Chihuahuas are dogs that are adored all across the world for their lively and affectionate nature. They make the best pet companions, all the while being fearless and standing up to anything. Before considering getting a Chihuahua, it’s important for new owners to get to know a bit about this small dog’s characteristics and personality traits which make them unique.
However, just with all other breeds, getting a Chihuahua could come with some challenges. One of the concerns of a new Chihuahua owner could be wondering if their dog will have a peaceful nature, or, on the contrary, a more hyper disposition.
This article will go into depth about whether Chihuahuas are prone to being hyper, and if yes, if there’s anything that can be done about it.
Are Chihuahuas Hyper?
For their small size, a lot of Chihuahuas can be very hyper dogs. These dogs have much energy and as well as that, are often inclined to jump, bark, and display other signs of restless, hyper behavior. They even frequently become over excited and go into a frenzy.
Even though hyperactivity which occurs once in a while may not be a very serious issue for dog owners, ongoing or constant hyperactivity may often prove be very troublesome.
Chihuahua owners may struggle to calm their dog down, especially around other people or when they are trying to get something done. Moreover, hyper behavior or tendencies can may make it harder to train or manage your Chihuahua.
They can be easily distracted, not willing to pay attention or co-operate with you. Further, they can be highly impulsive, unable to calm down, refusing to listen to commands, and hard to control in public areas or when out walking.
Is there anything that can be done to calm down a hyperactive Chihuahua? To answer this question, let’s first find out why Chihuahuas are so hyper in the first place.
Why Are Chihuahuas Hyper?
Chihuahuas can be hyper for a variety of different reasons. Read along to find out some of the main reasons why your Chihuahua may be displaying signs of hyperactivity..
Possessive Nature
Chihuahuas are a breed of dog that bond strongly with their owner, making them wonderful and loyal companions. As for other people they don’t know, most Chihuahua individuals will be rather aloof, and may simply prefer to give them the cold shoulder.
Chihuahuas usually only reserve the majority of their affection toward their owner and will therefore not be particularly fond or friendly to strangers. Chihuahuas can even become possessive over their owners if someone else starts interacting with them.
Some Chihuahuas more than others are especially prone to becoming extremely jealous and feisty whenever someone comes near to their owner. At such times, they will become hyper, reactive, and restless.
What does this result in? Usually Chihuahuas will display their anger and possessiveness through barking, lunging, jumping, snarling, or even snapping and biting. This can be a real problem to deal with.
Genes
It may simply be in your Chihuahua’s genes to be hyper. This trait often runs in Chihuahua blood lines, and may particularly be present in short haired members of this breed.
High Energy
Chihuahuas are little dogs full of character, energy, and beaming excitement. Being rather active dogs, they do indeed love to jump and run about a lot when compared with other, more mellow breeds.
This dog’s high energy can lead them to become very hyper at times and unable to calm down. As much as people love to carry their Chihuahuas about in their arms or their handbag, sometimes it’s good to let them walk on their own.
Their high energy calls for quite a bit of playtime and preferably half an hour of some sort of physical activity each day. This will keep them happy, and make them less prone to displaying hyperactivity.
Boredom
In spite of many Chihuahuas having a rather hyperactive personality, the reasons why your Chihuahua is hyper could also potentially be due to boredom.
If you are not giving your Chihuahua enough mental stimulation and things to do, they may purely become just extremely bored. Therefore, they could be more prone to acting hyper, barking, jumping, and similar behaviors to combat that boredom.
Attention Seeking
Chihuahuas were bred to be human companions, and being a lap dog does indeed runs in their genes. They are often clingy and have a strong attachment to their owner. Naturally, they will want to receive attention from their human.
They may show that they are craving attention by being hyper, so jumping, barking, and running around.
This is simply a way of getting your notice and inclining you to stop whatever you were doing and instead to look at them.
Hyperactivity can also be demonstrated by your Chihuahua if you choose to ignore them or their attention seeking efforts. This could potentially lead to frustration and annoyance – and thus even more hyper behavior showing that they are displeased with you.
Children
As a result of their small size, Chihuahuas are a breed of dog that often may not along with small children. Why? At a very young age, children will not understand how to be gentle with animals, and may scream, squeeze your chihuahua too hard, or bother them.
A little Chihuahua may get easily frightened, hurt, or injured unintentionally. As well as that, some Chihuahuas have a very short temper with children. A child that is particularly rough with them may lead to your Chihuahua becoming overly hyper and annoyed.
This hyperactivity would most often include barking, restlessness, jumping, or even growling and snapping to ward off or scare off the indelicate child.
To Show Off
Chihuahuas are very outgoing, confident, and courageous dogs with a big character and sometimes a feisty attitude for their small size. Some Chihuahuas like to show other dogs that they are the top dog and want all the attention to go to them.
They may become hyper around other dogs as a result of their personality and attitude. As well as that, these dogs are highly territorial, especially males.
If another dog happens to cross into their property, they will not be pleased, and will often bark excessively, lunge, and snap.
If your Chihuahua displays signs of aggressive or frantic behavior toward other dogs, this can poise grave danger for them. A much larger dog may get frustrated at their hyperactivity and antics, and potentially hurt your Chihuahua.
