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avamamma
My Girl
Member since 7/06 3395 total posts
Name:
Tara
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We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
We have a 3 year old DD and have never had a pet together, as a family. We really weren't looking, but when I was in the mall with DD, we fell in love. He is 4 months old, and white with 2 brown spots. I never "met" a Chihuahua before.
I expected him to be nervous and even a little nippy, but he wasn't. He was very sweet and playful.
Do you think he is too small to have around a 3 year old? I also hear that they are very hard to train.
Any advice is appreciated.
Ava keeps walking around singing "All I want for Christmas is a Che-wa-wa"
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Posted 10/27/07 11:48 PM  |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Its not that they are hard to train - but most small dogs aren't trained properly/trained too little.
Think about it - you are less likely to correct your chihuahua from jumping & barking as you are a Rottie or any other big dog. Simply because they are smaller. So most small dogs get away with a lot and because they don't have a lot of direction, this causes them to be dominant , thinking they are the pact leader - which can cause a whole bunch of problems.
With proper training they can be excellent pets.
Also - I think with a 3 year old they have to have certain limitations with a small dog. Not holding the dog unsupervised, etc
Message edited 10/28/2007 12:40:56 AM.
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| Posted 10/28/07 12:40 AM |
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reggie
I love my boys!!
Member since 5/05 8044 total posts
Name:
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
congrats on wanting to get a dog. But please do your research on the breed.
Also, try looking into adopting or rescuing a chi or any other type of dog you might want. Please don't buy one from a pet store. They come from puppy mills and could have lots of problems.
Good luck.
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| Posted 10/28/07 6:17 AM |
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Gertyrae
Peace out Homies!
Member since 5/05 20046 total posts
Name:
Gerty ®
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Posted by reggie
congrats on wanting to get a dog. But please do your research on the breed.
Also, try looking into adopting or rescuing a chi or any other type of dog you might want. Please don't buy one from a pet store. They come from puppy mills and could have lots of problems.
Good luck.
I agree with this. There are a ton of chihuahua's on Petfnder.com
You will have to watch a three year old around a chihuahua puppy...they are extremely delicate and can get hurt very easily. An older dog may be better because it's less delicate.
Good luck in your puppy search!
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| Posted 10/28/07 10:28 AM |
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mosa77
LIF Adult
Member since 8/06 2122 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
they say that chihuahuas are not good with little kids i would look into that
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| Posted 10/29/07 10:47 AM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Posted by Gertyrae
Posted by reggie
congrats on wanting to get a dog. But please do your research on the breed.
Also, try looking into adopting or rescuing a chi or any other type of dog you might want. Please don't buy one from a pet store. They come from puppy mills and could have lots of problems.
Good luck.
I agree with this. There are a ton of chihuahua's on Petfnder.com
You will have to watch a three year old around a chihuahua puppy...they are extremely delicate and can get hurt very easily. An older dog may be better because it's less delicate.
Good luck in your puppy search!
I agree, I would not do it personally b/c I feel they are too small, children can easily hurt them. JMO
Also I second all that Reggie said.
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| Posted 10/29/07 10:58 AM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Posted by mosa77
they say that chihuahuas are not good with little kids i would look into that
Not all Chi's are bad with kids. Tiny who is a pure Bred Chihuahua loves our nephews and neices, and gets so excited when they come over to play with him. His tail wags like crazy, his ears go back and he runs around chasing the children or showing them all of his toys.
Just make sure that you dont buy a chi. Adopt a chi like we did. I wouldnt get a really small Chi, because I would be afraid of something happening to the dog around your children. The really small ones are very fragile. My friend has a 3.5lb Chi that is very loveable but you have to be very careful with her. Tiny is 10lbs.....Very energetic and also very lovable. He is a true lap dog....Loves to cuddle and be near his owners.
If you get one be ready to take the dog on lots of walks, and also have a yard for the dog to go in that is completely gated in.
Our trainer recommends getting a treadmill for the dog also. So they are not so energetic all day.
