherwise they become nasty..I have one that was kept in a pen 24/7 and she has been so aggressive..I have trained her to go out and calm down..with the barking issue it is only when the post man puts the post through..but i have introduced her to him and she has now stopped barking..takes alot of work patience and love..also saying NO in a firm voice and I also say SSShs..hopes it helps
My chihuahua barks all night long and me and my husband hardly get any sleep most nights.He barks at every little sound he hears(the wind blowing,the rain,our neighbors next door,a train from across town,the movements of the house,when company spends the night(they have to walk through our bedroom to go to the kitchen or bathroom)I don’t know how to get him to stop barking???
Sounds like no-one bothered to read anything about chi’s before they went shopping. chi’s bark. they constantly look for food. (its in their genes) they are stubborn. and they need constant attention and love. the more you hold them the more they love you. they will protect you from feathers and the wind and will attack a rottweiler to save you not knowing they could be lunch. they may be naturally aggressive to others that don’t belong to their “pack” but they are the most loving, loyal and smartest little buddy’s you could ever give your heart to. try a dogie daycare while your at work to curb the daytime barking.
My chihuahua barks whenever someone knocks at the door so i grab her and put my hand around her mouth but she still growls sometimes i say NO in a mad voice and put her in her timeout kennel but that still dosen’t work why doesn’t she stop?
Love the site ok I’m a college student and I live w/ my parents my 6 month old male chi I love him but will not shut up I do homework in my room and he stays with me and plays and sleeps but anytime someone walks around the house he wont STOP barking and so I can’t yell at him he doesn’t even realize … what do I do? It’s so frustrating I can’t focus and my parents are threatening to kick us both out. Help!
what is wrong with you people its like when you were going about life u never experienced a chi or small dog they bark they get excited when u leave when u come back etc its just their personality just give them love take them for walks and interact with they actually only bark excessive when either u keep them isolated or ur not interacting with them rewarding them and so forth and as far as spraying a dog with a stream sprinkler thats wrong mist or any water works lets not over do it unless u want problems with ur neighbor thats all hope i helped so dogs
My roommates have a chihuahua and they let it bark and whine all day unless it gets all the attention it wants. When they are busy they put it outside to play, but it doesn’t like that and it whines incessantly. They’re in their room watching tv and I’m in my office listening to it for 3 hours now. This site doesn’t have anything about how to get that spoiled dog to quit yapping my ear off. I would tell the roommates to take care of it, but I’d rather keep their rent money every month than making them mad at me. Does anyone know what to do with a spoiled yappy chihuahua?
okay, here’s one for the books, but I hope not. I purchased a 9-wk old CKC adorable female Chihuahua, dark choco & tan , from a breeder in another state; I just couldn’t get the image of her sweet face out of my head once I came across her picture online–I had to have her. She would be no more than 6-lbs as an adult the breeder told us. We drove there to get her as to not traumatize her. She was adorable, quiet, calm. I didn’t even know she could bark until we took her for her warranty exam on day two of ownership. She checked out fine with our vet, in Winter Park, FL, weighing in at 32-ozs. Since then, she jumped off the bed, onto her head, but there didn’t seem to be any problems, her demeanor the same. Then, about a month later, I scared her and she went head-on into the metal bed frame [each time we run to the vet with her to make sure she’s okay] and she was. One day as I had her in her carrier, going out the door, she leaped out of it, landing on her head, making her pee. Terrified, I tried to comfort her, picked her up, she growled at me, then eventually seemed to calm down. I had her checked by the vet who did not see a problem and they didn’t do an Xray. since then, she went mildy into HEAT at 4 months, with incessant LICKING; we already had her scheduled for spaying the next week. she survived that, but now, whenever we leave her, she runs back and forth, from my husband and myself, as though she is telling one that the other is leaving, and barks hysterically, and even growls and tries to bite if one tries to calm her. The worst thing she does, which we thought was hysterical at first, was when we would take her with us [which we try to always do] in our vehicles. She senses that we are parking and one of us is about to get out and that’s when she goes crazy, I mean CRAZY. As soon as the vehicles stops, she barks, dashing back and forth, from one person to another; once she hears the gearshift being moved, she gets more intense; then once ANYONE moves the door handle to exit, it’s on! running back and forth, barking, growling and trying a gentle bite, as if she can pull them back into the vehicle with her little self. When we pick up anyone, she barks at them, scouldingly, and if they have to get out, it’s on again. One other thing [which have all been brought up the vet at one time or another] is that she is always looking for food, non-stop, after I have just fed her [she got up to 10lbs, so Dr. put her on a diet of 1/4 C solid food + 1 T of soft food, twice a day] Can all of this be attributed to her fall, or do you think training will help? She is also aggressive to the Min Schnauzer downstairs, lunging at him [he is very calm and puts up with her, but i can see his patience is wearing thin]. How can I tell if the fall has left her mentally retarded? Shouldn’t the vet be able to tell me that? I have been told that the licking was the start of her going into HEAT; but she is still licking; will that ever stop?
Donna mentioned Craig’s Paw Old Fashioned Bark Stopper. I have two young Chi’s that are quite well behaved. I attribute this to my wife. Anyway, go to this site: craigspaw.com
This product only costs $5.00
Certainly worth trying for that small sum of money.
Also watch “The Dog Whisperer” on TV. Learn how to be the Alpha Dog in your house.
Hi Great site. We have a 15 month old chi – sasa, who is great around the house and well behaved when we’re out, but we have a barking problem when we take her for walks, some days okay but mostly she barks at anyone walking past. Any ideas?
I have 6 of this little angels,ages 12yr’s,2 at 6 yr’s. 2y’s,11 mo’s & 7mo’s. and yes they do bark.but we love them to death.But it does drive us crazy sometimes we really have to stay on top of them to stop their barking.We have a male 6 yr. old that has become aggressive toward the others and us sometime, does anyone know if there is a mental cause of this ,he didnt use to do this ,he is a good dog ,HELP
The Craig’s Paw Old Fashioned Bark Stopper. I’m pretty sure this will work well on your chihuahuas as how it works well on my dog. It is so easy to use, when your dog starts to bark excessively, simply get the Craig’s Paw Old Fashioned Bark Stopper, shake it, and regain control of your dog’s barking. It’s just that easy, dog barks, you shake hand, and dog stops. craigspaw.com