I've never had a dog in my life, but I'm looking at chihuahuas

[AgingDisgracefullyHere]

I have never been a dog person. I am generally mildly afraid of them or just a big anxious. If a dog doesn't want to jump on me and lick me then I can get used to it and come to really like it.

But I have always kinda liked chihuahuas. I used to joke that it was because they're not really like dogs, but I do understand they're very much dogs. Even the yappy aggressive ones I've encountered haven't upset me because I know they can't jump up and get me. I have met some really lovely ones, too. A couple who right off the bat wanted to sit in my lap calmly and be stroked.

I live alone in a flat and I've wanted a cuddly pet for a while. I have considered cats and small dogs. I have experience with cats.

But I keep thinking about getting a small dog and chihuahuas really appeal to me.

I have promised myself not to get anything this year - I don't want to rush. But I look at chihuahuas online all the time and read about them. I do worry about having the patience and experience to properly train and socialise a dog. I also worry about health problems and how to find a good, healthy dog.

Has anyone else gotten a chi as their first dog?
Does anyone have some good ideas for getting more real world information about them? Are there other small breeds I might consider?

you can lift a chihuahua if there are other dogs you’re not sure about. I can’t do that with my retriever.

puppy classes op, my sister who has a chihuahua is a dog trainer, she has 30 years of experience with dogs and trains all sorts of dogs but the best thing you can do is find a good positive and experienced trainer who runs puppy classes. it’s hard work owning a dog, not sure I’d want one in a flat as a puppy though but people do.

@AgingDisgracefullyHere you're obviously giving this lots of thought. Could you maybe get involved with Borrow My Doggy, just to build your confidence around other dogs. Honestly, we looked after a friend's GSD puppy on an off for a bit and it really helped in terms of knowing how to handle other dogs approaching, some boisterous dogs saying hello can look a bit much if you are slightly anxious. Most people are actually lovely and will ask if it's OK for the dogs to say hello etc, but there are some dicks.

I was in a similar situation to you in never having had a dog as an adult, and having a dog & the idea of having a dog are entirely different things. If you have the time and resources it's definitely worth it (and shoutout to The Doghouse for the epic support for my frequently stupid questions), but if you're not going to rush anyway, maybe get some extra hands on experience.

I love chihuahuas but my Mum's is yappy and can be aggressive too.
I think it would be unfair to have one in a flat as they are yappy and would disturb the other residents- well Mum's one would !

Would you consider a Maltipoo ?

Yes being able to lift it away from danger is a plus and I'd be able to do that in my neighbourhood where they're all almost entirely on leads. In the park there's soooo many dogs, many off lead, and the paths make everyone have to pass by close. I never see toy dogs there - smallest about the size of Jack Russell terriers - so I imagine other people have the same concerns.

I would enjoy having a reason to have to go out more. I remember my neighbour in Argyll walking her lab in utterly filthy weather and she said it was a good thing she had to do it. Her husband worked away on the platforms in the north sea for weeks at a time and we were very remote. The two daily walks were just something she had to do and she benefitted from it.

Once big enough, I would imagine opting to taking the stairs to the 4th floor would add to the exercise we'd get.

But I would not like to have to do long walks daily or have a dog that expected to run and chase off lead.

I am a bit leary of the designer dogs like "doodlepoo" kind of things.

I have looked at Bichon frisé as a possibility, as well. But not in as much depth. Short hair chihuahuas just melt me heart.

Yes being able to lift it away from danger is a plus and I'd be able to do that in my neighbourhood where they're all almost entirely on leads.

You do NOT EVER pick a dog up away from danger. EVER. It is the number one thing that any competent dog owner knows not to do. Even though instincts tell you to, you do not do it. When that relates to other dogs, it is for two reasons: 1) if the other dog has a grip on your dog, they will likely latch on and cause more damage and 2) you will get hurt. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.

If the dog is being friendly and jumping up, it will just wind the other dog up even more. Again, more likely to result in injury.

This is the last comment I am going to make because you are ignoring all the rationale people telling you this is a terrible idea.

Agree with PP that you MUST NOT pick dogs up in a fight or attack scenario!!

It's stupid and dangerous and also goes back to babying handbag sized dogs and all the issues that brings with their behaviour, creating anxiety and it is absolutely not giving a dog what it actually needs, which is to be a dog and not an accessory or dolly to be dressed or carried.

If you decide on a chi then contact the breed club to find out what health tests parents should have before breeding and to find decent breeders.
I wouldn’t have one myself. Generally every single one we meet (with only a couple of exceptions) are barky and aggressive little buggers who want to rip the face off my hounds. How much of that is breeding and how much is socialising I don’t know.
No dog should be peeing on a puppy pad in the house. They need to go outside. And all dogs need a chance to run and sniff about.

I know you had reason for not a cat, but have you looked into breeds like a Birman or Ragdoll? My Birman is super friendly, loves a cuddle and also comes out for walks on a harness and lead (not a safe breed to be allowed out unsupervised). My husband has severe allergies to regular cats but no symptoms at all with Birmans. I think they are sometimes referred to as a dog in a cat’s body.

That's a good point about not picking up the dog.

I am looking at trainers and behaviour classes for puppies. Would they be a good idea for learning the right way to do things from the start?

Davilshands, I'm not ignoring anyone. I am not about to bring home a dog. I'm just looking for information. But telling me that I shouldn't have a dog/should get a cat just sounds like gatekeeping.

People in flats have happy, well
-behaved dogs. Quite a lot of people have happy chihuahuas in flats. If I decide that I should get a small dog I would want to do everything possible to get it right.

