What could be more entertaining than a pack of Chihuahuas? Depending on the dogs and their surroundings, the answer to this question may be “Nothing!” They bring joy every day!” alternatively it could be “Amigraine headache because at least that gradually goes away.” Owning more than one dog can be a fantastic experience, but it is not for everyone. Before you add a second (or third, or fourth) Chito to your canine family, be sure you understand the realities of living with numerous dogs.
The more the merrier.
Most Chihuahuas enjoy company. They particularly love living with other Chihuahuas, while other social breeds and mixes are well tolerated. Owning more than one dog can provide additional physical and mental stimulation for your current Chihuahua.
Additionally, owning two or more dogs can relieve some of the pressure on you for constant attention; Chis can be great companions for one another, not to mention providing a little extra snuggling warmth.
There are certain drawbacks to having more than one dog. These can include the additional costs of having more canines, the circumstances that two Chis can create, and dealing with personalities that clash.
When you think about it, it\’s incredible that the Chihuahua is so eager to take other canines into his house, often living around the clock every day with these dogs for 10, fifteen, or even twenty years with barely a quarrel. We humans usually have a choice in who we live with, and we don\’t always get along.
Show me the money!
Toy breeds are generally inexpensive to feed because they do not use as much food as larger kinds do. Food expenses, on the other hand, may be the sole cost that is minimal whether you have one Chihuahua or two—or more. For example, most veterinarian fees are calculated per dog rather than by poundage of dog. It doesn\’t matter if your Chihuahua weighs just twelve pounds; if you have three dogs, you\’ll have to pay for three sets of vaccines, three twelve-month doses of heartworm preventive, and three yearly checkups.
Other expenses to consider if you want to acquire more than one dog include:the cost of supplies (multiple collars, leashes, crates, beds, coats, and soon), boarding and/or doggie day-care expenses (you may get some break because your dogs are smaller, but you\’ll still have to pay per dog), and increased pet sitter or dog walker costs (with rates often set based on the number of visits and the number of dogs).
Double or Triple Trouble
Owners frequently presume that if they have two Chis, the pair will occupy each other. According to the fairy tale, two dogs spend so much time together that they become less demanding of the owner’s attention, and therefore owning more than one dog reduces the amount of time and energy the owner must devote to the canines. Isn’t this a beautiful dream?
The reality is that if the dogs are compatible, they will play together and keep each other company.
The dogs will not accept this as an alternative to time with you. Indeed, a multidog family is sometimes fraught with problems since one or more dogs compete for the owner’s attention. Like a toddler, the Chi realises that if being quiet and good doesn\’t work, doing something evil, such as stealing socks or tearing up pillows, can encourage you to stop loving the other dog and pay attention to her.
Remember how your mother used to tell you that if you hang around with the wrong kids, it doesn\’t matter how nice you are—bad always rubs off on the good, not the other way around? This is especially true in households with many dogs. The dog with the worst behaviour teaches all of the good canines how to misbehave.
Then there\’s the amount of mess and devastation that two or more dogs can generate versus just one. Housetraining has simply gotten more challenging (“Who did that?”), and even if you have altered canines, you may notice that a young Chi (or an older one) is suddenly marking his territory in your home.
In short, adding a second dog does not reduce the time or effort required for dog ownership. You\’ll undoubtedly laugh more while caring for your Chis, but the amount of attention and care required—not to mention the money spent—increases enormously.
Who gets along best?
Unless a Chihuahua is dog aggressive, she should get along with almost any dog; however, there are some basic suggestions to follow to ensure a good match. Variables that can influence the success of adding a second or third dog include the breeds of all dogs involved, their ages, and genders.In terms of breeds, Chihuahuas adore Chihuahuas. Even if two Chihuahuas do not know one other, they will often act as if they are long-lost pals on their first meeting. Chihuahuas not only recognise their own breed, but they appear to enjoy their company. A Chi-Chi coupling is normally preferred; however, if you already have a charming toy breed or toy mix, adding a Chihuahua to your canine family should go smoothly. Combining toy breeds helps to level the playing field among dogs.
Can a Chihuahua coexist with a large-breed dog?
If you own a gentle giant who is not rowdy and is highly aware of his body space (knowing where he is lying down and what his front and hind ends are doing at the same time), you can have a toy/giant combination and everyone will be happy. Essentially, the most important problem here is your Chihuahua\’s safety.
If you\’re looking for a canine age group that is practically guaranteed to get along, littermates or puppies around the same age almost invariably grow up to be great friends. They are, however, holy terrors for the first year of their existence. If you have a lot of enthusiasm, training expertise, andConsider this alternative if you have patience.
Another age combination that works well is a puppy and an older dog. In most cases, the puppy grows up accepting the older dog\’s alpha rank and does little to dispute the situation.
A puppy and a senior Chi are also regarded a wonderful match; studies have shown that the senior dog benefits immensely from the additional mental and physical stimulation provided by a puppy in the home. An adult Chi partnered with another adult Chi can also work well, especially if the incoming adult Chi likes your current Chi and vice versa.
