Why Little Dogs Need Training, Too
Another ongoing process that should never come to a halt is your Chi's training. A common misconception is that toy breeds don't need any obedience training. This accompanies the misconception that toy breeds aren't really dogs; they are four-legged children who already know how to behave perfectly. Other people feel that toy breeds are so easy to control physically that there's no need for training.
Daily training exercises — for even a few minutes a day — are a great way to maintain a healthy dog-leader relationship with your Chi. Without any regular guidance, any dog of any breed will slip into the role of leader in a home. You don't want to live by dog rules, so have fun with training while maintaining the leadership status in your home.
None of these beliefs could be further from the truth. In fact, toy breeds can actually be more challenging, in some aspects, to train than their larger counterparts. Chihuahuas are small (making it harder to reach them while standing), lightning fast (don't think you can catch one of these kids unless they want to be caught), very intelligent (Chis make some of the best service dogs ever), and they have an unending supply of energy (if you don't find something constructive and fun for them to do, they'll find something themselves). On top of all that, they have a terrier-like attitude (a bit independent and a tendency to be feisty).
If you want your Chihuahua to be a great house pet and companion, she needs obedience training. This does not need to be in the form of formal obedience lessons though you might find that it's a lot of fun to train and earn titles with your Chihuahua. At a minimum, however, you need to teach your Chihuahua the basics, such as sit, down, stay, and come, so that she is controllable in and out of the home. You'll be glad you took the time and effort. There's nothing quite like a well-trained dog.
