Why Do Chihuahuas Bark A Lot?: Buying a chihuahua is the best thing that can ever happen to someone. In the most uneventful of times, a chihuahua becomes the best chilling partner for you.
The chihuahua is a very attention-grabbing dog breed. These dogs are the smallest breed among others and are extraordinarily cute. Also, the chihuahuas are the national symbol of Mexico.
They prove to be very amusing throughout your days and hence they make you fall in love with every moment.
With a chihuahua at your home, you do not feel lonely or sad at all. This breed has the capability of making all of your days stand out being the best ones. A chihuahua becomes a source of relief for you as a pet so that when you find nothing reviving in the world your dog does it all for you.
Your dog makes you feel loved and he makes you realize your worth. They feed you with love, positivity, and hope by staying right next to you all around the time. They can even sense sadness and hence, they show their love, even more, when you are upset or going through any trouble.
These dogs have the specialty of making their owners feel loved and transmit positive vibes to them. Also, they bark a lot. This barking sometimes is increased up to a considerably annoying and irritating level. Here is why these dogs bark a lot.
Chihuahuas – the barking buddies:
Chihuahuas play with you all around the day. They are never tired of playing and they are never tired of barking. Yes, this breed has the habit of barking a lot.
They bark when they see strangers. They bark when they see other animals like squirrels or other dogs. They bark when they see food or when they want food. They bark when they are playful. They bark when they want to go outside to shit or pee. And, they bark even when simply sitting around you.
This is why they can be referred to as the barking buddies as well, as they just keep barking all of the time. They are very attention-seeking pets and therefore they demand attention all of the time. When they feel neglected or unloved, they start to bark again.
It is preferable to make your chihuahua feel that he matters and that he is loved because this is what makes him realize that he needs not keep barking throughout as his needs are being considered.
Is the barking of your chihuahua troublesome?
To see your dog barking rejuvenates the mother instinct in you and you end up caressing him while he is cuddled beside you. Often, this barking behavior of your dog is limited to only demanding some good attention, but sometimes it is more than that.
Most chihuahuas keep barking almost all of the time. This becomes problematic when you live in an apartment or any colony and your neighbors start complaining about it, as an all-time barking is hard to endure for everyone.
Even it is exasperating for the owners when their dogs bark unnecessarily all of the time. this behavior is the identity of chihuahuas. Although these dogs are one of the best breeds to keep in your home, they often become hard to keep because of their excessive barking.
Why do chihuahuas bark a lot?
There can be no reason or many reasons behind the barking of chihuahuas. This barking is not problematic until it is excessive which makes the owners show their concern and they start seeing behavior therapists.
It is without any doubt not possible for anyone of us to bear the barking which becomes a source of noise pollution when excessive. Moreover, it goes against the community standards to keep such a pet that annoys even the neighbors with his barking.
But, you need not worry about the speaking behavior of your dog. You can still keep a chihuahua at your home but you will need to know the measures that you need to take when your dog starts barking and does not stop throughout the day. The solution to your problem is found in the very same blog you are reading right now.
Following are some of the predicted reasons that may cause your chihuahua to bark a lot:
- He is feeling lonely.
- He is very bored.
- He is overwhelmed by something.
- He is excited.
- He is seeking attention.
- He is plunged into something.
- He is sad or upset.
- He saw some unfamiliar object or animal or other people.
- He is trying to make commands on you for getting some particular thing.
- He feels unsafe.
Sometimes, it is nothing that the dog barks at. The chihuahuas have a habit of barking reasonlessly but as they have more developed five senses than humans, they may be barking at something which the humans probably cannot see or hear or smell in such cases.
Now, it is the responsibility of the owners to identify the reason behind the barking of their chihuahua and then take the respective measures to stop it. Some guidelines to normalize the barking of your dog are also given in the context below.
How to normalize the barking of a chihuahua?
The first and foremost duty of pet owners is to identify the cause of the barking of their dogs. When this is done, other measures can be taken to normalize the barking of your dog.
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Teaching a chihuahua to stop barking (yelling in their way) at strangers and other animals:
When a chihuahua barks at strangers or other animals (mainly other dogs, squirrels, or cats), he is either frightened or enraged. If enraged, he is trying to guard his territory and hence does not want any other animal or human to enter it. If frightened, you need to show excessive care to him at that very point.
This behavior can be normalized by the conditioning of your dog. If your dog feels danger around a stranger dog or human, you should keep yourself close to him and if this effort goes in vain, you should ask the other person to stay away from the dog or you should take your dog away from the other dog.
If it’s a person that your dog is afraid of, you can keep your dog at a safe distance from that person, and gradually if your dog tries to make peace with the presence of that person, you should ask the person to give treats to your dog. This will make your dog acknowledge that the other person (stranger) means no harm to him.
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Stopping the chihuahua to bark a lot out of excitement:
This is very difficult for parents to stop their dog from barking over excitedly.
When you find your chihuahua barking out of excitement, you should try to make commands on your dog and tell him that you do not like this behavior. You should keep in mind also that if you do any act that might make your dog feel that you are supporting his behavior then he will bark even more.
