Chihuahua owners - are you constantly terrified of your dog being killed?

[DannyOD]

I have had a couple of hair-raising experiences when larger dogs have chased and terrified my dog and if I hadn't been there to grab her I dread to think what the outcome would have been. There has also been a couple of stories in our local paper lately of chi's being mauled to death whilst out on walks. I have resorted to pavement walking to keep her safe and me sane but I feel sorry that she doesn't get the chance to run free except in our garden.

I have a 10 month old staff, she incredibly friendly and well socialised (I wanted to keep her as far away from the stereotype as possible and she doesn't even bark lol). She loves to play and would never intentionally hurt another dog. I do worry about her hurting little dogs but she seems quite aware of her size when playing and is quite gentle (she's a lump especially when she wants a cuddle) we have a cat as well who's not a big fan of rough playing so I think that's taught her to tone it down a bit.

My sil is a dog sitter and looks after her when I'm at work and has had no problems with her being to rough with the littler dogs which have included a dachshund x and a chi x. Sil said those 2 didn't like anyone but each other, in fairness the chi x didn't like mine but she became the dachshund x's only other friend .

I have 3 tiny dogs - very breakable - and I take them out to quiet areas to let them off the lead. Then they can run around and play.

I have also been the owner of bouncy dogs in the past and know they are just having fun, but my dogs are so tiny that they can be hurt very easily. A lot of the owners of these dogs don't understand that.

I just want a quiet life without arguing with other dogs owners and so I go out to unpopulated foot path walks and let mine run there. Because I have 3, they all play with each other.

It is a very different world from normal sized dog owning!

Earlier in the week someone's Chi was killed by a couple of dogs in Crystal Palace park and the offending owner just legged it.
Left the other owner stranded.

That's awful and gives all of the breed a bad name and personally I'm yet to meet a nasty staffie. Completely irresponsible ownership and the owner of those dogs should be prosecuted completely! Why people let aggressive dogs off the lead (whatever the breed) I'll never understand

The staffy that attacked my dog is apparently very friendly , I'm sure he is with some dogs , my issue was that I had to risk getting bitten to literally pick my dog out of the fight whilst she just stood by hitting hers with a plastic ball thrower but basically unable to do anything . When I had picked mine up hers was jumping up me trying to grab his legs and she still couldn't do anything about him , eventually she just sat on him as in the melee she had pulled off his harness .

Sadly one of our family dogs did meet an unkind end. He was a gorgeous black and tan mini chi and would challenge any other dog to a duel. One day the wrong dog got on to our property. Sad day.

But I should add that I worry about this with my mid size dog now. There's always a big dog unleashed somewhere it seems ams I'm frequently going over in my mind how I'd get between my sweet pooch and any attacker!

I saw that story in my local paper MarcoPoloCX. It terrified me and unfortunately is one of a few similar ones I have seen over recent months. There are also a some people locally who have sight hounds they use for 'lamping' and these dogs recently attacked and killed a chi x out for a walk. 😞

There is a chi that walks offlead in our local dog field and it terrifies me that it is running around with all the big dogs like our lab, one wrong foot or tumble on top of it and it would be seriously hurt, but its owner says its ok because he is quick.

Our --twat of a- neighbour has a rescue staffy cross which isn't very dog friendly and he recently told us his daughter and bf were walking it offlead and it had chased, picked up and shaken an offlead chi which was running away from it. He thought it was funny.

Chi's aren't my kind of dog (too small), but if I did have one I wouldn't walk it anywhere near other dogs due to the risks.

I have the issue in reverse, I worry so much that my dogs might hurt a smaller do, if 1 goes the other 2 follow. I got that worried I brought them very bright high vis coats that have 'keep your dogs away'. Lots of dog owners know the yellow dog thing but you get the odd knob head with their dog off lead & not taking a blind bit of notice of what their dogs are doing or where it is, I'm the 1 that gets the extremely discussed looks of 'what the hell r u doing bringing a dog like that here'. I need to b able to socialize them or they'll get worse!!

I have 2 medium size dogs and them getting attacked worries me every walk we do, I don't enjoy walking them as much as I should and I feel relieved when they are back on the lead and we are heading back home. When I was a teenager we went to a friends house with my Mum's little dog. Their toddler aged grandson opened the door letting their foster larger dog out he went straight for the neck and before we had realised what was happening the dog was dead. Until I got my own dogs I hadn't realized how much it affect me, it was just so quick and I have never got over it. With my dogs there is this horrible Alsatian (don't hate alsatians but this one is nasty). I saw it ahead so recalled my dog who was just investigating a little bit of woodland a head of me on the side of the path. She recalled instantly to me but unfortunately straight down the path past this dog and even though it was on a lead the owner couldn't control it and the dog went to grab my dog round the neck luckily mine managed to get away. The same dog has attacked other dogs, run up to horses and jumped up and bitten them while riders are on the back and even growled and looked like it might bite humans who are just walking past. Owner doesn't even apologise and refuses to muzzle the dog. I have to admit I would be put off by a chi as they are just so fragile. The number of times mine have fallen off the sofa or something which could be leathal for such a little dog. One of mine has a huge skill of getting under your feet too and I trip over him at least once a day if he was a chi he wouldn't be alive now.

I have a very small elderly Yorkshire Terrier who weights 1.9kg. As hilarious as it was watching her chase an Irish wolf johns in our local park, I no longer let her off the lead. She was a rescue and isn't well socialised - I worry that one day she'll snap at the wrong dog.

My goodness. Weighs and hound that should be.

I have 2 Chis and two other dogs. We live rurally but the Chis are always on lead if we are out and if we see a dog off lead, I will pick them up. They get plenty of off lead play in our secure field with the other dogs especially our lab x who is amazingly gentle with them.

My big American bulldog is terrified of small dogs! But I can see how it would be a worry, I would be terrified if I had such a teeny dog.

I have greyhounds and have only ever had one I would have let play with a chi. Even then, I'd have called a halt immediately if it got too exciting. The size difference is just an accident waiting to happen.

I would say that if you know any calm, large dogs yours would enjoy walking peacefully with, then I'd seek them out regularly.
If your dog becomes scared, then aggressive towards larger dogs it could invite much more trouble.

I think all shapes and sizes of dogs are lovely and would be devastated if one of mine hurt someone's pet.

Our neighbour has a border collie cross who is lovely and calm with my chi. It is so nice to see them play together. We also regularly meet another long haired chi on our walk who is absolutely terrified of mine!!!