Chiweenies are a cross-breed dog mix between the Chihuahua and the Dachshund. They are playful, loyal, and affectionate companion dogs. Do Chiweenies bark a lot? Yes, they do bark a lot. The Chihuahua and the Dachshund are both vocal breeds, and you can expect the Chiweenie to be the same.
In my opinion, the Dachshund is quieter than the Chihuahua, but it's a low bar to clear. Barking in of itself is not a bad thing. What most people dislike is when a dog seems to be constantly barking for no apparent reason. Barking is a dog's communication system. Unfortunately, it all sounds much the same to our ears.
The Chiweenies would make a good guard dog because of its alert nature, bravery, and readiness to bark loudly and relentlessly when intruders come around. Due to their small size, they will probably not be able to put up much of a fight, but they will undoubtedly make a big racket.
Smaller dogs tend to have higher-pitched barks, and the higher the pitch of the bark, the more annoying the bark can sound. The Chihuahua has a very annoying bark, but hopefully, the Chiweenies offspring will not sound as irritating. You can train your Chiweenie to bark less and more appropriately.
The training is called excessive bark training, which we will explain further in this article.
Why do Chiweenies bark a lot?
The reason the Chiweenie bark is the same as any dog; is to communicate something. That something could be positive, like being excited or happy, or negative, like being in pain or fearful. All these things need to be communicated and, therefore, should not be discouraged.
If your Chiweenie is barking because they are jealous or want to be the center of attention, then this behavior should be discouraged. I will explain below how to distinguish and train for both. Barking can be a completely different problem depending on the space available for the Chiweenie and the family they are a part of. The more space, the less of a problem barking can be.
Some of the reasons Chiweenies bark can be categorized as follows;
Health problems;
Your Chiweenie may bark more when they are in pain, are unwell, or have a dental issue. Barking more can be a sign of health problems if your dog is usually quiet. On the other hand, a Chiweenie prone to barking a lot and becoming unusually quiet is also a sign something could be wrong. Either way, it would probably be better to consult your veterinarian to get their opinion on this change in behavior.
Fear;
Fear is one of the biggest triggers for a barking response in dogs. The first thing a dog will do when they hear or see something unusual is to start barking. I often thought this doesn't make a lot of sense when a small dog starts barking at a bigger dog.
You would think they would want to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, but no, they start barking. This could be due to the fact they are pack animals, and they want to alert the rest of the pack that there is a threat. A lot of barking in dogs is fear-based such as when they hear a sound at night or get the sense an intruder is around the home.
Separation Anxiety;
Chiweenies are prone to suffering from separation anxiety and do not like to be left on their own for too long. Your Chiweenie will have no idea when you are likely to return and, therefore, may keep barking until you come to keep them company. Bare in mind that this barking can lead to tensions with your neighbors.
A dog's mental needs have to be considered as well, and being left alone with nothing to do can't be good. If you have to go out for some time, it would be sensible to leave a ball or two with your Chiweenie, maybe other toys, and also leave a radio on, so they feel less anxious.
Separation anxiety can also lead to night barking even when you are home because your dog feels they are being left alone. Your Chiweenie can also become very clingy if they are left alone for long periods.
Fight or Flight;
Chiweenies are pretty fearless dogs and will take on a bigger opponent than themselves, commonly known as small dog syndrome. They will bark when they are preparing to fight or decide it's better to run and fight another day. However, the bark a dog makes when they have been beaten in a fight is very different than any other bark they make. It is more of a yelp than a bark.
Alerting to possible Threats
Dogs will bark if they hear an intruder, a loud noise, or something out of the norm. Chiweenies tend to be more sensitive to unusual occurrences than other breeds. As a result, the Chiweenie tends to be more alert than lots of other dogs.
Excited;
Dogs can start barking when they get excited, either when they are playing or when they are anticipating something good is going to happen, such as going for a walk. Chiweenies are reasonable high-energy dogs and have certain exercise needs. A 30 minute walk every day is advised, but your dog may be so looking forward to their walk that they can't stop barking once they know it's about to happen.
Dogs can then associate going out with barking and start barking when there is even the slightest hint they might be going out. Barking can also occur when they think their food is being prepared.
Boredom:
Chiweenies can start barking and misbehaving out of boredom. They need a certain amount of physical activity every day. This can involve playtime and walks. When they don't get enough exercise, they can become destructive and bark a lot.
