Chihuahuas are one of the breeds that are so loyal and attached to the owners. I found them being intelligent, devoted, lively, alert, courageous, and quick. So, if you want your small pup to follow you everywhere, you can get a Chihuahua.
So, do you know why Chihuahuas attach to one person? Well, Chihuahuas are most commonly known to be attached and clingy towards one person and reject new people or strangers. Generally, Chi pups become more inclined to people whom they find more in sync with their own personality and temperament.
Have you ever wondered why your Chi is behaving in a weird manner? Have you tried to discover the reasons? I have brought out some facts about such behavior that should be your concern.
why are chihuahuas so attached to their owners?
I have come across many dog lovers who often like to talk about how their doggies follow them everywhere. Especially, if you own a Chihuahua you might have wondered if Chihuahuas get attached to one person.
Have you ever tried to figure out why your Chihuahua feels the need to follow you so closely? Also, do you know why Chihuahuas are clingy to one person?
Well, from what I have observed, it is very common for Chihuahuas to get attached to the owner due to their nature. Usually, the Chihuahuas seem to have a special talent for this type of behavior.
They pick or select their favorite person for several reasons and tend to be clingy to them. It might look like an idiosyncratic trait of Chi puppies to designate a favorite human.
Sometimes it can be only due to behavioral traits whereas at times it can be a sign of discomfort or problems faced by your pup. So, it is important to know why your Chi behaves so.
Are Chihuahuas Really Velcro Dog Breed?
There can be several reasons for which the Chihuahuas get attached to one person. One of which is the fact that it’s a Velcro-like dog breed. A Velcro dog is a dog that wants to be by its owner’s side at all times.
You will find that the most common symptoms of Velcro dog syndrome are very evident in Chihuahua.
Symptoms Of A Velcro Chihuahua
# Will follow you everywhere you go: The Chi’s can be very demanding of your attention due to their behavior. Also, if you continue to hug or pat the Chi pup every single time it draws your attention.
# The first and foremost need is to be with you all the time: Oftentimes, when the Chihuahuas face aging-related issues like disabilities in hearing or in vision, they want to stay by the owner’s side for comfort.
# Watching every move that you make: If your puppy doesn’t get enough mental and physical exercise, it can often get boring and want to cling to its favorite person.
# Predicting what you will do and reacting before they should: Sometimes, your Chi might face separation anxiety. Thus, they always feel the need to make you feel their presence.
# Becoming extra clingy when you move to a new place: If your dog hasn’t seen you for days or if you move to a new place, it might think that it will get separated from you.
How do Chihuahuas choose their person?
You might be wondering about how Chihuahuas choose their person. Generally, Chihuahuas are known to get close to only one person and often reject new people.
So, if your doggie is more inclined to you, it means that you and your Chi sync with each other’s personalities. Because the Chihuahua pups select their favorite person as the one who has a similar personality.
For example, Chi dogs with high energy are more likely to bond with a high energy person. If you are your Chi’s favorite, then they will prefer to cuddle with you and will often follow you around the house.
Also, if you allow yourself to spend more time with your doggo and give it proper attention, it’s likely that you can become it’s favorite as well.
4 Common Possible Reasons: Why Do Chihuahuas Get Attached To One Person?
I think you often find your Chihuahua clingy. Dogs, especially ones like Chihuahua have evolved to be extremely in-sync with their owners. And your clingy Chihuahua likes to pay attention to you and complete any task that you give them.
Reason 1: Do Chihuahuas Feel Strong Bond With One Person?
Have you wondered why your furry Chihuahua feels more bonding towards a particular person? Well, there can be several reasons for your Chi puppy to feel a strong bond with one person. Some of the reasons might be:
- They follow you around because they prefer your company.
- Your Chihuahua thinks that you two are of similar personalities, and feels a strong bond with you.
- Your Chihuahua feels safer around you.
- Your Chihuahua feels a sense of support and assurance from you.
