Living With The Little People

I’m not sure what it is that attracted me to the Chihuahua as a breed. I certainly wouldn’t have listed them in my top ten several years ago. In fact I thought of them as psychotic rats on a lead, ankle biters and little evil dogs. I even remember saying, “I would never own one of those psychotic little creatures.”

One day I met a little white Chihuahua named Julio. He was just what I had always thought a Chihuahua was. He refused to walk on a lead. In fact if you put the stinker on the floor he would climb his owner’s leg like a fire pole. If you put your hand down to block him he then climbed your arm to the desired position, sitting on the shoulder. On his first day of classes with me he attacked two dogs and then bit me. Needless to say he stayed after class that first night to go over new household rules. The next week he was quiet and attentive in class, the week following that he walked in proudly next to his beaming owner. A changed dog, he had gone from spoiled rotten to a proud happy dog.

Then we had the tiniest little dog come in. Socrates. He weighed in at a whole 1.5 pounds when I met him. His vet said he wouldn’t live and that it would be waste to invest in training. Socrates loved his training classes and excelled, plus he has had a fantastic life during the past five years and still loves learning new things.



I personally have always preferred to train Labs, Pit bulls, Catahoulas and other large breed dogs. Just what is it about these little dogs? Was it the neotanized eyes, head and noses? Is it that they are all different and known to be feisty, but loving to their owners? Or is it the fact that they are known as hard to train to the point that some trainers won’t touch them? I was under the spell of these little creatures who’s owners many times anthropomorphizing them so much that I thought of them (the owners) as a bit off.

At one point in my career I stumbled on the fact that little dogs just had to be trained a little different. A ton of patience, extremely short sessions and it had to be a ton of fun for the dog. I had to get a small dog to learn from. I then acquired little Quihi, who turned out to be a very sickly but loving dog. She wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for but I was madly in love with this doe eyed little dog that seemed to wrap everyone she met around her dew claw. Then I understood how easy it was to anthropomorphous or put human emotion/characteristics to these little creatures. She has a way of rolling her eyes at you when you ‘ask’ (that’s right, ASK) her to do something. She snorts in disgust, and has a way of looking at her dinner as if to say, “So, what is this slop you’re serving today?” Oh my gosh! I’m now one of ‘those’ dog owners whom I've always labeled as a bit off. Then it got worse! I got a second one.

Enter Pitiful Pearle, Quihi’s new partner in crime. At first Quihi wanted nothing to do with the bald little black dog with demodectic mange we were going to foster. In fact the first night she sat on the couch and howled a mournful long song. As if she was saying good bye to her old life. Pearle is the opposite of Quihi, she attacked my beloved Hondo (Catahoula) her first night, then the next night attacked me. I called the agency I fostered her from and gave them a report of my concerns. They just said that she was in the right place and they were confident that we would be just fine. Pearle is a smart cookie who loves to learn. A dog trainer’s dream, so after seeing some behavior problems and some fear issues I found myself in love again. We kept her. Now I have two little people in the house. Yes, that is what we call them. Unlike the other dogs they have a way of making me stop and say, “No, that did not just happen.” They both give eye rolls and snorts, now Quihi even shakes her head yes and no. I kid you not! Is it that she understands me or have I conditioned her? Truthfully she has been conditioned to shake her head yes or no. Just as Pearle has been conditioned to lick her lips when I ask is something is yummy. It is just that Chihuahuas learn quickly when they want their way. Laughter is also a great reward for the little one. They have bigger than life personalities and are highly trainable when they think it is their idea. They even have a way of training us to do their bid and calling. That however is another topic, another day.

I do however find myself asking, “Did that just happen? Nah, just my imagination” On more than one occasion I have left to go to work, got in the car and started to back out of the drive when I realize I’ve left something. Upon returning to the house I find the two little people in odd frozen positions. One will be ready to leap from the couch to the dining room table while the other I halfway on the coffee table. Frozen in time, not moving a muscle it is like time has stopped. As I run in and grab whatever I left they stay in the frozen position giving me the creeps. I usually run out and then after about 30 seconds open the door really fast to find them curled up on the couch looking at me as if I woke them from a long nap. Now, I definitely am one of those Chihuahua owners. Oh well, all I can say is that they play hard, love harder and can give really dirty looks when not pleased with you. They bring much joy, and laughter at the end of a long day training dogs and they have taught me a ton of techniques on training the smaller breeds. Huge personalities in those tiny little bodies make up for a life time of love and laughter. I wouldn't have it any other way.