Chewey, the Chihuahua

The Problem

Chewey was a stocky little chihuahua who would attempt to bite his owners at random times if he disagreed with anything they might want him to do! He was an equal opportunity snapper--dogs or humans. When visitors came to his house, he would bark long and loud at them. They were told not to touch him because he might bite. If the owner tried to move him off the bed, he would bite her.

How we helped

Being a smart little guy, he responded very quickly to the new leadership principles that we gave his owners to use inside and outside the house. We introduced Chewey to a pack of dogs so that we could reward his appropriate behavior (walking straight ahead on the leash at the owner’s side) and give immediate feedback to his negative behavior (snarling at the larger dogs). Being the quick study that he is, Chewey learned in about five minutes to walk nicely with any size or breed dog. As the responsibility and leadership transferred from Chewey back to his owners, he has turned into one calm couch potato of a dog who is always ready to go for a walk. Visitors can come into the house and give him a pat without fear of a bite.