- Your puppy treats you like his/her alpha person and feels the need to follow your steps strongly.
Reason 2: Is It A Breed Trait Of Chihuahuas To Get In-sync with their owners?
Chihuahuas generally prefer to be around the person they treat as their favorite. And if you are that one person, then surely your Chi feels more comfortable and safe around you.
Besides, your Chihuahua feels a connection towards you and tries to be at your call every single time.
Your Chi has a habit of getting in sync with the leader, which means, it follows you as if you are its Alpha man. Many times, if your Chi pup isn’t socialized from an early age, it can only behave clingy towards the owner or favorite person and can become aggressive towards others.
So it is important to know why your furry Chi is behaving so.
Reason 3: Do Chihuahuas Feel Safer With One Special Person?
Dog breeds like Chihuahuas have very strong instincts to move and operate with their perceived pack. Moreover, your Chihuahuas feel strong bonds with their special friends or special humans they chose.
So, I think It’s something that you should consider as a great compliment.
This is a form of love and respect to you and I suspect that in doing so, they also feel safer. The Chi dogs have a sense of giving support to their special person. It shows a kind of mutual protection between you and your furry friend. Also, having the feeling of being safe and protected.
Reason 4: Do Chihuahuas Enjoy Human Companionship More?
Generally, you’ll find your Chihuahuas being more close to a particular person. And sometimes, you’ll find them behaving aggressively towards the rest of the family members as well as strangers.
I have always found Chihuahuas as a breed that is playful, intelligent, and deeply affectionate and likes to cuddle with their humans.
This means that your Chihuahua enjoys his or her companionship with you being a human. They will follow you around, try to grab your attention, will be alert to always stay at your beck and call.
All you need to do is to show your love to these little buddies and cuddle them, hug them and pay attention to them.
6 Other Possible Reasons: Why Does Your Chihuahua Attach To You So Closely?
You must know that breeds like Chihuahuas are often associated as “one-person dogs,”. But rather than being a breed specialty, it has more to do with the way you grow it up.
For example, many times, you’ll find that the Chihuahuas get attached to one person. Poorly trained and unsocialized toy dogs may be more prone to aggressive behaviors towards others and only attach to you so closely.
So it is important for you to know the reason and causes of its behavior. Here are some important facts that you might find interesting:
Reason 5: Does Your Chihuahua Want Attention?
If your furry little Chi always wants your attention, that primarily states that you are its favorite person. But, sometimes, there can be more to it. For example, your Chihuahua might be facing some problem which can be physical or mental, and wants to find comfort from you.
Because they feel safer around you and think that you’ll be able to help them in soothing their problem. I have discovered a lot of cases, where the Chihuahuas become more attention-seeking when they age and face aging-related problems.
Especially, disabilities in vision and hearing can make them more dependent and attention-seeking.
Reason 6: Does Your Chihuahua Try To Tell You Something?
Oftentimes, the reason your Ch’s clingy behavior can be due to the fact that it wants to tell you something. For example, separation anxiety is often a reason for such behavior of your dog.
Lack of Confidence or Anxiety
Your Chi dogs rely on your social presence because they’re actually nervous about being alone. This might also be a symptom of separation anxiety according to some studies as per what I have found. So, basically, your Chi puppy doesn’t want you to leave from his or her sight because it is afraid that you’ll disappear.
Watch your dog’s body language and try to determine if his/her shadowing behavior is motivated by fear of the unknown or some causes that might have triggered or purely due to the desire to be near you.
An anxious dog may display pinned ears, wide eyes, grimaced panting, or increased tension as you get ready to leave. Dogs who are actually anxious might not be willing to eat a treat or play with a toy while you leave the room.
Reason 7: Reinforcement: Are You the “The Bringer of Good Things” To Your Chihuahua Pup?
Oftentimes, your Chihuahua may follow you around because it considers you as “The Bringer of Good Things”. Especially, if you regularly engage with your Chi in a positive way, then your dog is probably just following you because to your Chi, you’re a good person to be around.
