Most people assume that a dog that guards her resources – like food, bones, chews, toys, or stolen goods – is a very bad, dominant, aggressive dog. Precisely the opposite is usually true. Usually, and this is most obvious in a pack of dogs, the alpha Chihuahua doesn’t need to guard her resources from the other dogs. They know not to take anything away.
The submissive dog or puppy is the most likely candidate to display resource-guarding tendencies, which are natural dog behaviors and not deviant in any way. Why? Because she is the dog that is constantly getting her things taken away by the other dogs. She never gets to keep anything. So, when she does manage to capture a prize, she doesn’t want anyone to take it away – including you.
If the object being guarded is hers, leave her alone. Don’t take the chew, food, or toy away. In our society, we too often expect too much from our dogs. Think of it this way: Would you like it if someone in your family came up and yanked a book out of your hands? A steak off your plate? Or took your favorite jacket? No, of course you wouldn’t. It’s very much the same for our dogs.
There are times, however, when it is absolutely necessary to take an item away from your Chihuahua. To do so without getting bitten involves a trade. Find a delectable food item that your Chihuahua can’t resist and offer to swap your item for hers, holding the delicacy as close to her nose as possible. Usually, the Chihuahua will drop the item she has, and take your offering. Don’t forget to praise her!
Practicing the Swap
To prevent future confrontations over items your Chihuahua can’t have, practice offering tidbits of treat for toys that she doesn’t feel so possessive about, rewarding her with praise and giving her back her toy when the exercise is over. Your Chi needs to learn that if you take something away, she can trust you to give it back. Then, on those hopefully rare occasions when the item she is guarding is toxic, dangerous, or destructible, your Chi will trust you and will willingly swap the item for a treat.
If your Chihuahua is stealing a particular item, such as a sock, facial tissue, toilet paper, or a pillow, the easiest way to solve her resource guarding is to make the dog’s fetish item inaccessible to her at all times. Pick up the socks, close the door to the bathroom, and place the pillow in a closet. It’s really a small sacrifice that will help to avoid any confrontations with your Chi.
Feeding Solutions
The two most common issues that arise when feeding two or more Chihuahuas at the same time are arguments and giving each dog her proper portion. The easiest way to solve both problems is to feed each Chihuahua in her own crate. You might be able to separate the Chihuahuas by placing their bowls in different rooms; however, you may find that one dog (usually alpha) will go around the house, eating the other dogs’ food in addition to her own.
Feeding out of a community bowl may be okay for dogs that get along well; however, you’ll never know who is eating how much. Watching portion sizes and appetites of your individual dogs by feeding them separately enables you not only to prevent obesity but also to detect early warning signs of illness. One of the first symptoms of many diseases is loss of appetite.
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