Territorial;
Dogs can bark to ward off other dogs and people from their territorial area. This is aimed primarily at other dogs. This type of barking is connected to fear and protection.
Attention seeking;
Your Chiweenie can bark just to get your attention because they are needy or jealous that your affection may be directed elsewhere. This is the most unnecessary barking for a dog, but at least there is a reason behind the barking. On the other hand, some dog barking can appear to have no expectation at all, and they are just doing it out of habit.
How to train your Chiweenie to stop barking?
As was said before, barking can be both positive and negative. Positive when communicating a message; 'I'm happy' or 'there is someone outside the house,' or negative when they are overdoing it, looking for attention, or just a bad habit.
Assess the problem before you start to apply some solutions. Ask yourself the following questions;
Why is my dog barking?
Are they barking too much?
Is the barking getting worse?
Are other people making comments about the barking?
Am I doing anything to prolong the barking?
Do I want to spend the time correcting this?
Does the barking stress me?
If the barking is getting worse and is affecting you, your dog, or the people around you, you will probably need to do something about it. You can seek the help of a behavioral professional through your veterinarian. They will probably give you a plan to help reduce the barking, and this may be your only option, but even in that case, the work will have to be done by you and your Chiweenie.
Once you have assessed the problem and decided to put in the time to rectify the situation, you can start carrying out the training needed. The training will involve trying to change the behavior of your dog and also your responses to that behavior, as well as the reaction of anyone else who looks after your dog.
Excessive barking training is the same as any other training of dogs. Reward the good behavior with positive reinforcement and 'punish' bad behavior by withdrawing positive reinforcement. The problem with excessive barking training is that it is hard to define what is good and what is bad behavior.
It will be difficult for your dog to tell the difference between good and bad behavior as it will be the same thing to them. Therefore, you must constantly determine what you want to allow your dog to do and what you want to prevent. In other words, you have to think three barks are good and seven barks are bad. This is not easy and very confusing for your dog to understand.
Chiweenies are not the easiest dog in the world to train and are known to be stubborn, but they will learn the same as any dog. Unfortunately, it may take a little longer with the Chiweenie.
Let's go through some scenarios to explain what to do.
Scenario 1
You live in a small house close to the road with people walking close to your window. Your Chiweenie keeps barking at the people going by the house. There could be one of two reasons your dog is barking so much. Firstly, they believe the people walking by are intruders and want to alert you and ward off the intruders. Secondly, they don't just want to ward off the intruder but want to get outside, meet them, and learn more about them.
How do we stop this constant barking? You can take your dog out of the situation by putting them in another room, but this won't solve the problem long term. You can tell your Chiweenie to stop, but words alone won't stop the behavior. So here's what to do.
When your dog starts barking, tell them to stop but only once, put on their lead and bring them to another room without any fuss. Do not talk or make eye contact. Wait for at least 10 minutes after they stop barking and return them to the room where they were barking.
Repeat this every time they continue to bark after you say stop. If they stop barking when you command stop, then reward them with attention, affection, and maybe a treat.
Scenario 2
The kids are playing, and your Chiweenie is very happy and excited, but they just won't stop barking. Use the same command but only once. To use a command without the action will make it ineffective. Put on their lead and take them away where they can't hear the kids playing. Your Chiweenie has to stop barking again for 10 minutes before they are allowed back.
Your ability to carry out this training will depend a lot on your willingness to put up with the behavior. If the barking doesn't bother you that much, you probably won't carry out the training, but if you really have to solve the problem, you are more likely to keep up with the very time-consuming method.
Again consistency is the name of the game. Do not give a command without action. Do not return to the play area until barking stops; reward only when they get it right. This will not solve the problem overnight, but hopefully, you will see improvements to encourage you to continue. Also, in this scenario, you have to ask yourself, do I really want to change this behavior, after all, the Chiweenie is only doing what comes naturally to them.
To Conclude
The Chiweenie is a high vocal barking dog mix breed from two high vocal purebred dogs. If you assess the situation with your Chiweenie barking and you want to fix it or at least make it more bearable, there are ways you can train your dog to bark less. Excessive barking training takes a lot of time and effort but should be worth it when you can see improvements in your dog's behavior.
The Chiweenie, as a cross breed dog is not eligible for registration with American Kennel Club but you can register with the International Designer Canine Registry and they are recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club, The Designer Breed Registry and The Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America.
