I used to think that Chihuahuas are very easy-to-get-along dogs, until I brought mine to my sister’s house.
I’ve never seen my pet so aggressive as though he has seen his biggest enemy for life!
I am now confident to answer this question: “Do chihuahuas get along with other dogs?”
Yes and No. It really depends!
Let me share with you my observations as a certified Chihuahua owner on how this charming little dog can also show some socialization problems!
Do Chihuahuas Get Along With Other Dogs?
Gladly, Chihuahuas really do get along with other dogs especially the toy breeds or small ones.
Chihuahuas are very playful and friendly with another Chihuahua.
In fact, if you are thinking of bringing another dog in the house, your Chi will be delighted to be with another Chi!
However, Chihuahuas only get along well with most small dog breeds. Big dogs are really not a good match.
Keep reading to learn more about which dogs Chihuahuas get along with and some tips on how your Chi can become sociable with other dogs.
Do Chihuahuas Get Along With Small Dogs?
Certainly! Small dogs are great companions for your Chi.
They love to mingle with breeds like yorkie, shih tzu, mini pinscher, dachshund, or beagle puppy, and the same chihuahua breed or chihuahua puppy.
Chihuahuas love to play with energetic dogs and behaves pretty well with them.
I always bring my Chi to a nearby dog park, and I notice that seeing little dogs from our neighborhood keeps him ecstatic.
He gives nice barks whenever he sees his “little friends”, and can have a good time playing around with them or interact without fighting harshly.
Occasionally, I would notice how he can have little fights with other Chihuahua puppies, but it wouldn’t take long minutes before they can be good playmates again.
Do Chihuahuas Get Along With Big Dogs?
My sister lives in another city and I was excited to see her one Saturday so I brought my clingy Chi with me for a visit.
Upon entering the gate, my sister’s chow-chow is showing her excitement to greet us.
However, when my Chi saw her, it started barking profusely and is feeling uneasy.
I thought it was funny to see him looking a bit scared and intimidated but the moment we entered the house is another scenario!
The 1-yr old chow-chow is trying to show a friendly gesture by not barking authoritatively but my Chi is acting so weird that we have to put the chow-chow away just so he will stop from barking and shaking.
Checking on with my Veterinarian friend, I found out that Chihuahuas do not get along well with most large dogs.
They cannot be together with a doberman, pitbull, german shepherd, golden retriever, saint bernard, and a poodle.
There is a slight chance that it can go along well with a Labrador or a Great Dane but it is very rare.
When a big dog becomes aggressive or even playful, it can result to hurting your Chihuahua.
In short, big dogs cannot be a good companion dog for your Chihuahua.
Your little Chi is not safe around big dogs even if they get along well together because there’s still a tendency of getting harmed during play.
How Do You Tell If Your Chi Does Not Get Along With Other Dogs?
Do chihuahuas get along with other dogs? Here are a few signs that tells your Chi is not comfortable and hates socializing with other dogs:
A) Aggression
Barking, jumping, howling and other pet habits are normal but If you see some dominant behaviors on your Chi like blocking other dog’s path, excessive low-range barking, snarling, growling, snapping, standing tall, wagging tail stiffly, uneasiness, exposing teeth to other dogs, lunging, hackles that are raised and direct eye contact- these are signs of dog-to-dog aggression.
Keep your Chi away from an aggressive dog too!
B) Dog Chasing
If you bring your Chihuahua in a dog park and you notice that your dog is being chased by other dogs, these dogs can exhibit a Pack Mentality instinct and they can bite your puppy and it can result to injury or death.
C) Bullying
If your Chihuahua is the one being bullied, he will try to run away from the other dog that’s picking up on him and come running to you as if asking for help and protection.
You may hear her crying bark unstoppably.
D) Territorial Instinct
If you get a companion dog and your Chihuahua is showing territorial instincts, he will not leave and may keep on guarding his sleeping area or won’t eat when you approach him.
How To Train Your Chihuahua Dog To Get Along With Others
You’ll never have a problem with your Chihuahua meeting with another Chihuahua.
Nevertheless, these 3 tips below can help a Chihuahua parent turn his pet to a friendly and easy-to-get-along buddy!
1) Socialize Your Chihuahua From A Young Age
If you start teaching your Chihuahua to socialize with other dogs when they are still very young, they will learn how to play well and get along with other breeds safely.
2) Let Your Chihuahua Play With Other Dogs
Taking your Chi in a dog park or a doggy daycare, or even to your neighbor’s place where he can interact with other dogs will make him sociable without being aggressive.
