Can a Chihuahua Be Trained Not to Bark? (Solved & Explained!)

Yes, you can teach your Chihuahua not to bark. To teach the ‘quiet’ command, when your dog barks you should show them a treat and tell them to sit. Say ‘quiet’ and when they stop barking, give them the treat. If you repeat this over and over for a week or two, your dog will go quiet on command.

For the remainder of this article, we’re going to answer the most frequently asked questions about Chihuahua behavior and tendencies. We’ve collected the questions being asked the most on the web, so please read on to get the answers you need for understanding your Chihuahua!

Will my Chihuahua ever stop barking?

Yes, to some extent. A Chihuahua in a new home is on hyper-alert and liable to bark at just about everything. You can help to train them out of this by getting their attention with a treat, calling them over and giving them the treat when they go silent.

This slow encouragement, repeated over time, can help to reduce their barking behavior.

Are there Chihuahuas that don’t bark?

Yes, some breeds of Chihuahua are bred to bark very little, so you should check around with different breeders. These dogs have been socialized to be less hyper-alert than other Chihuahuas and bred from sires and dams that tended to be quieter than most.

Check the local Chihuahua breeders in your area – they should be able to help.

Why does Chihuahuas bark all the time?

For such little dogs, Chihuahuas are extremely territorial. If someone knocks on the door or sometimes even if they just walk close enough to your house, your dog is going to go off like a security alarm.

This can be a good thing, giving you a little extra security, but if you don’t like it then you can train your dog to bark less or even not at all. Just know that you’ll need to be patient, as these dogs are hard-wired to bark at intruders!

Can a Chihuahua be trained?

Yes, your Chihuahua can be trained, just like any other dog. You’re just going to need some treats and a lot of patience. Chihuahuas are a stubborn breed, so keep training sessions to 10 minutes at a time and provide treats and praise in the process.

Once they see how happy it makes you, your little dog will respond quite well to training indeed.

Are Chihuahuas yappy?

Chihuahuas do indeed fall into the ‘yappy’ category. These little dogs get excited easily and without a little firm training, they simply can’t help themselves. If you want to discourage the yappy behavior, you can work with your dog and train them out of this.

It will just take a little time and effort and a lot of patience and treats.

Are Chihuahuas annoying?

Chihuahuas are sometimes viewed as annoying because they latch on to one person only most of the time. The dog will love their owner, but likely simply tolerate their children at best and they may actively avoid the owner’s friends or even bark at them from time to time.

This makes the Chihuahua’s owner feel special and find the dog endearing, but it tends to make others think that the dog is annoying.

Why do Chihuahuas bite their owners?

Biting is always an act of self-defense with a Chihuahua. If you scoop them up, especially unexpectedly, or surprise them in another manner then they tend to lash out in the form of a bite. In the cases where you’ve surprised them, it’s not uncommon for the dog to immediately realize what they’ve done and lick you immediately afterwards.

Try to remember that these are small and fragile dogs and do your best not to surprise them. When you want to pick your dog up, hold up a treat and call them to you and lift carefully. As long as they are not surprised and you are gentle they will generally tolerate being picked up and held.

Are Chihuahuas smart?

As far as working intelligence, Chihuahuas have been rated as ‘fair’ and rank about 125 out of 138 tested breeds. For obedience intelligence, they are considered a little below average, but this is likely related to their inherently stubborn natures.

If you’ve ever tried to give your Chihuahua a pill from the vet then you’ve seen this firsthand — your dog will squirm, hold their mouth closed, and even spit the pill out once you get it in. It’s hard to get a Chihuahua to do anything that they don’t want to do!

Do Chihuahuas like to be held?

Although they are small and cute, a Chihuahua is still a dog – only smaller. Most dogs don’t like to be held or carried, although some dogs do learn to love it over time. If you reward your dog with treats and your dog learns that it’s safe when you hold or carry them then they may warm up to it over time.

Just be patient – it’s scary for them when you pick them up, so it’s going to take awhile for them to get used to it!

Should Chihuahuas sleep with you?

If you don’t mind sharing the bed, letting your Chihuahua sleep with you is a great way to speed-up the bonding process. That said, if you are a restless sleeper and tend to roll around a lot, then you should get a doggy bed for your Chihuahua and have them sleep there.

These dogs are small and fragile, so rolling over on top of your dog could seriously injure them. Provided that you are a sound sleeper and don’t move around a lot, your Chihuahua can and should sleep on the bed with you.

Are Chihuahuas good apartment dogs?

With their diminutive size, Chihuahuas are perfect apartment dogs. Even if you have a small apartment, it’s a palace to your Chihuahua, and they’ll have lots of room to run around and play happily in what seems like limited space to you.

If you want a dog that will love you above everything else but don’t have a house and a backyard, a Chihuahua is the perfect choice.