? about a new member of family

[gilster]

hello all, i have a few questions regarding my new pet, it is a chihuahua mix, and we just got her today, she is about 16 weeks old. we also have a shih tzu mix that is also female and i live with my wife and two children 7 and 5, both boys. it took me about 8 months for my shih tzu mix to be fully potty trained and accept me as the alpha. with this chihuahua, she is really scared all the time, and i can't seem to gain her trust. is there anyhing i can do in particular to gain the trust and not have her "ltail between her legs?

thanks.

[cinnamon]

Hi, I think your chi needs time to understand that she has a new house and a new family

[gilster]

thanks,
well, today seems better, i can feel her behind me, i ignore her and go about my business, when i walk to do something, and she happens to be in front of me, she will scurry away, she lets me pick her up once in a while and that is when i show Dixie all the lovin'. I hope she will warm up soon so we all can enjoy each other.

[Jessie]

Awww. I've never had that problem... my 3 chis were always friendly and loving from the day I brought them home.

Was your baby abused in her past home? She may just have a trust issue.

[gilster]

she was not abused, but the person that i got her from said she was never handled and loved, just given food and stayed outdoors with the mom, she is getting better day by day and hopefully she will be 100% trusting to us.

[2Chiwawa]

Hi and welcome to Club Chi. I think you are doing the best for Dixie. Patience and gentle hands will do the trick. Let her come to you like you said rather than reaching for her and she will learn to trust you.

Does Dixie have a place she can retreat to when she is frightened? My new chi Happy did well because he knew he could rest in his crate with the door open if he felt uncertain when he first arrived. With kids and another dog in the house there is a lot going on. I am sure there are times that she will prefer to watch everyone from a distance.

I also used lots of tiny pieces of treats whenever I introduce Happy to something new such as wearing his harness for the first few times.

Please let us know how it goes and we would love to see pictures of Dixie.

[gilster]

thanks for the reply and yes, she does have a crate that she likes to sleep in during the night, i put it near our bed and she sleeps in there, during the day, she has the crate in the dining room. she also does usually watch us from a distance. she likes the big dog bed and just lays there and watches us while my other dog is by us. i want to so bad start training, but the trust issue gets in the way. i try to take her out with a harness as often as i can, but again, she just sits there. ( that was a good idea to try to give her treats to get use to the harness, but she still won't eat out of my hand.) At least she doesn't seem to afraid anymore, especially when i go down to the floor level. She is a big 'fraidy cat when the family walks around though. My wife is getting impatient with her, but i keep reminding her that our shih tzu mix was not like this now overnight. it took me and my shih tzu (Roxy) a while to get to know each other and to gain her trust. Roxy is now fully potty trained at 1 year and 3 months and is very obedient. i hope Dixie will work out and my wife stop comparing Dixie to Roxy.

Thanks.:flower:

[Romans Mom]

Welcome to Club Chihuahua. :) When I got Roman, the breeder told me he wouldn't be himself for about 4 days. Although loving, he was quiet, and I could see him observing us. I told my husband that the breeder was wrong because he was a sweet little puppy who didn't need time to fit in to his new surrounding, that he took to us right away. We were extremely gentle and soft spoken to him, lots of baby talk. Then WHAM, it's like he woke up, and took over like a little Tazmanian devil, well, he tried. He was a nut full of energy. LOL Elle has stayed on the shy, quiet side, but she sure can cut loose too. Chihuahuas have their own traits apart from other breeds, so Dixie will never act like Roxy, your shih tzu. A fun quick-read book, full of information, is Chihuahua For Dummies. I learned a lot about Roman's personality by reading this, and it's also tell of basic first aid, medical needs, grooming, feeding, potty training, and games and fun tricks--everything you need. I called it my ''Roman manual'' because I had never had a Chihuahua and wanted to do everything as right as I could from day one.


Like cinnimon and Faye said, just take it slow and step by step and treats. They love that part! :D Chihuahua love to learn, and love the interaction during the training when done properly. Since Chihuahuas are companion dogs, they want to please you. She needs more time than a day, week or two, or even more than a month, and then to be loved for who she is, and it sounds like you're on the right track. :flower:

PS Children don't always know they have to be extra gentle and quiet around small dogs, so it's good to make sure they are always like this.

Congratulations on getting your little Dixie, and know we're here for you when you have questions. :flower:

[gilster]

thanks, i'll keep you guys posted on her progress and will post pics soon.