Chihuahuas are one of the most popular breeds of dogs and they are also the smallest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club. They are friendly, loving little dogs who become very attached to their families. But they are also known for their occasionally prickly temperaments and their inability to see bigger dogs as any sort of a challenge.
With toy dogs like chihuahuas, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to pick them up and cuddle them all the time, but that may not always be the best idea. It is so important with tiny dogs to make sure that you aren’t making them uncomfortable and forcing physical contact that they may not be able to get away from, and with a chihuahua’s temperament doing so could be a recipe for disaster.
Do chihuahuas like to be held?
It’s complicated. In a nutshell, the answer is that chihuahuas like to be held “sometimes” and only on their terms.
Chihuahuas are devoted pets to their owners and many of them are more than happy to be a lapdog and cuddle in with you all day long but their feisty temperament and their occasionally confrontational nature mean that they may react aggressively to being held against their will.
In fact, chihuahuas are near the top of breeds who are reported to bite their owners or other people, and this number may actually be underestimated because people are less likely to report bites from small dogs than they are large ones.
Dog bites can sometimes seem to come out of the blue, but there are certain human behaviors that can make a dog attack more likely. Dogs tend to bite when they feel threatened so it is in pet owners’ power to be able to reduce the risk of their dog being in that situation in the first place.
Hugging and holding dogs can be one of these anxiety-producing behaviors, so let’s take a look at why.
Why does cuddling make chihuahuas uncomfortable?
Dogs, by their nature, are what are known as cursorial animals. This means that their response to a threat is to use their speed to run away, rather than their teeth. In other words, they are designed for flight rather than fight.
When you hug or hold a dog, you are cutting off their primary means of escape, and this can increase their stress and anxiety, which can lead to aggressive behavior on the dog’s part.
It is always important to remember that dogs are not the same as human beings. We find hugs comforting and they provide us with a feeling of safety, so it is easy, given our close emotional relationship with our dogs, to assume that our hugs make them feel the same way.
A lot of the time, however, they do not. You might think that you are showing love by hugging your dog, but they might instead be in distress. And this distress can translate into aggression because they feel it is their only way of escaping the situation.
This is especially the case with chihuahuas because they are more likely than some other breeds to be confrontational and/or aggressive. They also, perhaps more so than larger dogs, rely on being able to escape and hide. So when you hold your chihuahua you may be setting off a spiral of anxiety that could well lead to aggression.
With that being said, chihuahuas often do enjoy cuddling with their owners. So you might be wondering how on earth you are supposed to know when your hug is wanted and when it isn’t. Well, even though dogs can’t communicate with us through speech, they are skilled at using their body language to tell us how they are feeling.
Your chihuahua’s body language will tell you they do not want to be held
Humans and dogs have a truly unique relationship. They have been our companions for tens of thousands of years and, over this time, we have actually influenced each other’s evolution. Because of this co-evolution, the ability of dogs and humans to communicate without language has become really quite sophisticated. Dogs are able to read the emotions in our faces and, equally, we are able to read their emotions in their body language.
So how can you tell if your dog is getting anxious? There are some telltale signs and, best of all, there is a real hierarchy with some behaviors typically occurring immediately before the dog gets aggressive and some coming early enough before the aggression that you will be able to prevent it from happening the majority of the time.
Early signs:
- Lip licking
- Head-turning
- Staring
- Sniffing
- Paw lifting
Signs that a bite is imminent:
- Holding the body awkwardly
- Holding the body in a low position
- Stiffening up
- Growling
- Snapping
- Frowning
- Change in ear position
These are all clear signs of anxiety in your chihuahua and the better you get at recognizing them, the sooner you will be able to know when being held is welcome and when it is causing your chihuahua distress.
The right way to hold a chihuahua
Another concern when it comes to holding a chihuahua is whether or not you are doing it correctly. And there are definitely some clear dos and don’ts when it comes to picking dogs up. Your goal is to make them feel as comfortable and secure as possible, and the best way to do that is to make sure that they are properly supported at all times.
Step 1: Slip one hand between their front legs from the front side of their body
Step 2: Slip the other hand between their rear legs from the back side of their body
Step 3: Lift them up evenly, making sure that their spine is kept as straight as possible
Step 4: Tuck them into your body so that they feel secure and aren’t afraid of the drop to the floor
If your chihuahua is tiny enough to be picked up in one hand, you can absolutely do that, as long as you make sure that you are doing it in the correct way.
Step 1: Slip your hand under the middle of their chest with your fingers facing their head
Step 2: Cradle their chest cavity in your palm
Step 3: Tuck them into your body so that they feel secure and aren’t afraid of the drop to the floor
The wrong way to hold a chihuahua
So if there is a right way to hold a chihuahua, there must also be some wrong ways. Learning these will make sure that you don’t approach holding your chihuahua in the wrong way the next time you want to hold them.
- Do not surprise them
- Never pick them up by the legs
- Avoid picking them up by their armpits
- Never pick them up by their collar
- Never pick them up by the tail
- Never pick them up by the scruff of their neck (even with puppies)
Dangers of holding a chihuahua incorrectly
Remember that your goal in holding your chihuahua correctly is to make them feel safe and secure. This can reduce their level of anxiety and stress. Conversely, holding them incorrectly can make these emotions skyrocket and it can also be a danger to both you and your chihuahua because of two reasons.
They may become aggressive
Remember that high levels of stress and anxiety in your chihuahua are what usually leads to them becoming aggressive. If you are holding your chihuahua incorrectly, you are compounding three potential anxiety- inducing events.
1. They are being restrained which in and of itself can cause anxiety.
2. They may feel unsafe because they fear being hurt or falling.
3. You may cause them pain by holding them incorrectly, which can provoke aggression.
They may get hurt
Any dog is at risk of being injured when being held incorrectly. For example, picking them up by a leg could dislocate it. And, if they are feeling insecure in the position you are holding them in and aren’t fully restrained, their flight instinct could make them try to flee, which can cause an injury if there is a drop to the floor from where you are holding them.
The risk of injury is compounded when it comes to chihuahuas. Because they are so, so tiny, they are at an extremely high risk of being hurt. In fact, trauma is the second leading cause of death for chihuahuas, only being beaten by old age. A shocking 16.8% of chihuahuas die from some form of trauma, so it is important to remember just how vulnerable they actually are.
Final thoughts
Chihuahuas were bred to be companion dogs, and many chihuahuas thoroughly enjoy the lapdog life, but that doesn’t mean that they want to be held all of the time. Any hugging or holding should always be consented to both sides and ignoring your chihuahua’s behavioral cues that are telling you they don’t want to be held can lead to aggression and an increased risk of both you and the dog getting hurt.
Learning these behavioral cues as well as the correct way to hold your chihuahua can greatly reduce their anxiety, and can make being held a happy experience for both you and them.