Chihuahua Barking? 3 Steps to Help Your Dog!

Do you have a problem with a Chihuahua barking–at everyone?! Dog trainer Colleen Safford looks at why a Chihuahua may be barking–and how to stop the barking!

A reader asks: My Chihuahua has always barked at everyone when we go for walks and will try to bite if they get too close. I’ve been really diligent at desensitizing him around people with treats and petting over the past year and he’s gotten remarkably better. He even runs towards people while looking at me because he knows to expect a reward. I’m wondering if he will ever stop with the initial instinct to bark or if it will always be something that I will need to be on top of through distraction. He’s 4 years old and has always been around people. Is there any hope?

We turned to Colleen Safford from New York Walk & Train, named “Best of NY” by New York Magazine, for advice:

First, congratulations on making progress with your pup this year. I love to hear stories of people committed to helping their dogs with training hurdles. Keep up the good work! It sounds like you are making some real strides and some tweaking can get this sorted for you.

The straight answer….yes or no. It depends.

OK, just being silly.

There certainly is hope. Just think of it this way. Your Chihuahua can get better and better at anything he practices or he can drop old habits.

He can continue to strengthen his barking at people if he practices every day, or he can start to forget about barking at people if he is simply not afforded the opportunity to practice, but instead learns to offer a new behavior.

If he is not provided barking practice time, the behavior weakens and extinguishes. This is similar to my soccer skills. I was great when practicing (OK, and younger). The less I practiced, the less skilled I was with the ball. Now…let’s not talk about. My soccer skills have been replaced by racing after toddler skills.

Why Is My Chihuahua Barking at Strangers?

Two things could be happening:

1. The initial bark has become part of the trained routine and response. Inadvertently, it may have been reinforced by your offering of treats AFTER he barks. This is one of those be sure what you are training type situations.
2. Your pup is still a feeling anxious about people and just needs to progress a bit slower.

In either case, you just need to tighten up the process.

By doing so, you will eliminate the barking as well as ensure that you are creating a positive association with strangers at a level where your dog is comfortable.

How to Stop Chihuahua Barking

1. Take the role of being the lookout

As a diligent dog parent, you must anticipate that your dog is going to bark at an oncomer on the street or stranger entering your home.

Yes, there will be moments where you don’t catch something before him, but generally, your job is to see things before your dog.

Once you see someone, do not wait to see if he will bark at the person, assume he will and before he does……

2. Redirect and reinforce your Chi for offering you another behavior like “look at me” BEFORE he sounds off.

The second you see someone you will quickly use “look” (chirpy- happy voice and keeping a loose slack leash) to grab your pup’s attention.

When he offers you his attention, reinforce the behavior by offering him treats (keep them exciting, fresh and rotate the variety to keep the motivation).

The key here is that he is being reinforced for looking at you and remaining quiet instead of barking first and then being offered a tasty crumb.

If your pup is more toy motivated, play a walking game a tug as you pass by the on comer.

Whatever reinforcement you offer, continue to dole it out as you approach and pass the person. Yes, the entire time! Every few steps!

You must offer him reinforcement at a rate which keeps his attention keenly focused on you. Once you’ve passed, the treats stop coming or the toy is put away until your next encounter.

Over time, as you have seen already, he will associate people with good things and you’ll gradually decrease the reinforcements (never getting rid of them all together, but cutting back).

You need to cautious and be sure no one is pushing his limits while you expand on his association and confidence building by doing the following….

3. Strangers or friends feed your Chihuahua.

Ask friends and strangers to feed your dog. If he is extremely shut down….they begin doing this at a distance–a distance that does NOT elicit a bark.

They literally toss him piece by piece of his dog food (or Natural Balance Dog Roll diced into the tiniest of bits).

Gradually, decrease the space between the person and your dog as he is comfortable. If he barks or backs up fast…he’s not comfortable.

Progress to a point where he is taking food from their hands. Be sure they do not reach for him or over do it with syrupy sweet talk. They should be a calm food dispenser.

This is a gradual process and one that takes time.

What to Do When Guests Come Over

Tip: What to do when guests come over: Either be prepped and ready to practice step three OR your Chihuahua is given a interactive toy or chew toy to work on safely confined to a crate or bedroom where he feels safe.

As always, the timing and coordination of this is important. If you feel like you just keep slipping and he is barking before you get to it, it would be wise to work with a humane trainer. Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a good place to search.

Wiggles and wags!

Colleen

Advice from an Animal Behaviorist

We also turned to Dr. Diane Pomerance, an animal behavior specialist and an expert on topics such as deciding which puppy is best for your family, how to pick out a rescue, and on healing from the loss of a pet, for advice to help a reader with a barking Chihuahua:

Dear Dr. Diane, I have a 4-year-old, long-haired Chihuahua named Zen who has the lovely annoying habit of barking at the door every time I decide to sit down and have a meal at my couch.

If I take the time to stand up and simply give him a hand signal to walk away from the door or to say the command “enough,” he does stop and lays down.

But if I don’t physically get up to carry out the command each time he will continue to bark. I don’t know what to do to break this pattern but it’s getting worse. He is now doing it when I have guests over to watch a movie or when I go into my room to get ready for work. What can I do to break this habit once and for all?

If I were you, I would “crate” Zen while I am eating or keep him in a separate room of the house until you are finished enjoying your meal.

He must learn that he is not entitled to share your meal with you. Somewhere along the road of your relationship, it is my guess that you have shared some of your meals with him – only a guess!

He must be disciplined and re-educated so that he doesn’t get away with this behavior – and I truly suggest you keep him in a separate room/crate, etc. while you are eating so he is not tempted to manipulate or upset you.

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