First off, let me say that I do not dislike chihuahuas or dogs in general.

That said let me explain my situation a bit.

I got married about 8 months ago (28M, 33F). My fiance has a 3 year old chihuahua, Pete. I knew she had the dog but we did not live together before getting married. I have never been much of an animal person but from what I saw of the dog I did not thinking sharing a house with him would be too difficult.

I was wrong. For the past 8 months I have tried everything to come to terms with the fact that this dog will be in my life for a LONG time to come. My wife adores him, calls him her "son". We have spent a lot of money to get him trained and it got better but he is still so willful.

My issues:

1. CONSTANT following, staring, being underfoot when she is not there.
2. Does not listen, very stubborn.
3. REFUSES to poop or pee in the cold, the instant we let him in, he goes.
4. Constant jumping in my lap, getting hair all over me. I am mildly allergic too.


I could go on and on. I guess what I want / need to know is how can I get the dog to understand that I am to be left alone? I have never and would never mistreat the dog but I really do not want to be my wife's stand in when she is away. I have discussed these issues with her and she cannot get past the fact that some people are just not animal people. I really cannot stand the constant following, lap jumping, etc. He even tries to get into the bathroom AND shower when I try to use them!!!

Please give advice on I how I can co-exist with this dog. What I want is to have minimal interaction.

Thanks...

I hate to say this, but chihuahuas are really "people" dogs. They can learn house rules, but they are companion dogs. I guess if you don't want to interact with him then there isn't much you can do besides ignore him, but really that might make you resent him more. Can you try to work on training with him? It might create a bond between the two of you and help solve his problems if he is willing to listen to you.

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Thanks LS!

Yeah, everything you mentioned is kinda just a Chi thing. Not misbehaving. They are just needy. It's a thing most people love about them, but sometimes hate at the same time! You can try pee pads for inside when he won't go when it's cold.

If you really don't want to be around him you can set up an area (bedroom or pen, separate baby gated area.) with beds, toys, pee pad, water, etc for him, and he can be in there while your wife is away.

As the PP mentioned, if you trained him you might bond with him more, and then you might be okay with him following you and wanting to be on your lap. But other than those suggestions, I'm not sure there is anything you can do!

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Awwww poor Pete. He just wants to be with you. He is not going to understand that you want to be left alone because it is not in their nature. I hope you can bond with him. I agree with the baby gate if you dont want him to be around you but he may whine if he knows you are on the other side.

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Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lifes whole

I almost want to say you came to the wrong place with your concerns but what better place to learn about a Chi than here. As what was mentioned Chi's are a companion dog meaning they were bred to have certain characteristics. Some dogs were bred as hunting dogs...its in their nature. Companion dogs were bred to be with their people at all times. Pete is doing a great job with what he's meant to do. Chi's will follow you from room to room, hop in your lap the second you sit & will act like you're crazy if you tell them otherwise. You can set boundaries for Pete...but its up to you to maintain those boundaries...you can't expect him to learn them & that's that. Dogs like in the moment & follow your lead so you must stay assertive if you want those limits. Check out how to be a good pack leader...it may be helpful.

Please do cut Pete some slack though...he is doing what he is meant to do. Oh & the pottying issue...just stay outside longer & keep him tethered to you when you go inside. If he starts to squat lift him up immediatelt mid poo/pee & put him outside to finish. You have to be diligent about it...have lots of patience & persistence & he'll catch on.

Good luck!

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Good for you for trying to find a solution for you and Pete! I agree with the
ex-pen idea. I think if you can maintain your boundaries with Pete you may start to like being
around him

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"My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet." - Edith Wharton

He may be following you around because he knows that you are upset and he is trying to make peace. He may be desperately attempting all the things that work with your wife and doesn't understand why he isn't making you happy.

You know, even dog people have different ideas of what's acceptable. I am a very physical, huggy person and I like my dogs all over me. I have a friend who doesn't like her dog in her lap but thinks nothing of letting the dog lick her plate, which I think is gross. I let my dogs kiss my face. My husband doesn't like them to kiss his face. When they try, he tells them no, eases them down into his lap, and then pets them and tells them they are good dogs. Our late German Shepherd (RIP Tesla) knew that it was okay to jump on my husband but not me so she would politely sit in front of me to be petted. They are capable of learning boundaries. Gentle consistency has always worked for us. An ex-pen or baby gate when your wife leaves is perfectly acceptable to me as long as he doesn't spend all his time there.

You are right, though. You have to figure this out because not only will he be in your life for a long while, if you wife is a dog person, he is not going to be the only dog in your life. Figure out what your boundaries are and don't feel guilty about it. Enforce those gently with the dog and your wife. Their feelings matter but so do yours! You can work this out - it can be done.

I'm with mini grace... he will learn how to be differently with you than your wife. My chis are very different with me than with my hubby. You just need to help him know what you like. And it cant just be 'ignore me'.. lol

When I get home I ignore the dogs until they are all calm then I say hello, we go out for potty, and everone gets a treat. Try to figure a 'greeting' that works for you but lets the dog feel 'noticed' and cared about. It can be very low key.

Try tossing a pillow or cozy blanket near you and when he hops in your lap put him on his blanket. If you catch him on his blanket give him a treat and kind word to encourage that.

If you ignore him he will pester more. If you just take a few minutes to give some low key attention and look for opportunities to give attention and treats when he is less underfoot he will learn that this is how he gets what he wants from you.

It is entirely possible to have a chihuahua who is more low key. My hubby likes they all crazy and hyper but I like calmness. So with him they jump all over and go nuts. For me they are quiet and calm and wait for my attention. Even the pups have learned that you have to be calm or mom will just ignore you. It does work. They are little attention hounds for sure so use that to your advantage and give attention when he is not annoying for you.

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Michelle and..
Susu, Ginger, Cori, Cinna & Fen say Hi!

Having dogs is like having beautiful innocent children who never grow up.
All the best parts of childhood are right there with wagging tails.

Anyone who ever wondered if I was crazy lost all doubt once they saw me with 5 chihuahuas in clothes!!