Also, know that Chihuahuas are known for their intelligence and your Chi puppy certainly can understand your affection.
Well, I think, you should consider this a positive side if your puppy seems cheerful while being so awfully clingy. Because it only shows how much attached your Chihuahua is to you and depends on you.
Reason 8: Does Your Chihuahua See You As A Source Of Positivity?
Many times, I have found that Chihuahua puppies tend to be more playful, joyous, and happy when they are around their owner. The reason is, your Chi sees you as a source of positivity. With you around, it feels reassured and confident.
Also, your Chihuahua thinks that you are his/her wingman and would leave no effort to help it if needed. This is why you are treated as a source of positivity and assurance.
So, you should treat your Chi with warmth and a positive attitude to make it feel more comfortable and relaxed around you.
Reason 9: Does Your Chihuahua’s Personality Click When You Are With Her?
If your Chihuahua’s personality clicks when you are with him/her, it definitely means that you are his/her favorite one. It also means that your Chihuahua has grown more attached to you compared to others and you are it’s chosen favorite.
You already probably know that in most cases, Chihuahuas tend to be clingy with its owner. And because of having similar temperament and personalities, the bond is usually created between your Chi and you.
Reason 10: Did Your Chihuahua Come From A Shelter?
If your Chi is from a shelter then there might be some serious issues that are leading to such behavior of it. I have studied that, many times, dogs from shelters can behave differently due to severe emotional baggage. Such as:
- Anxiety: Especially separation anxiety, is one of the most common behavioral issues with shelter dogs due to facing traumatic experiences.
- Aggression toward people & pets: Your Chi probably can show many different types of aggression, from territorial aggression to fear aggression to social aggression. This is very common among pups from shelters.
- Resource guarding: Resource guarding arises when your dogs fear that they’ll lose something valuable to them. In many instances, it’s a response to past traumas that your dog might have suffered.
- Destructive behavior: A certain degree of chewing is natural in your Chihuahua. But when it elevates to the level of, say, eating a couch, then there’s a problem.
- Housetraining regression: Many shelter dogs experience house training regression and can probably show weird behaviors due to this.
- Poor social skills: You Chihuahua probably doesn’t know how to interact with other dogs, especially upon first meeting. Usually, there are two reasons:
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- Limited exposure
- Lack of positive experiences
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- Leash reactivity & barrier-related aggression: Your dog doesn’t like to be under leash and can show aggression.
- Constant whining: There are legitimate reasons for which your dogs whine. They can’t talk to you, so it’s just one of their many tools to communicate their needs.
6 Ways to Reduce Your Chihuahua’s Clinginess
Your little Chihuahua can become clingy and attached to you due to several reasons. But if you can treat it properly, you can treat its clinginess. There are some ways that can help you make your Chihuahua less clingy:
# Desensitize Your Chihuahua to Your Movements
If your Chihuahua reacts every time you do a movement, then you should desensitize your dog to your movements by practicing getting up and doing something mundane. Repeat this behavior until your Chi doesn’t give a reaction anymore. In this way, your Chi might still watch you, but he/she won’t feel the need to check on every single thing you do.
# Teach Certain Commands To Your Chihuahua
Try to work on the stay command to stop your Chihuahua from following you around. When you’re in the kitchen or bathroom teach your dog to stay at a distance. Try to start with brief distances and move further away gradually.
Give your dog a lot of praise when they can follow up. Those rewards will let your Chi know that staying is the best choice possible, and it’ll be more likely to repeat that behavior later on.
# Play Games Distance Games With Your Chihuahua Pup
Try to play different types of games, like nose work games, hide and seek, fetch, etc. Also, chew toys can be a great choice because they will allow your Chi to focus on something.
If you’re looking for a really simple way to keep your Chihuahua busy for a bit try stuffing some food into Kong and giving it to your dog. Giving your Chi dog something to do, it shows them that they can have fun and relax, even if you’re not right by their side.
