Instructions
Eat before feeding the chihuahua. In dog packs, the member who eats first is the leader. Feeding a chihuahua first tells it that it is in charge. Instead, have a snack or eat your meal before putting down the chihuahua̵7;s food.
Poke the chihuahua or otherwise push it off your lap if it climbs on uninvited. While this behavior looks cute on such a small dog, it is actually a type of dominance display. After the chihuahua looks appropriately submissive, with its head down, its ears back and its tail held low, invite it back on your lap.
Walk through doors in front of the chihuahua. Pack leaders walk through doors before subordinate members, and while this is a small thing, it allows your chihuahua to get the hint that you are the boss.
Push the chihuahua back when it bumps into you and tell it ̶0;no̶1; in a stern voice. Shoving and bumping are ways that pack leaders push submissive dogs around, and even if the small dog is not moving you at all, that is the intent of this action.
Take your chihuahua out for walks, and praise it when it goes past other dogs without aggressive barking. When it starts barking or lunging, pull it up short on the leash while saying "no" in a loud clear voice. This shows the chihuahua that dominant behavior toward strange situations is not acceptable.
How to Live with a Dominant Chihuahua
Chihuahuas make excellent pets because their small size allows them to live easily in small locations. While they eat less than larger dogs and take up less space, they have similar instincts, and it is possible for a chihuahua to decide that it is the dominant member of a pack. If your chihuahua has started to express dominant behaviors, like loud barking, climbing up in your lap uninvited or aggression, it is important to halt these behaviors. Living with your chihuahua is considerably safer and more comfortable once the small dog̵7;s aggression has been curbed.