You’ve made up your mind. You’ve got your heart set on an adorable Chihuahua. But now you’ve got to make the last important decision. Do you get a boy or a girl?
See, unlike a lot of breeds, there’s actually a pretty big difference when you’re talking about the difference in Chihuahua temperament male vs female. So knowing what you’re getting, especially with such a characterful and strong-willed breed, is essential.
Chihuahua Temperament Male Vs Female
While it’s true that all dogs have individual personalities, there are definite trends in how they act. So, let’s learn what the differences between male and female chihuahua temperaments are.
Male Chihuahua Personality Traits
Strangely enough, male chihuahuas tend to be more loyal and affectionate than females. If asked, I’m sure most people would say it was the other way around. So, if you’re looking for a dog that’s going to lavish you with attention and constantly follow you around the house, maybe consider a male.
However, just because they’re more loyal and loving doesn’t mean there aren’t things you need to know about male Chihuahuas. Things like:
Dominance
A male is more likely to challenge your leadership, including ignoring commands, getting more aggressive when you go near ‘his things’ like toys or his bed, and just a general lack of respect.
Marking
It’s a fact of life when you own a dog. Sometimes they like to ‘mark’ their territory, or spray a tiny bit of pee against things, for the uninitiated. This is far more common with the unspayed male Chihuahua.
Humping
Whilst it’s not just males that hump, and even though it’s not only a sexual thing, male Chihuahuas will hump things a lot more than females.
Chasing Females
Female dogs in heat can be picked up by other dogs from up to 3 miles away. That means most of the time you won’t even realize why your dog is getting antsy.
If you have a male then when he comes of age, (around 6 months old) expect him to react like this. If there are any female dogs in the area, expect him to know.
Female Chihuahua Behavior
Conversely,female Chihuahuas are a lot calmer than males, and they’re more likely to relax and take it easy, especially around their owners. So, if you’re interested in a little lap dog that you can take everywhere with you, you’re going to want a female.
The fact that they’re calmer also makes females better in apartments and smaller houses because they’re less likely to get irritated about being cooped up inside with you.
There’s one major thing to think about when deciding whether to get a female Chihuahua.
Mood Swings
Pretty much every breed of dog shows mood swings. This is especially true when females go into heat. With female Chihuahuas, there’s less to worry about than there is with big dogs, but it can drastically change the mood of your dog.
It’s just something to bear in mind. Even the most gentle, well behaved, and a tolerant dog can get edgy and irritable when they go into heat.
General Factors That Affect the Temperament of a Chihuahua
There are a few things to consider about general temperament of a Chihuahua, too. Most of these things are concerned with the way the dog is raised, rather than anything gender based. However, it’s still an important consideration, especially if you’re worried about the temperament of your dog.
The First Few Weeks
How a puppy is socialized and handled in the first few weeks of their life can make a big difference in how they grow up.
Genetics
While genetics aren’t the be all and end all of a dog’s personality, it is a deciding factor. After all, that’s why certain breeds have reputations for aggression. Because there’s potential for aggression there.
How a Dog is Treated
Every dog, like every person, has the potential for positive and negative personality traits. If a dog is treated badly, expect them to become anxious or aggressive. Also, if a dog is treated well, with a loving family and stable environment, then expect them to be calm and loving.
How to choose a gender for your Chihuahua
When you make the jump and decide to bring a Chihuahua into your home, remember that most of the above issues can be fixed by choosing to neuter or spay your dog.
At the end of the day, any dog, whether male or female, can be a fantastic addition to your family, and you shouldn’t worry about whether the choice of sex is going to make a major difference with you and your dog. The only exception to this is when you already have a dog and you’re making the choice to get a second one.
Choosing a sex when introducing a second dog to the home
If you already have one dog, then choosing a sex for the second dog can be a little more complicated. There are points to consider about whether to go for two dogs of the same sex or go for different sexes.
Having two dogs of the same sex can cause dominance problems, which can lead to your dogs not getting along, and possibly even fighting. However, if there is a large age difference between the dogs, the older ones will almost always be more dominant.
