Hello, I’m Savanna! Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my spunky Chihuahua combine, Penny.
I’m simply going to be trustworthy: I by no means imagined proudly owning a Chihuahua. You hear all these canine stereotypes reminiscent of Chihuahuas being aggressive, having “small canine syndrome”, and so forth., and I assumed that will be approach an excessive amount of for me to take care of. I’d additionally by no means had a small canine as a pet. My household at all times had bigger canines once I was rising up.
However you all know the story in case you’ve been following together with me all this time. I noticed Penny and I knew I couldn’t say no to her. After having her for nearly 4 years, I’ve to say that I don’t know what all of the stereotypes about Chihuahuas are about, and I feel many individuals are too fast to write down them off because of unhealthy behaviors and aggression.
No, Penny’s not a full-blooded Chihuahua, however she’s over two-thirds Chihuahua, and I personally simply don’t get the stereotypes. I’ll give in to the “small canine syndrome”, as a result of Penny positively acts that approach. However in terms of aggression, she truly chooses a passive route more often than not. In truth, I haven’t actually skilled aggression from any Chihuahua I’ve ever been round. After all, each canine has their very own particular person persona, and I can’t communicate for all Chihuahua house owners, and I’m actually not a canine conduct professional, however that is simply my private expertise.
Does Penny Have Small Canine Syndrome? Sure
In case you aren’t aware of the time period, “small dog syndrome” (SDS) is a time period used to explain behaviors that small canines typically exhibit as a method to compensate for his or her smaller dimension. It’s also referred to as a Napoleon complicated, and small canines are extra susceptible to the conduct.
Some indicators can embody:
- Aggression
- Consideration looking for
- Disobedience
- Extreme barking
- Worry round different canines
- Growling
- Nervousness
Sure, I’ll admit that Penny reveals a few of these indicators. However she acquired the great finish of the cut price in terms of SDS. She’s not aggressive, she’s not disobedient, and he or she’s not nervous. The issues we take care of most are consideration looking for behaviors (however what canine doesn’t do that?), and quite a lot of barking. I’m speaking about barking any time she hears a noise or notices one thing that wasn’t there earlier than. She does act slightly fearful round greater canines, however she’s high quality round canines her dimension.
I understand that is an precise factor that occurs with many Chihuahuas. However greater canines can have the identical behaviors. Plus, even when a canine does present extra of the undesirable behaviors, many of those behaviors might be remedied with correct socialization and coaching. So, simply because Chihuahuas act this manner generally, it doesn’t imply they’re unhealthy canines.
Is Penny Aggressive? Completely Not
The one “aggression” she ever reveals is play aggression, growling and such while you attempt to take her toy away from her throughout a recreation of fetch. In truth, I feel I could have seen Penny act aggressive in the direction of one other canine as soon as in 4 years. In her protection, she didn’t like the best way the opposite canine was approaching her and getting in her house. However I’ve by no means seen her act inherently aggressive towards one other individual.
She’s going to defend herself if crucial, however she a lot prefers to take a extra passive strategy. She both loves you from the get-go, or she completely ignores you in case you don’t cross the vibe examine. Penny would a lot reasonably you pet her stomach and let her lick you than present any aggression to you in any way. After all, we at all times supervise her interactions with different individuals simply to be on the secure aspect.
Even together with her barking, she by no means barks at something in an aggressive approach, even when it’s value baking at. It’s at all times extra of a “sound the alarm, there’s one thing new right here” bark.
Once more, she’s not a full-blooded Chihuahua, so which will account for a few of her passiveness. And I can’t communicate for all Chihuahuas, however along with my very own, I’ve met a number of by way of household and pals through the years and have never encountered one that is aggressive.
The Actuality of Chihuahuas
Due to canine stereotypes, quite a lot of canines get a nasty popularity even when they don’t actually deserve it. However Chihuahuas are literally nonetheless fairly widespread canines regardless of their typically “aggressive” popularity. These canines are generally seen in popular culture; all of us love Bruiser in Legally Blonde and Gidget, the mascot for Taco Bell within the late 90s. On account of their dimension, they’re additionally straightforward to maintain in smaller dwelling areas because of assembly weight necessities or tackle the go along with you. So many individuals appear to nonetheless need one regardless of the customarily damaging stereotypes they carry with them.
Sadly, their reputation has led to Chihuahuas being one of the widespread canine breeds to be present in animal shelters due principally to unintentional breeding or overbreeding, but in addition as a result of some individuals don’t know take care of their huge persona as soon as they create them residence.
Not solely that, however the unhappy reality is that Chihuahuas are the second most euthanized breed. That is principally as a result of massive variety of Chihuahuas in animal shelters. They aren’t essentially euthanized as a direct results of their conduct. However it additionally makes me marvel why individuals aren’t adopting them from shelters extra if they’re so widespread and so generally discovered.
Is it due to their damaging popularity that causes individuals to decide on a breed reminiscent of a Labrador that can be generally present in shelters and has a popularity for higher conduct? (That is nothing in opposition to Labradors; we had one for years and he or she was essentially the most superb canine.) Are Chihuahuas being euthanized extra typically as an oblique results of their popularity that results in them not being as fascinating?
I don’t know the reality of the matter, however what I can say is that each canine has their very own persona and doesn’t essentially observe breed stereotypes. Chihuahuas are extra clever than they seem and might be simply skilled to exhibit extra fascinating behaviors if conduct is an issue.
Last Ideas
Now that I’ve a Chihuahua, I don’t know if I might ever see myself proudly owning every other breed. Particularly realizing what I find out about their historical past in shelters. I’ll advocate for Chihuahuas at all times, due to my candy Penny. There’s far more to those canines than the stereotypes and popularity that precedes them.
This text is part of Savanna and Penny’s collection.