If Napoleon had never been born, than it would be called the Chihuahua complex instead of the Napoleonic complex. This complex is when a short or small member of a species overcompensates for their lack of height with an incredibly domineering, aggressive set of behaviors. Almost everything on the planet is bigger than a Chihuahua. Sooner or later, your Chihuahua will exhibit Chihuahua problem behaviors.



One of the most common is aggression. This is incredibly serious and should never be ignored. Your Chihuahua can be legally destroyed if he or she attacks livestock, other pets or people. Although a little dog, their bites are big. Chihuahuas were bred to be guard dogs, so they usually will approach strangers warily. You need to let them know they can relax and let you make the decisions of who to attack and who to leave alone. When your Chihuahua looks to you to make these decisions like puppies look to their mothers, then you have a more relaxed and calmer dog.

When a dog is scared, hyperactive or angry they will be aggressive. This is when the dog bares his or her teeth at you or growls. These are warning signs before the teeth sink into your skin. When a dog has ears flattened and tail wagging, they are scared and are prone to bite.

This paranoia and their guarding instinct will produce an aggressive dog, unless you teach your Chihuahua that they can relax their guard because you are the pack leader and can handle any and all threatening situations. If your Chihuahua is biting, then you need the help of a professional dog trainer.

Until the biting problem is solved, your Chihuahua will have to wear a muzzle every time he or she interacts with the public or with other dogs. Your Chihuahua, although small, has an incredibly powerful bite.

Make sure your Chihuahua is not being overfed ? this can lead to hyperactivity, which leads to barking and aggression. Also, make sure your Chihuahua gets regular daily exercise. Remember ? a tired Chihuahua is a good Chihuahua. Since they are so small, they don't need hikes in the woods. Also, get your dog neutered. This will help your dog trainer considerably in dealing with your Chihuahua problem behaviors.

When your Chihuahua is relaxed and lets you be the top dog, they will also bark less. Dog training books can help you get your dog to bark less. Remember ? your dog thinks barking is helping you out. But Chihuahuas are intelligent enough to adjust.

Only as a last resort should you "de-bark" your Chihuahua (where the vocal chords are snipped.)