# Teach Your Chihuahua Dog To Go to Their Special Place
You can try using your Chi’s bed or mat to create a special place. Then, train your Chi to go to that area on a certain command. Reward your Chi when it goes there.
Also, try to add some toys or treats, something that will make the Chihuahuas want to stay there. I suggest you put some long-lasting dog toys or a stuffed Kong toy because they are good at creating distractions while you’re up and about.
# Add More Physical Activity to Your Chihuahuas Routine
You probably have heard that a ‘tired dog is a good dog’. If your Chi has enough energy to follow you around everywhere chances are it could use some extra exercise.
But, if your Chi puppy has had enough physical activity then it’s much more likely to sleep and relax at home. You can even leave its side and it might not even notice due to being tired. You can try to walk or run your dog every day for starters.
# Add More Mental Stimulation to Your Chihuahuas Routine
Your Chihuahuas thrives on meaningful play and activities. So, you can try adding more mental stimulation to their routine. It’s a good practice to keep their brains active as much as their body.
I suggest some basic obedience training, agility, nose work, hide and seek, playing tug, and learning new tricks. Or you can come up with your own stimulation plan as well. Know that, it’s good to tire your dog mentally.
# Give Toys That Encourage Your Chihuahua To Independent Play
If you are home but can’t stay focused on your Chi, or for when you have to leave the house, you can try this. The more your Chihuahua plays with the toys, the more it realizes that it can have fun even without its owner right nearby.
You can try different types of toys and see which one your Chi likes the best and work more on it. It might help your Chi become independent as well!
#Encourage Your Chihuahua To Explore
You can take your Chihuahua to see the world and help it have more experiences and interact with various elements. It can help in reducing your puppy’s clingy behavior.
Your dog starts to realize more about its surroundings and can overcome the fear of going out. For starters, try taking your Chi to your nearby park, to the restaurant, or with you when it’s suitable. I believe different types of experiences will allow your Chi to be more social and independent.
# Take Note of your Verbal and Non-verbal Cues
Sometimes, you might be unknowingly encouraging the clingy behavior of your mutt. Your Chihuahua is highly aware of all your emotions, the tone in which you speak with it, and even your body language. So basically, you can’t really hide anything from your dog.
So, giving more affection and attention towards your pup won’t help it get rid of the clingy behavior. Try to let it become accustomed to your commands and allow it to realize that it can’t be clingy all the time.
# React or Proact The Right Way To Your Chihuahua’s Excessively Clingy Behavior
While it is really important to behave nicely and love your Chi, it’s also important to avoid an unhealthy attachment. Thus, it is best to ignore excessive clingy behavior either when it’s non-stop, or when it occurs at a time that you need to focus elsewhere.
If you give in every time your dog clings to you, then you are doing it the wrong way. So, try to instead direct your dog’s attention elsewhere. You can do this by giving a quick, friendly pat but then lead your Chi to a toy or activity. You can call him over to snuggle up later when you have time to do so.
Over To You
Did you find any fact that you found useful? Which one of these facts do you think has helped you the most? As there can be various reasons for your Chihuahua to behave clingily, I believe my article will help you figure out your Chi doggie’s behavior.
So, which parts among these were you already aware of? And which one was completely new to you? If you also have tried many different means to solve your Chihuahua’s clinginess problem, please let me know in the comment section below.
If you find this article helpful, don’t forget to like and share it with your pet lover friends as it might also help them. If you have any recommendations or suggestions to add to this article, please do let me know as well. I’ll love to hear from you!
Further Readings:
Other Dog Breeds’ Behavior & Training Related Topics
1. Why Is My Border Collie So Clingy?
2. Why Do Dachshunds Dig So Much?
3. Why Does My Cane Corso Howl?
4. Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Make Good Service Dogs?
5. Can Pit Bulls Jump Over Fences?
6. Why Does Your Dalmatian Smile?
7. Why Does Your Dalmatian Bark So Much?