Chihuahuas are dominant dogs. They think they are bigger than they really are. My dog is not afraid to go after a big dog that could probably take him out with one bite.
We are training him now to be a better dog for when we have children. He was jumping all over people when they came into the house or knocked on the door. Now we are training him to stay on his bed in the dining room and not move until told so. He is also being trained in many other ways that will make him a better dog in the future.
The important thing is to get a chi in the first 1 to 4 months of their lives and start socializing the chi with other dogs and other people. Also taking the dog out to go to the bathroom is very important also.
When we got Tiny he was wee wee pad trained. The woman we got him from was training him to go all over the house basically. He didnt have 1 set spot. It took Danielle and I 2 to 3 weeks to train Tiny to scratch on the front door when he had to go. Now that is what he does. He just turned 2. We had him for a year and a half now.
Tiny is a great loveable dog. I dont regret adopting him at all. We love him.
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| Posted 10/30/07 7:09 AM |
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Samarty
LIF Adolescent
Member since 3/07 726 total posts
Name:
Samantha
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
I agree with a LOT of what Danielleandscott just wrote. I have a chihuahua who I love more than life. However, he is a ONE person dog. He wants nothing to do with DH and even bites and growls at him when DH comes close to me. I can't even hug and kiss DH goodbye when he leaves for work in the morning without putting Bailey away. It's very frustrating. I think a lot of the reason I haven't even thought about kids yet is because I'm petrified about what will happen. Bailey likes NO one, exept me. I have a 4 1/2 year old niece and about 2 years ago, he nipped her on the cheek. Since then, she knows not to grab at him, or approach him to quickly, but again, that's frustrating as well. She's a baby and wants to play with him. Please don't take this to mean that all chihuahua's are terrible with children. I just wouldn't trust MINE with one.
Also- he is ALWAYS cold. Always shivering. If you do decide to get one, make sure you get him sweaters and pajamas. 
Good luck with your decision, and please feel free to FM me.
PS- Tiny is too cute. 
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| Posted 10/30/07 1:06 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Is your chi trained? Tiny does the same thing with danielle and I if we hug or kiss. He will jump up and bark and get mad. We are working through this right now with our trainer.
If your chi isnt trained, I would highly advised getting a trainer. It is the best thing Danielle and I have done for our dog.
Chi's try to be the dominant dog of the house.....but there are ways of breaking them of this....It takes hard work and a lot of training that Danielle and I are trying to stick to.
If you plan to have children in the future, I would look into a trainer.
Scott
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| Posted 10/30/07 1:10 PM |
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Samarty
LIF Adolescent
Member since 3/07 726 total posts
Name:
Samantha
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Can you recommend a reasonably priced trainer?
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| Posted 10/30/07 1:24 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Sorry I never posted - I have the info at home....I will have to get it later and Fm it to you.
Scott
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| Posted 10/31/07 7:37 AM |
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avamamma
My Girl
Member since 7/06 3395 total posts
Name:
Tara
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Thanks for all of the advice. i appreciate it. I am working on DH. He is not a dog person.
Do you find that your Chi's shed a alot? How often do you bathe and brush them?
Thanks, Tara
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| Posted 11/1/07 12:18 AM |
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Samarty
LIF Adolescent
Member since 3/07 726 total posts
Name:
Samantha
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Bailey does not shed a lot at all, and we bathe him every 2 weeks.
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| Posted 11/1/07 12:59 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Tiny sheds during the summer. He is a short hair chi. The great thing is his hair never grows, so he never needs grooming. Danielle bathes him and the vet cuts his nails
Scott
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| Posted 11/1/07 1:37 PM |
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Diana1215
Living on a prayer!!!
Member since 10/05 29450 total posts
Name:
Diana
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Re: We are thinking of getting a Chihuahua
Scott- how are you training Tiny to stay in the dining room when people come in - and not to bark? I would love to know if/how this works - we had such a problem with Molly when this happened. Don't know if it will be an issue with the new pup but I'd love to learn.
Also - how did you teach Tiny to scratch on the door when he had to go out?
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| Posted 11/1/07 1:42 PM |
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