Choosing instead to have two dogs of different sexes can cause issues when the female comes into heat if you choose to leave them unneutered or unspayed.
The best judge for how to proceed is to think back to your dog’s previous experiences with other dogs. Do they seem to have a problem with males or females in particular? Have they been aggressive in the past?
Chihuahuas generally get along with other dogs and aren’t known for causing problems. So honestly, this isn’t a major consideration, but it’s definitely something that you should think about.
When you’re choosing a Chihuahua, the main thing that matters is lavishing them with love and affection. Chihuahuas are a beautiful breed and can make a fantastic addition to any family. When it comes to Chihuahua temperament male vs female can make a difference, but how you treat your dog is always the deciding factor.
My chihuahua was a present for my daughters birthday because she had always wanted one and I choose a boy but I wish I didn’t the dog is called Elvis and is cute and cuddly but very messy Elvis has a thing that if we order a takeaway he has to have some today he ate my daughters lunch and dinner so we went to Sainsburys and bought a pizza and he still had some and his mouth is a funny shape sometimes we think he thinks he’s a human like last night he came in and got in and and got in the cover
Uhhh that’s not an Elivis thing….that’s a you not saying no to your dog, thing. I have a boy chihuahua and they are hard to say no to and train but if you are consistent they train just like any other dog. You do HAVE to give them attention, though. Or they WILL act out.
Do male chihuahua need to get fixed he is 4 mo old will this calm them down any and will it hurt for him to eat dry cat food
Hi Doris. While letting your dog eat a little cat food is no big deal, I would not make a habit out of feeding him it. This is because cats and dogs require different levels of nutrients. Giving him food formulated for cats could give him too much of some nutrients and too little of others. I would just stick to dog food. Good luck with your buddy!
I have recently got a six year old male unaltered chi. He is very quiet and submissive. He is my only dog. Do I need to get him neutered
Yes!!!
Hi Doris, Sarah, Momma, I have a male chi and I was having a bit of a dominance issue with him until I did what I would do with any other breed. That is to pick him up just as you would any time you cuddle, but especially straight after his naughty/,Not wanted behaviour as I picked him up I turned him straight onto his back in one motion and held him tightly just so he couldn’t riggle out or upright, gently hold his legs in one hand even if it’s only the front and tell him or her “no, stop,” I keep my voice calm gentle but firm and tell him that that behaviour what ever it is is not acceptable and as in time out hold him/her in that position for a minute or so depending on how much riggling they are doing which is why I keep my conversation going as it calms them as they focus on your voice this is how my conversation would go with my chi ” no max! Not nice we don’t do …. , I know you don’t like this but you need to stop ….., I’m not hurting you. I am counting to 5, 12345, ok now you can go down but remember no ….” As we know chi’s are so intelligent and learn quickly. I haven’t hurt him I haven’t frightened him or shouted. In just 2 of these hold he stopped biting my feet, I have stopped him trying to put his head in my food too. It is a easy way to gain your dominance over your chi as well which is at the bottom of his bad behavour wgen doing something he shouldn’t do repeatedly showing that he’s in control. Sorry if it’s a bit long winded but I thought it may help some who have a chi who is a bit more demanding c
I have a male and female Chihuahua the male chihuahua during the time he was in heat he would hump our cats but now that he’s fixed he no longer goes after our cats but we have an older dog and he likes to go after the older dog and we don’t know why he likes to start fights with the older dog
I have a chi and a jap chin chi is cobsessed with chin I took chi out for an outing got back chi started to cry trying to get in the house so he could be with my chin they are always together
My male 3 yr old toy chi has a crusty patch on inside lobe of ear.heathy happy, could it be a yeast infection, food allergies? Using witch hazel and zinc oxide.
I have had my male chihuahua for 2.5 years I recently got a female chihuahua who is 9 weeks old and he’s very jealous of her and I try to spend equal time with them and he doesn’t want anything to do with her how do I get them Acquainted With each other so they don’t fight she doesn’t growl or bark but he will lunge at her he’s never done this before with my cat