3) Reward Your Chi
This type of training makes your Chi recognize that behaving when other dogs are around can earn them a reward!
Praise your Chi when he behaves well with other dogs and give him a high-value treat like Lil' Bitz Hickory Smoked Beef Training Treats.
Conditioning your dog before you bring him outside or meet another dog can help abate aggression or uneasy around other dogs.
Only give the treat if he socialize with proper attitude. Another great choice of treat is Wellness Natural Grain Free Puppy Training Treats.
4) Try The Obedience Training
You can enroll your Chihuahua to a Dog Obedience Course to teach proper behavior at an early age, beginning 7 weeks.
This dog course consists of curated trainings and techniques by a professional pet trainer that allows your Chi to be in a group and present them to some situations where they can be taught how to “meet and talk” with other puppies, people, and environment stimuli.
The trainer will then teach you what you need to do at home so your Chi can keep up in the next class.
Do you need a trainer for your Chi? You can check out this dog training course and they can help you with some training methods for your buddy!
If you cannot enroll in a class, you can also do DIY trainings by using pet-friendly equipment so you can save on training costs.
Tips To Make Your Chihuahua Get Along With Other Dogs
Do chihuahuas get along with other dogs?
Yes!
Although it takes a while to make it happen, proper training and with the help of a few tips below, you can make your Chi dog-friendly!
1) Practice Physical And Mental Stimulation
Walking your Chihuahua is a good physical exercise while seeing different things around the environment gives him mental stimulation.
Instead of carrying them in a bag, let them walk and give some little challenges such as low jumps on simple obstacles.
This will zap some of his energy before meeting another dog in the park so he’ll be too tired to snap or be too aggressive.
Don’t forget their safety by using a leash like Cholegift Small Dog Harness.
2) Choose An Energetic Playmate
Let your Chihuahua meet with the same energetic dog so that it will encourage him to play with it.
If he became fond of playing with his playmate, he can be easily taught to get along well with other dogs.
3) Let Your Chihuahua Choose Your Second Dog
Want a second dog?
If you plan to bring him a companion dog, let him choose what could be a better “partner” for him.
4) Keep Your Chihuahua Away With A Large Dog
Since your Chihuahua can be a victim of an aggressive dog, keep you eye on him when there are big dogs around.
Even if your cute Chi gets comfortable with a big dog, stay as close as possible.
Developing fear in big dogs can make them less sociable with other dogs.
5) Never Tolerate Bad Behaviors
The Chihuahua temperament can make them snappy at times and when they show some signs of aggressiveness, we might think it’s funny because of their size.
However, when this behavior is tolerated at home, they can do it outside and could lead to danger when they snap on other dogs.
6) Meet With Opposite Sex
Your Chi can be different if you introduce it to a different sex.
Observe his reactions and behavior and if you see him being gentle, this could be the start of him being friendly and sociable with other dogs.
FAQs For Do Chihuahuas Get Along With Other Dogs?
1) Do Chihuahuas Like To Live With Other Dogs?
Yes. Chihuahua can live harmoniously with the small dog breeds, preferably another Chihuahua.
They are a unique breed because they understand and want to be with another dog of the same breed or family.
If you mix them outside their own family, it will not become pleasant, especially with big dog breeds because of the fear of being hurt.
2) Will Chihuahuas Kill Each Other?
A Chihuahua can be so aggressive, but his bite force cannot be strong enough to kill another Chi.
Even if Chihuahua attacks another dog, he cannot tear down a dog into pieces with his small teeth.
It can hurt another dog or even a human, but the tendency to kill is out of the question.
This website compiles information about dog bite fatalities in the US and Chihuahua is not on the list of breeds that attacks and cause death.
If you are wondering if a Chihuahua can also kill a human, I guess if you were bittern in major veins and suffered from a lot of blood loss due to lack of emergency care, that’s the only reason you will die.
3) Is It Better To Have 2 Chihuahuas?
Well, indeed!
Chihuahuas, like humans, benefit from having a family and a friend to share their days with.
They will live peacefully and in sheer pleasure, if they have playmates because they are playful and energetic dogs.
So if you are someone who cannot spend a lot of time or always out of the house, getting 2 Chis are better!
Conclusion:
Do chihuahuas get along with other dogs?
Certainly!
Chihuahuas are great companions for small and toy breeds, and it can live very well with the same breed.
It only takes some good practice and proper training when they are still young puppies so that they will not become aggressive and learn how to properly mingle.
As the saying goes, ”No man is an island…”, and true enough, this applies to all pets too!