When Do Chihuahuas Calm Down?
At what age is it usual for your Chihuahua to start to calm down? As they turn one year old, the vast majority of Chihuahuas will gradually begin to calm down from thereon.
It is before that time that Chihuahuas display the most frantic or hyperactive behavior. The time period between six months and one year is when your Chihuahua is an adolescent.
What will adolescence therefore mean for your Chihuahua? It may cause your Chihuahua to become troublesome, challenging, defiant, rebellious, and curious. They may ignore anything and everything you say to them.
They might become so hyper to the point where they are out of control. They will also be willing to sniff around and explore more, and their newly founded dominant nature and territorial instincts may begin to come up to the surface.
Aggression is also common at this particular age. It is only with consistent training that any frustrating behavior issues can be dealt with. This will ensure that when a Chihuahua begins to calm down, they will be able to differentiate between good and bad conduct.
How To Calm A Hyper Chihuahua
Whether you are experiencing Chihuahua adolescence, or your Chihuahua never quite grew out of that stage of immaturity, it is important to know how to calm your hyper Chihuahua down.
What are some things you can do to calm a hyper Chihuahua?
Exercise
Regular exercise is key to ensure your Chihuahua gets all the physical activity he needed for the day. Exercise will be fun for your dog, it will tire him out, and combat boredom, especially if it is varied.
Exercise will allow your Chihuahua to release all of their boundless energy that could be leading them to becoming hyper or frantic.
Mental Stimulation
Like all other dogs, Chihuahuas can get bored and hyper if they do not receive mental exercise.
They need a challenge, a task, or an interactive game from time to time to keep boredom and hyperactivity at bay.
Mental stimulation for your dog can include: bringing them to explore new places, sniff new scents, and playing some fun and interesting games. Some dog toys or items are also a great way to provide a challenge for your dog and curb boredom when you are away.
For instance, the Kong dog toy is a type of toy with a hollow cavity where you can put treats or food for your Chihuahua to try to get out with his tongue and paws. Rawhide bones, on the other hand, let your dog chew and become engaged for a long time.
Such items are an effective way to reduce your Chihuahua’s hyper levels whenever you come home after work or another place. Your dog may already be tired after engaging in such activities, and will not have the strength or need to become hyper.
Spend Time With Your Dog
It is important to spend enough time with your Chihuahua every day, as these dogs require much love and affection from their human owners. You will need to interact, play, and take them for walks.
Chihuahuas need at least two hours of time to spend with their owner every day to avoid the tendency to become hyper, so be sure to give them that.
Proper Socialization
Your Chihuahua may be extremely hyper, or displaying unpredictable behavior toward other dogs from a young age. One cause of this is improper socialization during puppyhood.
Proper socialization teaches your Chihuahua about other dogs, society, the world around him, and that not all animals are a threat or a rival. It will prevent him from becoming hyper around others, help him feel and act calm, and be respectful.
Improper socialization, on the other hand, will only cause behavioral issues such as that your Chihuahua will grow hyper around other dogs, as they do not know how to react or behave, or may be protecting themselves by barking, snapping, or lunging.
Environment
If you live in a hectic, loud, busy, or chaotic environment, it is very possible for your Chihuahua to take on the atmosphere of their surroundings.
In response to noise and tumult, these dogs can bark constantly and frantically, and display a whole ton of other hyper behaviors.
If this is the case, keep your Chihuahua in a safe, quiet, peaceful environment or room.
This will help calm your hyper Chihuahua down, and give him a break from chaos and constant
events taking place.
Teach Them Good Manners
Teach your Chihuahua that it is not acceptable to be hyper all the time. First of all, however, it is crucial to find out the cause of your Chihuahua’s hyper disposition.
For instance, if your dog jumps up at you and barks to get attention, and this goes on for a long time every day, ignore your dog’s attention seeking behavior.
Of course, it is important to give your Chihuahua the right amount of attention every day and lots of affection and human interaction. Yet, dealing with attention seeking or needy behavior for countless hours on end can be a problem.
Your Chihuahua will act hyper to get you to notice him, so if you ignore this behavior, he will soon realise that in this way he will not be able to obtain the desired attention from you and may calm down as a result.
If your Chihuahua grows hyper and begins to barks excessively for a long time, this behavior can likewise be combatted.
Whenever your Chihuahua barks, make a loud noise, for example, with your shoe stomping on the ground, and add the command ‘No barking.’ This will startle your Chihuahua, and he may stop barking and turn around to look at you.
At this moment, praise him and reward him immediately for becoming calmer for moment. After consistent repetition, your Chihuahua will begin to learn that you want him to stay quiet instead of barking, and he may become calmer.
Final Thoughts
Chihuahuas can, indeed, be rather feisty and hyper dogs. Even though problematic behavior often
decreases after one year old, some Chihuahuas never seem to calm down.
They can be so hyper for many reasons. It could be due to their genetic makeup, high energy, boredom, for the purpose of getting attention, or because they are protective and possessive of their owner.
However, just as with all dogs, many things can be done to help calm your Chihuahua down and decrease his hyperactivity to a minimum.