Puppies love to bite. They do it naturally but it is something that they must be taught not to do. This needs to be addressed while they are young because dog bites can lead to all sorts of problems including legal action. It may seem fun and funny to have a puppy biting but a full-grown dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to children if they are in the habit of biting. Dogs have immense strength in their jaws and even a playful nip can do permanent damage to a child.

Generally, puppies are taught to control their biting from their mothers but in most cases we get puppies as pets that have been taken from their mothers at a very young age and it is up to us to teach them as puppies not to bite.

By letting your dog socialize with other dogs from a young age they will quickly learn from their elders, provided they have been taught well, that the desire to bite needs to be curbed to avoid retaliation and an ensuing fight.

The sooner the puppy is taught not to bite by the owner or by interaction with other dogs, the less aggressive they will become as they grow older and the more pleasant they will be to live with.

Taking a puppy to a dog training school will allow it to interact with other dogs where it will quickly be corrected for any misbehavior. Puppies should generally learn to interact with other dogs within the first three months of their life. The longer this is left the more difficult it becomes for your dog to socialize correctly and they can become dangerous later in life. As with children, the sooner your puppy can learn correct behavior patterns the better they will be in the long term.

It is also wise to get the puppy to behave correctly in the presence of other animals including cats and any other pets that they might come in contact with over their life.

There are many items that are available from the pet stores and vets that can give your puppy suitable satisfaction to chew and bite upon. This will allow your puppy to learn what is right and what is not right to bite.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY AT THE VET (INCLUDING WHAT THE ONLINE PHARMACIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW!)

In case you haven’t noticed, quality vet care isn’t cheap. But if it wasn’t-I’d be worried. Because it would be your pet’s health that had to suffer! The cost to run a veteinary clinic is more than what many people expect and most veterinarians retire before their college loans are paid off.

Of course, you probably could care less about all that! You just want your pet to receive proper health care without breaking the bank. Understood. Let’s find out how.

Tip #1: Be straight up!

If your pooch is acting sick and you KNOW he ate something out of the garbage-tell the vet! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone through a list of expensive (and sometimes unnecessary) diagnostic procedures to find out that the owner knew all along what the problem might be!

“Oh yeah-I did notice that I had a sock missing . . .” Ugh!

We had one gentleman who knew his dog ate a pair of panties but didn’t want to tell us because, well . . . the panties didn’t belong to his wife.

Fortunately, the dog got better but his pocketbook paid the price. Not sure what happened to the marriage.

We’re not here to judge you-we’re here to make your pet feel better!

Tip #2: Follow your vet’s recommendations when it comes to preventative medicine (heartworm preventative, vaccinations, blood tests, etc.). Do you think heartworm pills are expensive? Well, the cost of heartworm preventative is chump-change in comparison to what it costs to treat a heartworm positive dog. Depending on the dog’s weight, a month of heartworm preventative can cost $3-8. If your dog tests positive expect to pay $500-$1000 (or more) to have him treated. Egads! That’s a mortgage payment for some folks. And by the way, ALL DOGS are at risk for acquiring heartworm disease, even if living indoors. It only takes ONE bite from an infected mosquito. I’ve seen all kinds of dogs test positive for heartworm. The past few months our clinic treated a Chihuahua, a Bouvier, a Siberian Husky, and a Labrador retriever.

There has been a lot of discussion lately between the veterinary community and vaccine manufacturers. Thanks to scientific advances the immunity provided by many pet vaccines is lasting longer. Therefore, many veterinarians are recommending giving boosters on certain vaccines every three years instead of yearly. That will save you money! Hopefully your veterinarian has jumped on this bandwagon. Vaccines are essential in protecting our pets against deadly viruses. But the less vaccines we have to give the better. It all depends on your pet’s age and lifestyle. Talk to your vet. Blood tests often reveal hidden health problems. If a disease is detected early, it will be both easier and cheaper to treat-for both you and your veterinarian. Treating diseases involving kidney failure and liver disease will cost you lots of money if your pet is in the later stages. Even if your pet’s blood tests are normal you will have a baseline of his healthy values if there ever is a problem in the future. Not a bad investment.