So, you should not give him any treats when he barks that way and you should behave as you are angry at him and you don’t want to talk to him or cuddle him because of his behavior.
It is always better to try to calm your dog and keep it away from the very thing he gets excited about. You should try to divert his attention by showing him his favorite toys or related accessories.
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Keeping the chihuahuas away from thoughts of excessive barking at night and when they are alone:
Chihuahuas are so loving and social pets. As soon as they become familiar with their house and accept its members as their family, they will want to stay around their friends and family all of the time.
This is how they start to bark when they are alone during the day or night. There is just one thing that all chihuahua owners need to keep in their mind, whenever your pet barks because of loneliness, you should never go to check on him or to get him. Doing this will only worsen their barking, as they will think that their barking brought you to them so they need to bark that way every time they need you.
You should wait for your pet to stop barking first and then when they finally stop, you can go to them and check if everything is alright.
During the day if you have to go out and leave your chihuahua alone at home, you should make sure that your dog has enough toys to play with. This will keep your pet busy and he will not realize that his family is not home.
Things to avoid while a chihuahua keeps barking:
Being a pet owner, it is always difficult for everyone out there to maintain the behavior of their pets. Although molding the behavior of the pets in the domestic shape is the most important yet the most difficult thing to do but with our article it has become easier.
Chihuahuas are very social pets, as mentioned above. They like to stay around the people who love them and whom they love and hence they mostly bark to get attention. They have a habit of asking others to see them, cuddle them, and caress them. This is the main reason that makes them bark unnecessarily.
Moreover, your pet might bark as a sign of aggression or offense. But, despite showing concern when they bark, all you need to do is avoid the cause of their barking. You should first make sure that there is no such thing around your dog that might make him bark.
Following are the two major things that you should not do when your dog barks:
- First of all, you should not give your dog any treats when he barks. Doing this will tell him that his behavior was well justified and that he should bark every time he needs treats in the same way.
Instead, you should either make a command on him to stop or ignore his bark simply. After he has finished barking, you can then give him food to show him that you love him when he is quiet not when he barks unnecessarily.
- You should always keep in mind that, if you shout or yell at your pet to stop barking, he might consider it a sign of joy, he will think that you are enjoying his barking behavior and that you are joining him in barking by yelling at him.
This always worsens the shouting behavior of your pet. You should never shout at your chihuahua while he barks.
The only solution in all situations is to ignore the bark and avoid its cause.
Additionally, following our instructions will lead you to have a peaceful life with your pet soon. You will never get a headache because of the bark of your dog and neither will your neighbor complain about it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why are chihuahuas so yappy?
Chihuahuas are a human companion breed. They are bred to protect and love their human parents. So, by their yappy bark, they try to protect their guardians when they find them unsafe.
Moreover, they are very possessive regarding their territory and other things. They always just want the things that belong to them to be only theirs, they cannot afford any share in anything. So they are very happy.
They are also known to be loyal to only one family member and hence, they exclude all other family members and love only one.
Why do chihuahuas bark at strangers?
Strangers are a source of potential threat for this breed. Chihuahuas think that their possessions are threatened by the presence of other people. This is why they bark at others telling the strangers that they have acknowledged their things are threatened and they are there to guard them.
Can chihuahuas be left alone at home?
Yes, they can be left alone at home. In the beginning, they will not do good with being left alone, but if they are given enough toys and food to play with and eat of course then they will not bark unnecessarily by being left alone.
It is recommended to the owners to not leave their chihuahuas alone for a longer period in the starting. You can progress to longer durations gradually as your pet becomes comfortable with the idea of being left alone.
Why do chihuahuas bark at nothing?
Chihuahuas bark a lot out of reasons. They may bark because of many reasons or because of the absence of reasons.
Sometimes, the owners confuse the reasons for the barking of their chihuahua. It is possible that when you find no reason for the barking of your chihuahua, he might be barking at something inaudible or invisible to humans.
Moreover, they bark to show their different behavioral tantrums which include anxiety and hunger or any insecurity, etc.
Should chihuahuas sleep with you?
Yes, there is no problem I sleeping with your chihuahua, there is only one thing that the pet owners need to assure in this case, that is to check if you and the pet are both healthy and parasite free.
Is it better to have 2 chihuahuas?
It is always a good idea to have more than one chihuahua at home. It is in fact good for the health of your chihuahua. But, having another breed with a chihuahua at home is not preferable. These dogs usually don’t go along with other breeds.
Conclusion:
Chihuahuas are considered one of the best breeds of dogs to keep in homes. They are the prettiest of dogs and the cutest of creatures. With a chihuahua at home, everything becomes so loveable and you no longer find your life unjust.
Such creatures always take one closer to God and His creation – life. In addition to this, they are very playful and they stick to their owner all the time so you never feel lonely.
So, one should necessarily have a chihuahua no matter how much he barks at home. As you have learned from our blog that the barking behavior of a chihuahua can be normalized and you can have a blessed and peaceful life at home with them.