Regarding the sex of your second dog, opposites not only attract, but they also tend to get along better with fewer squabbles. Neutered males and spayed females of all ages can typically get along well. Same-sex pairings can lead to significant fights if both dogs want to be the alpha, but if the temperaments are compatible or one is a puppy and the other is an older dog, same-sex pairings may work well in your household.
Chis are social dogs who enjoy having as many friends as possible!
Introducing a New Dog.
If you\’ve acquired a puppy or adopted an adult rescue, you\’ll want to make the first introductions to your elder Chi as seamless as possible. One of the most effective ways to introduce two dogs to each other is in neutral territory. For example, attempt to arrange for the two to meet in a park or on the pavement in front of someone else\’s home. The objective for choosing a neutral site is to allow the dogs to meet and greet each other without the older Chi defending her house and humans from the new intruder.
The advantage of scheduling a gathering at a fenced-in park is that the dogs can interact off leash. This makes the meeting of the dogs less aggressive. Apparently, being leashed to an owner frequently gives a dog the impression that she must protect her master, or, if she is shy, the terrifying sensation of being unable to flee.
Another technique to introduce two dogs is to bring the new member into your home while your older dog is not present. This is the same strategy used when parents bring home a newborn infant. Keep the new dog in your home for several hours, if not a day, before bringing the elder dog back home. With the new dog\’s scent already in the house, the older dog is less hostile than if a new dog entered the house.
Supervise the two dogs anytime they are together, and never leave them alone at home without crating one or both. Expect some squabbles between the dogs until they have fully accepted each other, which could take several days or even months. The worst of the squabbles will occur when you are not around, and you will have no idea what caused the incident other than that you have two injured dogs.
How will you know when your Chis are cohabiting successfully? They will play well together, and when they are not playing, they will either cuddle up next to each other or completely ignore each other. What you don\’t want to see is one of the dogs constantly selecting or showing an overly excited, sustained interest in the new Chi. If you notice any indicators of predatory behaviour in your older dog (stalking, creeping, intense staring, body stiffness, or rigidity), separate the two dogs and get expert guidance from an experienced trainer or animal behaviourist right away.
Pack Ethics Essentials.
Remember the phrase \”Two\’s company, three\’s a crowd\”? When it comes to dogs, adding a third dog changes the balance and relationships between them. You now have a pack, and your dogs will exhibit pack behaviour that they have never demonstrated before.Though the shift in power and dog-dog connections in your household may be subtle, it is critical to understand how your dogs\’ behaviours may alter and what kind of scenarios you may encounter over time.
Pack Power.
The most dramatic—and, for some unwitting owners, the most traumatic—is a shift in attitude towards other dogs. Three or more dogs running loose together are significantly more aggressive than a single dog or even a couple of dogs, and these groups have been known to attack dogs several times their size. The owner is surprised to see that the individual dogs in this pack had previously displayed no aggressive tendencies while alone. Somehow, the safety of being in a pack empowers the dogs. Never let your Chis run uncontrolled for any reason unless they are in your own backyard and you have control over the situation.
Gang mentality
You will also see your dogs picking on a sick or injured dog in the pack. This is quite upsetting for most owners, who would want to believe that their dogs are more compassionate to the disadvantaged dog.
Not true.
If you have five Chis and one of them gets into a fight with another, the remaining three Chis will automatically side with the stronger of the two. For this reason, it is best to divide your Chis into smaller groups or place them in individual crates when you must leave. Also, beBe especially aware of any potential changes in pack order that could result in a free-for-all.
Changes in Pack Order
When you have more than one dog, your Chis will create a hierarchy ranging from the Most-Powerful-and-to-be-Obeyed One (the alpha) to the I\’ll-Do-Anything-You-Say-If-You-Won\’t-Hurt-Me dog (the omega). In a big pack of dogs, there will be an alpha male and an alpha female. While the female may appear to be the ultimate alpha, she is usually not. The superior alpha man simply puts up with her bossiness until he has had enough.
Pack Dynamics
If you just have two or three dogs at home, the leader is usually the oldest dog or the one who has been with you the longest. The leader of a small-dog family might be either male or female, and it may be the smallest and physically weakest of your dogs. Age has importance in the dog kingdom.
Signs of submissiveness include submissive urination or defecation, rolling over on the back (exposing the belly), licking another dog\’s mouth, \”smiling\” (in which the dog exposes her teeth without aggression), allowing the other dog to take toys and chews, and lying down and waiting for the higher-ranking dog to finish eating before beginning her meal.
However, in a larger pack of dogs, the alpha status can be contested. If there is an emerging aspiring leader-of-the-pack among the pack, he would hunt for an opportunity to dethrone the alpha. If he detects any physical or mental weakness of the alpha dog (and this includes a health problem in the older dog that you’re not yet aware of), you may notice rising irritability between the alpha and beta dogs as the beta begins.jockeying for position. This irritability may result in disputes and even all-out fights with catastrophic injuries.
What to Do?
If you notice the beginning of a power shift inside your group of Chis and suspect it will not be peaceful, do not leave the two competing Chis alone together. Supervise them at all times and avoid fights by removing potential triggers, including as attention, food, chews, and toys. For example, do not laud, pour love on, or scold one Chi when the other Chi is present.