I’m an online publisher of web content and blogs pertaining to the needs and wants of the public.
I’m also a business coach, and my coaching web can be found at

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Tags: chihuahua, dog training

Including your dog into the festivities this Halloween is one of the most fun things you will ever do. Don’t let him just curl up on his pet bed and miss the action when there are many ways he can make the event more enjoyable. At the very least, you should dress him up in a cute little dog Halloween costume, even if he’s a big breed. There are all sorts of styles and sizes available, and the trick-or-treaters that come to your door are going to be delighted to see an adorable hound decked out in an outfit as they get their candy. If you’re having friends over for a party, what better conversation piece than a Chihuahua in a little angel costume? However, there are even more creative and fun ideas for including your four-legged friend into this spooky holiday with dog clothes.

Many parents worry about keeping their kids safe on Halloween. I think that in addition to having adult supervision, one way to increase a child’s safety and enjoyment is to let the family dog trick-or-treat with the kids. You never know, some dog loving homes might just have a little doggie treat on hand for a dressed up canine. Kids can also feel more emotionally secure going up to a stranger’s house and ringing the doorbell if they have their best friend right beside them. One really cute idea is to get the child and dog matching or coordinating costumes. Being so cute might even result in getting more candy!

Another fun idea if you’re putting together a haunted house is to throw a costume on your dog and let him be part of the scare fest. If the event is meant to raise money for a good cause, for example, a costumed doggie host at the front door would be a great draw to bring thrill seekers in.

Grant Carroll proud father of four dogs and co-owner of littlepamperedpets.com littlepamperedpets.com with scary and cute littlepamperedpets.com dog halloween costumes for your little trick-or-treaters. Find lots of great ideas for holiday fun with your pets at littlepamperedpets.com/blog/ littlepamperedpets.com/blog/ .

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Tags: chihuahua, dog clothes

This small, spunky dog breed is famous for coining the phrase Yo quiero Taco Bell. Who doesn’t remember the commercials in which the Chihuahua expressed his love for Taco Bell food? Tiny and energetic, the Chihuahua typically weighs between 2-6 lbs and is 6 inches to 9 inches in height. They are one of the longest living dog breeds, sometimes living up to 20 years.

The Chihuahua is recognized by the AKC. Any color including solid, splashed and marked are acceptable coat colors. The Chihuahua has two coat types. One is smooth, short, close and glassy. The other is long, soft, flat and slightly curly with an undercoat. Contrary to what you would expect, the short coated dogs shed more than those with long hair. The short and long haired dogs are actually the same breed so you will often find both short and long haired puppies in the same litter. Short haired Chihuahuas need an occasional brushing while long haired Chihuahuas need brushed daily.

Born to be a family companion, the Chihuahua needs lots of attention and family time. They are very energetic and need plenty of play time. Since they are active indoors, they make good apartment dogs, but they do enjoy an occasional walk outside. They love to be spoiled and will encourage you to spoil them. Many owners find themselves buying puppy clothes for their spoiled Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas work best when they are the only pet in the household. They can be aggressive with other dogs and pets, even those that outweigh them by 100 pounds. If you have other pets in the household, they should be socialized with them from puppyhood. Homes with small children or children that are not well behaved are not ideal homes for Chihuahuas as they can be quick to snap if they are being picked on. They make great watchdogs as they will let you know if they hear an unfamiliar noise or see a stranger. They have a tendency to be wary of strangers. You need to be aware that sometimes the Molera or soft spot on their head does not close until they are older and sometimes they never close at all. Be careful to avoid injury.

Mexico is considered to be the Chihuahua’s country of origin. Many sources believe that they have Asian ancestry as well. Their name is pronounced chi-WAH-wah. They have always been known as companion dogs.

Small, energetic and affectionate, the Chihuahua is a loyal family pet. They will be like your shadow when you are at home and are happiest when they have someone home with them most of the time. They also like to travel with their families. Light on the wallet as they eat little and are a fairly healthy breed, the Chihuahua is an excellent choice for families willing to let them have the spotlight and attention that they need.

Learn more about the deardoggy.com/dog_breeds/chihuahua/ Chihuahua, or visit us online to talk about deardoggy.com/ Dogs or to see deardoggy.com/pictures/ Dog Pictures

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Tags: chihuahua, dog breed, dog breeds

A good obedience class to train your Chihuahua is always helpful. However, you don’t have to go to obedience classes. Many classes are especially for handling big, out-of-control dogs and may emphasize force methods to try and dominate and calm these dogs. These methods are not good for Chihuahuas, or any dog for that matter. If you run into instructors and classes like this, you are better off training your Chihuahua on your own or with other small-dog owners.

