Quote: Dale Stoneburg

The only problem I forsee is the doxie likes to chew. She chewed sraight through her color one night. And she gets plenty of chew toys!

You could spray the lead with Bitter Apple, that may discourage her from chewing.....

My Chihuahuas are all perfect, so I never have to correct them. ROFLMAO.
I use primarily verbal corrections with my Chi's, I can also clap my hands once or twice if they ignore verbal corrections, and if they are being reeaally hard headed I pick them up, give them the evil eye, and tell them BAD DOG.
They are pretty well behaved, but they still bark at my husband when he comes in the door (sigh).
I have one Chi who is very well behaved and I haven't said BAD DOG to her in a long time and she often grovels when I call her to put her in her crate. I think it's mostly a Chi trait. My Chi gang all does a very cute belly crawl in the mornings when they want attention. They learned it from Dude-who can alternate between a dying whimper (with grovel) at the slightest insult to bouncing bubbly joy in the next breath. They are Chi's, they're supposed to be odd.
I think they try to cultivate a love/hate relationship with their people.
So my advice for correcting Chi's is to use the lightest correction possible without damaging your relationship with the dog. Since they are so small I am very reluctant to do much in the way of leash corrections. If your corrections aren't changing the behavior do something different (such as the drag line mentioned earlier or tethering to you) so they can't mess up. Positive reinforcement works wonders. My dogs respond very well to verbal praise, and if I have the dried liver treats out I get pandemonium and they will do almost anything to get them.
If you do more positive reinforcement and praise than corrections you will get less groveling and belly.
Also, if any of my Chi's grovel I ask them to come up to my hand before I touch them, and then praise them when they are off their bellies.
I have one dog who will occasionally roll onto his back in a passive/resistant maneuver. I just pick him up anyway and put him in his crate (not as punishment, it's just time to go in the crate).

Adding to Debbie's point about Chi's and leash corrections; they are highly prone to tracheal collapse. Do NOT correct a Chi w/leash corrections, except if you could find a teeny tiny prong . I walk mine on a harness so he doesn't have a collar pushing on his neck. I actually scruff him when he's being the devil incarnate...which happens fairly often, and he cares not at all. Maddening little beast.

Some of what you're describing is typical, esp. the part about aggressively defending your girlfriend. Mine is the same way. I have to watch him when I'm pissy w/a guy (any guy). My bf has gotten nailed a few times...kinda deserved it b/c he was teasing him being fake mean to me. Your other issues sound related to his previous life. Mine is the furthest thing from submissive, but their "issues" can be more difficult to resolve than those of a large dog, but not impossible. Hang in there.

You're on the right track.

Edited to say I would not scruff my dog for anything but ridiculous aggression. Don't think I'm suggesting it for lying on the couch or other minor offenses. I don't want mine killed by another dog, although he deserves it, so I treat him like I would a big dog when he's being dog-aggressive. He will strike my GSD male for no reason other than he could reach him, and I won't tolerate it from the big ones, and I won't tolerate it from him.

Edited by Jenni Williams (01/06/2008 12:11 PM)
Edit reason: Need to clarify

assuming one has the tiny micro prong,and a light, thin line, leash corrections are fine, correct?
I think for both our cases, our chis are a bit on the large(ok way on the large) side.
Mine will(and has)fence fight a grown GSD, and for his own safety, i won't let him off leash around non pack members. But on walks, he is a little devil. There are 2 shepherds "guarding" a car lot behind my house, and when we walk past there, he is lunging and barking, he doesn't hear my verbal corrections. Obviously, i do give leash corrections, and he stops, for a while.
I don't want to hurt him, and realize he is frail, but unless mine gets a fairly harsh leash correction or a scruff, he is right back up doing it again.

does anyone have any ways they correct their chis?
(aside from the ways already given....)
bear in mind, mine is about 9 lbs, bigger than your average chi.

Well, if he's not too small for a micro prong (mine's only about 6lbs) at least that won't cause tracheal damage, since it's EVEN pressure. I have a heart attack when I see a bratty Chi on a choke chain. Mine will attack large dogs, too, but only those he knows and hates. He is fine and pleasant with strange dogs, as all my dogs are. You are right not to let him get away with it; it's so unfair when these little brats are behaving reprehensibly and don't get corrected b/c they're "too small," but a bigger dog would get a harsh correction for the same action.

 Quote: mallory kwiatkowski

assuming one has the tiny micro prong,and a light, thin line, leash corrections are fine, correct?
I think for both our cases, our chis are a bit on the large(ok way on the large) side.
Mine will(and has)fence fight a grown GSD, and for his own safety, i won't let him off leash around non pack members. But on walks, he is a little devil. There are 2 shepherds "guarding" a car lot behind my house, and when we walk past there, he is lunging and barking, he doesn't hear my verbal corrections. Obviously, i do give leash corrections, and he stops, for a while.
I don't want to hurt him, and realize he is frail, but unless mine gets a fairly harsh leash correction or a scruff, he is right back up doing it again.

does anyone have any ways they correct their chis?
(aside from the ways already given....)
bear in mind, mine is about 9 lbs, bigger than your average chi.

Distract him with yummy treats while you go past the distractions/big dogs. You just have to train him to ignore them, the same way the people with big dogs do.

Wow, tons of replies and much valuable information. Its good to learn I shouldnt be doing leash corrections, I will try with picking them up and intently saying NO. Seems many of us have chi's and share a few common problems, so if anyone wants to chime in on better ways to train them please keep us updated!

Anyone else chime in on some advice on how to solve these problems ? Just to reiterate, the chi is having the most and largest problems.

He wont come when called, even though he knows the command, he will occasionally but when he does its usually submissive crawling. He gets submissive ALOT, like when he is coming out of the kennel he is crawling, what should I do?

 Quote: Dale Stoneburg

Anyone else chime in on some advice on how to solve these problems ? Just to reiterate, the chi is having the most and largest problems.

He wont come when called, even though he knows the command, he will occasionally but when he does its usually submissive crawling. He gets submissive ALOT, like when he is coming out of the kennel he is crawling, what should I do?

Again, I would start over with the recall. It has gone awry.

I would pretend there was no recall trained yet, use a new word (come, maybe, or here, whichever was not the old word). I would train it motivationally - no corrections - on a long line. I would reel in the dog with no comment if he didn't come. I would NEVER call him during this teaching phase if there was a chance he would not comply and I could not reel him in..... because that makes the recall optional in his eyes.

I'd make the successful recall a big festival.

Did you read the marker article? I would set the marker (even for eye contact or sit..... make the marker valuable) with great treats. Then I would start 100% upbeat and short basic ob training sessions. Quit before either you or the dog gets frustrated or tired. Make training the funnest thing around. Make YOU the funnest thing around.

Was there mention of a dog-dog aggression problem? That would be something I'd march right past, not giving my dog any chance at all to even focus on the other dog.

I would start today with marker training..... confidence and a strengthened bond come out of upbeat motivational obedience training.

These are positive specific things you can do immediately. If the marker technique isn't clear, post back.

You can do this. You can make immediate changes in the way the dog and you interact.

Also, http://www.leerburg.com/302.htm
and
http://www.leerburg.com/308.htm
will show you in a way that no printed word can really do.

Still, the marker podcast or article will get you started!

 Quote: Dale Stoneburg

He wont come when called, even though he knows the command,

Then don't call him. He now knows that you calling him means nothing. You must (1) have him WANT to be called -- ears perk up, doggy smile, because calling him means GOOD STUFF; (2) reel him in if he does not comply so he knows that he will come no matter what. But if you do (1) right, then (2) is going to be infrequent.

Start over with that recall.