When I take my dogs for a walk, I find it’s the little dogs such as chihuahuas that are snappy and snarly. I often think that if these were dogs were larger, there’ll be huge outcry. Not all the small dogs I encounter are like this, but I rarely get snarled at by anything larger.

Sorry, not what you want to hear, but they are not born cuddly.

I like cats but I have some reservations about having one for a pet and I've been thinking about that separately.

One star love dog. Wouldn't do it.

I think they're probably very affectionate at home with their owners, but I don't think they're often comfortable in public.

I think people don't take their aggression seriously so they're not trained right. I have a lot of research to do regarding how proper training is done.

If a doberman growls and snarls, people respect it as they should! When people just laugh at the toy dog, the poor thing never feels like its boundaries are respected. And of course it's easy to not worry if your dog is a growling shit when you're not worried it's going to kill someone.

I don't think they're more likely to be aggressive by nature - I think it's probably the owners.

You need a garden for a dog, to let it out to wee in the night etc. A flat is really unsuitable. Are you even allowed a dog there? They are really so much hassle, have such an impact on your life, can be very expensive. I'm in a flat and it would be very difficult to manage. I do have 3 guinea pigs inside in a large c&c enclosure which are fantastic. Cuddly and friendly. Perfect to have in a flat.

My limited experience is they are quite yappy. I'd look very carefully at the parents to make sure they are chilled out. Also agree it's got to be treated like dog and socialised on walks to deal with approaching dogs like any other dog. They are cute though. Small dogs are a good intro to dogs as if everything goes wrong you can just scoop them up and with treat from most situations. Until your dog gets middle age spread and they resemble the moog!

I've not RTFT but have you considered how dog ownership will bring you into contact more with other dog owners?

Your dog will need to go out into the park and socialise with other dogs - you can't keep them in solitary confinement. Other dog owners will assume that, as a dog owner, you also like dogs. They will therefore be much more willing to allow their dog to come over and say hello - and occasionally young dogs will forget their manners and jump up. I once met a young Rhodesian Ridgeback that decided to dart between my legs - it nearly lifted me off the ground!

If your dog picks up that you're scared, then you run the risk of creating, from scratch, a dog that is nervous of or even reactive towards larger dogs. I didn't think it was possible - in fact I'd heard it was a myth - and then I managed to inadvertently give my dog a rather unusual fear... of something I didn't even think I was scared of!

Davilshands, I'm not ignoring anyone. I am not about to bring home a dog. I'm just looking for information. But telling me that I shouldn't have a dog/should get a cat just sounds like gatekeeping.

I think people don't take their aggression seriously so they're not trained right. I have a lot of research to do regarding how proper training is done.

People who are saying it's a bad idea are genuinely not trying to gatekeep or be harsh, we're trying to spare you a world of pain. A dog is not the right fit - not because you live in a flat but because you are scared of dogs and will never be able to give any dog you own the socialisation and training and, therefore, the life it deserves.

It's a recipe for disaster. Great that you're doing the research...but people that are nervous of dogs have no business owning dogs. It makes for reactive, neurotic, aggressive, unbalanced and unhappy dogs.

Don't inflict that on a dog.

So much dog elitism in here, you don't NEED to socialise a dog beyond having it see and ignore other dogs. If you socialise a dog and you mean letting it meet and play with other dogs, something is going to go wrong and your dog will have a negative experience WAY more powerful than any positive sniffs you acquired that way. A dog should be taught to ignore not engage. It's also a chihuahua, you pick it up if a big dog runs up to it because one day the wrong dog will run up to it and they're far too delicate.

I have spaniels that my husband keeps as working gundogs and he always has, never gone out of our way to socialise them and when they're working they ignore other dogs, on a lead they ignore other dogs and if some wrongly socialised dog comes up wanting to play they ignore those too.

OP get a dog if you want one, you say you work from home and assuming that's not likely to change and you can afford a dog sitter on the chance it has separation anxiety and you want to go out I don't see any reason you shouldn't. Lots of dog owners like acting like they have an exotic species that needs 5 million walks a day and a degree in dog behaviour but you want a toy dog not a working breed. Would maybe look at something less neurotic than a chi though, I had a lhasa apso growing up and it was a lovely calm dog in the home.

Mum's long haired chihuahua thinks that he's a Rottweiller much bigger dog and will go for other dogs when out.

I'm not scared of dogs - just uneasy when a big one runs up to me. Like if I'm walking down the tow path and there are dogs running around and coming in my direction I think "I hope they're well behaved." I'd rather they not touch me until I get to know them. But I can certainly be around them. I don't try get away from them.

I've always liked puppies of any breed and any adult dog that doesn't invade my space is fine by me. But I don't like them to jump up on me, lick me, or sniff my crotch.

Don't get a cat. Horrible things.

If you want a dog, check you have the ti.e and committment, can afford insurance and if all good get one.

I have a Chihuahua. He is lovely, cuddly and not yappy at all. Small poop to pick up, quickly house trained and very easy to keep on check.

rainymays that's what I was thinking. I may have a toy dog that's trained to be calm but I don't trust other dog owners.

From what I have been reading, this is a concern for a lot of chihuahua owners. They worry about other dogs. I never see unleashed dogs in my neighbourhood and I would hope that I could train a dog to behave civilly when it sees another dog. But I don't know how that works.

But other than passing other dogs on leashes in the town centre I don't know if they'd be around other dogs much? Is that necessary? I don't know that much about it obviously.

Isn't a bit strange when someone says they'd like a dog and several cat lovers suggest a cat 🤔 🙄 odd.

I’m in my 50s and love dogs. Except chihuahuas. I’ve only been bitten by a dog once and that was a chihuahua. Sorry but I think they are like yappy rats. But each to their own.