Old-fashioned force-training methods are ineffective and no fun for your dog either. Chihuahuas respond best to amendable training and only the gentlest of techniques.

Some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Guide, don’t force. Chihuahuas want to please you. Your job is to show them what pleases you. If you force a Chihuahua you might bring out that notorious Chi stubborn streak.

• Punishment does not work. Chihuahuas seldom require anything but a mild correction.

• Accentuate the positive. Reward your dog for behaviors that please you.

• Will work for food. Your Chihuahua will work better for training sessions if her stomach is not full. She will be more responsive to food rewards on an empty stomach.

• Happy endings. Keep sessions short and fun, no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Begin and end each training session with something your dog can do well.

Chihuahuas are intelligent. Just because your Chihuahua lives a life of leisure does not mean she can’t learn tricks. Chihuahuas don’t hunt, herd or guard so they don’t have an opportunity to show off like some of the other breeds. Obedience and agility trials give Chihuahuas a chance to show what they can do. But you don’t have to compete in the competitions to enjoy training your Chihuahua. Training should be a fun time for both of you. Chihuahuas need to have some kind of schooling.

Clicker training works well for Chihuahuas. In clicker training you teach the dog that a “click” sound signals a coming reward. A clicker signal is used because it is fast, noticeable, and something the dog otherwise does not encounter in everyday life. Once the dog associates the click with an upcoming reward, you wait for the dog to do the behavior you want her to do. The instant she does so, you click to tell the dog her behavior deserves a reward. Then you give her the treat. If the dog makes a mistake, no treat. You just wait for her to do it right, then reward with a treat.

Connie Limon raises Shih Tzu puppies. She owns Little Guys Dog Clothes Shop. Purchase designer dog clothes and accessories for your Chihuahua and other toy breeds at: littleguysdogclothesshop.com littleguysdogclothesshop.com

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Tags: chihuahua, dog clothes, shih tzu

Do you have behaviour problems with your dog?
Barking unnecessarily, aggression, destructive habits?
This may be down to him not knowing his place - literally!
All dogs, from the biggest wolfhound to the tiniest chihuahua, think they are wolves. This is genetic and hard-wired into their brains.

Wolves are pack animals and packs have a leader - the alpha male.
Dogs are programmed to think that in the absence of other information, they are automatically the leader of the pack and responsible for everybody else in it and in a home, that means you, the dog-owner!
They take this responsibility very seriously to the point where they can be neurotic and badly-behaved.
What you have to do is give the dog the correct information through signals he will understand instinctively.
There are three main areas where strong signals can be sent to establish that your pet is NOT the boss!

The first is feeding. In a pack situation, after a kill, the alpha male eats first and woe betide any pack member who dares to step out of the pecking order at feeding time.
So when feeding, make sure you eat first, even if it’s just a cracker or piece of fruit. As long as the dog sees you eat it, that’s fine. Some trainers advocate taking a small morsel from the dog’s dish before he gets it and pretending to eat it - this reinforces the message that he’s below you in the pecking order.

Second is greeting - when the alpha male is away on the hunt and returns, he maintains a state of aloofness. This re-establishes the pack heirarchy. So follow the five minute rule - if you’ve been out and the dog’s been in, ignore him for at least five minutes. This may seem cruel and our natural emotional instinct is to make a fuss of the dog and show how much you missed him. This is a mistake!

After five minutes call the dog to you - this is important as it establishes your authority, then make as much fuss as you like.
When leaving the dog alone, do the same thing, just go without words of farewell or warnings ‘to be a good boy’!

The third area is the walk. Dogs in the wild don’t go walking, they go on the hunt, and the alpha male leads the hunt. So when you sea dog straining at the leash and pulling his owner down the street, he’s leading the hunt.
Make sure the dog walks to heel, in other words, at your side and slightly behind.
That’s his place - literally.
Now does all this make the dog unhappy?

No! Quite the reverse. The dog is anxious because it thinks it is responsible for you.
If you show him, through these natural signals, that he is not, the burden of leadership will be taken from him and he will relax.
Do I know what I am talking about? Yes, I have had several dogs where this technique works well, even if the bad behaviour pattern is well-established. The dogs can’t wait for someone else to shoulder the responsibility!

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Tags: chihuahua, heel