Do Chihuahuas Tend to Bond to One Person?
Chihuahua is an ultimately unique breed. People keep wondering how such a tiny body manages to contain a full-sized dog personality.
Some canine experts claim that different breeds have different psychological specifications, which determine their character and behavior for generations throughout the whole lifespan. Others argue that there is no such thing as a genetically predetermined character for a dog, and those are owners who shape their pets` world vision.
However, Chihuahuas has one common belief: choosing one person from the family and bonding with him for life. And this person does not necessarily have to be the one who took the dog from the shelter. And not the one who spends the most time with the Chi.
In this article, we decided to take a closer look at this belief and understand whether sticking to one person is a common trait for Chihuahuas or another dog-related myth.
What is a Typical Chihuahua Character?
To answer this question, let’s go deeper into the history and background of the breed. Despite their booming popularity today, Chihuahua is one of the most ancient dog breeds known to humankind.
First records about this miniature dog date back to 1884, when Mexicans started to sell those tiny dogs to Europeans coming to the New World. However, some manuscripts and images describe a very similar dog bred more than a thousand years ago.
Today Chi is one of the most popular urban dog breeds. Due to their compact size, they are a very comfortable breed, even for those who live in small apartments. There are many various Chihuahua types with different fur and coloring so that everyone can find a pet to their liking within this beautiful breed.
And as we have already noted, Chihuahua is the ultimate full-sized dog in a miniature body. It means that this small pet represents all the characters people usually appreciate in dogs: they are intelligent, devoted, eager to keep your company, and become a friend for life.
Are Chihuahuas Aggressive Dogs?
An aggressive overprotective personality is one of the most notorious negative impressions that have somehow stuck to this charming breed. Let’s go through the origin of this myth.
Charming, adorable, cuddly, and sassy, Chihuahua is still a dog. In fact, dogs don’t recognize within their species such qualities as charm or cuteness. Those are humans who tend to put labels on animals and treat them accordingly.
At the same time, all dogs recognize such things as respect, boundaries, and hierarchy within the pack (family). According to a dog, you, your children, and even other animals in the house at the same pack members. The relationships within the pack are built according to the behavior of every member.
And here lies the central conflict between dog owners and their pets. Once we naturally feel the need to train and treat a Pitbull puppy as a serious full-sized dog, many people see their Chihuahuas as cute toys or babies throughout their whole life. When a pit puppy shows aggression, growls, or bark, we see it as a potential threat, correct him and eliminate this kind of unwanted behavior in the future.
But once a Chihuahua growls, barks, or tries to attack, people often find it cute and adorable. They laugh, pick up the dog, hug and tickle it. A dog understands your reaction to such behavior as a reward and thinks that this is precisely the type of action you expect from him.
Due to this misconception and light taking, Chihuahuas don’t meet any kind of boundaries, limitations, or behavior corrections while growing up or fitting into a new family. This atmosphere makes a dog think that he is the actual pack leader and the one who is allowed to correct others. And protection is an essential function of a pack leader. Therefore your Chihuahua may become aggressive towards strangers and other people he does not consider to be pack members (friends, relatives who don’t permanently live with you).
You may naturally find such a tiny creature’s attempts to protect you adorable and start rewarding this behavior, sending a dog wrong messages.
Basically, this is how Chihuahuas earned their notorious label of “aggressive and overprotective” dogs. More correctly, that didn’t deserve it. People simply forced it in the whole breed.
Are Chihuahuas Family Dogs?
Once you pick a family dog, there is a lot of concern about its character and behavior traits. Those matters are most important for families with children.
As we have already noted, it is primarily the family’s behavior and attitude that shape a dog’s character and world vision. However, every breed has peculiarities that can either make it a perfect fit for any family or impose certain restrictions.
Here are several tips that will help you understand whether Chihuahua is a perfect breed for your family:
Despite their full-sized dog personalities, Chihuahuas remain quite miniature and physically delicate dogs. Once you decide to adopt a Chi, it is essential to understand whether your children will be morally ready to treat such a dog accordingly. Once you have a newborn child or an infant, you may take any kind of dog, keeping in mind that both a child and a dog will get adequate attention and bring up. In this case, both dogs and children learn to co-exist, and their relationships develop naturally.
Chihuahuas would also be a perfect match for families with children over ten y.o. or those who already have other pets in the house. In this case, it is much easier to explain to a child that chi is not a toy but a fragile, potentially vulnerable living being that should be treated accordingly.
Toddlers are usually not the best match for Chihuahuas. At this age, children still don’t recognize the difference between a toy and a living being. They may be rude towards a Chihuahua due to this natural misconception or simply because they don’t acknowledge their strength and control their motoric functions. As a result, a child can grab a dog or through it, causing severe physical and psychological damage to the pet. Such inept treatment may often become a reason for aggression, leading to severe trauma for the dog and a child.
FAMILY SIZE AND TYPE:
Modern families are incredibly diverse. In the XXI century, humanity has learned to develop mutually comfortable relationships based on love and respect more than imposed social norms.
However, dogs have their work-frame when it comes to a family. Your Chihuahua will build his hierarchy in the pack according to the scents he feels in the house and each family member’s behavior towards a dog.
So, don’t be surprised if you live in a “Visiting Marriage” and your Chihuahua clings most to your spouse, who only spends several nights per week in your house instead of you. When a dog feels someone’s constant smell in a home, he instantly affiliates this person with his pack. And once this human behaves like a pack leader, corresponds to a dog’s world vision, your chi will naturally pick him as his “favorite”.
Are Chihuahuas one-person dogs?
It is not a “yes or no” question. Chihuahuas are dogs, and it is all you have to know about them. Yes, they have the physical peculiarities that make them a mismatch for specific people and households, but they are not more or less of dogs than any Sheppard, Labrador, or Husky. And they deserve to be treated accordingly!
Once you decide to take a Chihuahua, it is essential to understand your reasons. Once you are looking for a devoted friend, joyful pet, and lifetime companion, Chi will be a perfect match for you whether you live alone, with a partner, or with family. But if you see those adorable creatures as fun toys, accessories, part of interior design, you might not be ready for the dog yet.
Chihuahua will gladly become a friend and companion of a person or group of people who treat him accordingly. They can be one-person dogs, family members, or tiny domestic tyrants – this small creature’s destiny is entirely in your hands.