The Chi who is not receiving attention is more prone to take offence and attack the other Chi on the spot.Make sure the sparring Chis are fed separately and have no opportunities to fight over the last piece of kibble in a bowl. Give highly valued objects, such as chews and favourite toys, to the Chis in their crates for enjoyment.
Resource Guarding
Most people believe that a dog who guards her resources (food, bones, chews, toys, or stolen items) is a terrible, domineering, violent dog. Exactly the contrary is typically true. Typically, and most obviously in a pack of dogs, the alpha Chi (the dominant force in the pack) does not need to protect her resources from the other dogs. They know not to take anything away.
The subservient dog or puppy is the most likely to exhibit resource-guarding instincts, which are normal dog behaviour and not deviant in any manner. Why? Because she is the dog who continuously has her belongings taken away by the other dogs. She never gets to keep anything. So, if she does manage to win a prize, she does not want anyone—including you—to take it away.
Dealing with Resource Guarding
If the item being guarded is hers, leave her alone. Please do not take the chew, food, or toy away. In our society, we frequently have unrealistic expectations for our dogs.
Consider this: Would you enjoy it if someone in your family approached you and ripped a book from your hands?
A steak off your plate?
Or did you take your favourite jacket?
No, you would not. It’s much the same with our dogs.
There are instances when it is really necessary to remove an object from your Chi. To do so without being bitten requires a deal. Find a delicious food item that your Chi cannot resist and offer to swap it for hers, keeping the delicacy as close to her nose as possible. Typically, the Chi will drop the thing she has and accept your offering. Praise her! What a good dog.
Practicing the swap
To avoid future clashes over stuff your Chi can’t have, practise substituting pieces of treats for toys that she doesn\’t feel sopossessive about, rewarding her with praise, and returning her toy when the activity is completed. Your Chi has to learn that if you take anything away, she can trust you to return it. Then, on the presumably occasional instances when the thing she is guarding is toxic, harmful, or destructible, your Chi will trust you and gladly switch the item for a treat.If your Chi is stealing a specific item, like as a sock, face tissue, toilet paper, or a pillow, the simplest solution to address her resource-guarding is to keep the dog’s fetish object out of reach at all times. Pick up the socks, latch the bathroom door and store the pillow in a closet. It\’s a modest sacrifice that will help you avoid confrontations with your Chi.
Children are not allowed to take anything out of the Chi’s mouth, which is a difficult idea for small children. It is a child\’s instinct to reclaim a toy that the Chi has taken. You must ensure that your children understand this regulation, as well as supervise their contacts with the dog or separate them.
Feeding Solutions
The two most typical challenges that arise while feeding two or more Chihuahuas at the same time are fights and ensuring that each dog gets her proper quantity.
The simplest approach to address these issues is to feed each Chihuahua in her own kennel. You may be able to separate the Chis by placing their bowls in various rooms; but, you may discover that one dog (typically the alpha) will roam the house, devouring the other dogs’ food as well as her own.
Feeding out of a communal bowl may be OK for dogs who get along well; however, you never know who is eating and how much. Feeding your different dogs separately allows you to monitor their portion amounts and appetites, which not only prevents obesity but also detects early signs of disease. Loss of appetite is a common early symptom of many disorders.
Determining Illness.
Owning numerous Chihuahuas necessitates extra time and vigilance spent handling and closely monitoring each dog on a daily basis. If a Chi is not eating, there is probably a problem. If you feed each dog separately, you\’ll notice a lack of appetite almost immediately.
Other indicators of disease are more difficult to detect in a group canine setting, such as individual water consumption, vomiting, diarrhoea, or a lack of bowel motions. Excessive water intake may indicate diabetes or another condition. If your Chis drink from a common bowl of fresh water, you may not notice this right away until you make it a routine to monitor their drinking habits.
A issue with a dog\’s gastrointestinal tract is obvious, but unless you witness the Chi puke or defecate, you won\’t know \”whodunit.\” Close monitoring is the only way to establish which dog did what.
Raising two puppies together.
If you think keeping two or more dogs in the house is a chore, imagine raising two puppies together. On the plus side, the pups will have a built-in playmate and will grow up learning a lot about bite inhibition from each other as well as what\’s fair and what\’s not.
They\’ll keep each other company, experience less separation anxiety from being separated from their mother, littermates, and breeder, and sleep in a puppy pile together—even when they\’re all grown up.On the negative side, your first-year costs will be high. According to some estimates, these first-year expenses can exceed $1,000 per puppy.
Then there\’s the problem of housetraining two puppies at once. This step often takes longer because it is difficult to detect which puppy is not following the training. Sometimes it appears that the puppies bond more intimately with one another than with you.
At times, both puppies are extremely needy, continually clamouring and wrestling for your attention. Then there\’s the matter of obedience and good-dog training. You will need to set aside time to train both puppies at the same time.
If you are introducing only one puppy to an existing older Chi, the older dog should already be trained, so you will only have one year of beginning training to go through.