Picking Up Your Chihuahua

It’s easy to fall into the habit of picking up your chihuahua all the time. They’re small, after all, so it feels natural to scoop them up—whether it’s to pop them in the car, get them ready for a walk, stop them from pestering the delivery person, or place them on the vet’s table. We often do it without thinking. But have you ever stopped to consider how they might feel about it?

Victoria Stilwell puts it well when she says:
“Small dogs are often physically managed and manipulated against their will simply because of their size. This can create frustration in a dog and a distrust of hands reaching for him. This can result in an aggressive display by the dog when he or she feels invaded.”

When you suggest that a chihuahua might not enjoy being picked up all the time, many owners feel hurt, as though they’re being told their dog doesn’t love them.

That’s not it at all. It’s about autonomy—letting your dog have some say in what happens to them. Constantly lifting them without giving them a choice can make them anxious or frustrated, which is why some dogs snap or growl when hands reach for them. Even if your dog doesn’t react that way, it doesn’t automatically mean they’re OK with it.

How Dogs Communicate

Dogs can’t tell us how they’re feeling with words, so we must watch their body language. Some signals are subtle and easy to miss, like a little yawn or stiff body posture. Others, like growling or snapping, are much more obvious.

This progression is often called the “ladder of communication,” but some people refer to it as the “ladder of aggression,” which sounds unnecessarily harsh. Either way, the idea is the same: dogs have a series of ways to say, “I’m not comfortable with this.”

Dr Anita from Behavet highlights an important, additional first step on the ladder: “does nothing.” This means the dog appears still or calm but is feeling unsure or uneasy. It’s easy to misread this as them being fine, but it’s often an early sign of discomfort. Including this step reminds us how important it is to notice subtle signs, rather than assuming silence equals consent.

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Consent-Based Handling

The idea behind consent-based handling is simple: if your chihuahua isn’t actively asking to be picked up or handled, they probably don’t want it. When we say, “actively asking,” this could mean putting their paws on you, moving towards you, or stepping into their harness on their own. If they’re lying on the sofa and you reach out to pet them, do they move towards your hand or just stay still? If they stay still, it might mean they’re tolerating the interaction rather than enjoying it.

By paying attention to these cues, you’re letting your dog have a bit more control over their environment. When a dog feels, they don’t have to brace themselves for sudden handling, they tend to be calmer and more relaxed overall. It’s about building trust.

Luring Isn’t Consent

Many dogs love food, and chihuahuas are no exception. Our chihuahua Minnie would do almost anything for a treat, even if it meant putting herself in a situation she didn’t like. But using food to lure a dog into something they wouldn’t normally tolerate creates conflict for them.

For example, if a stranger offers a treat, your dog might let them pet them because they want the food more than they dislike the situation. However, their anxiety hasn’t gone away, and they might end the interaction growling or snapping.

Just to be clear this is an example; I would never allow anyone in the street to touch or feed my dogs.

Using food this way isn’t the same as true consent. It’s better to work on helping your dog feel genuinely comfortable in different situations rather than relying on treats to push them through it.

Arlo doesn’t like putting on his harness, I could lure him into it, but I want him to be Ok with it, so I might sit on the floor with his harness and wait for him to come to me. He might pad the floor, run up and down the stairs before he approaches, he then may move away again. It might mean we don’t get out for a walk that day so instead we will just play some games in the garden.

Training and Respecting Boundaries

When you’re training your chihuahua or working on behaviour modification, always give them the option to walk away from the game if they’re not comfortable. Actively rewarding them for choosing to disengage builds trust and makes training something they’ll enjoy.

Here’s a challenge

For the next couple of weeks, stop picking up your chihuahua, this includes petting or dressing your dog unless they come to you. Even if your chihuahua hops on your lap, don’t pet or fuss over them unless they clearly ask for it. Then stop after two or three strokes. If they want more, they’ll let you know with a nudge or paw touch. If they don’t, respect that.

Take some time to really watch your chihuahua’s body language. You might notice things you hadn’t picked up on before. A yawn or lip-lick maybe stiffness. Ask yourself, who is this interaction for, you or the dog?

When You Have to Handle Them

Of course, there will be times when picking up your chihuahua can’t be avoided, like at the vet, during grooming, or if they’re in danger. In these situations, you must do what’s necessary, but you can still work on consent-based handling in the background. Over time, this can make those unavoidable moments less stressful for both of you.

By giving your chihuahua more choice and control, you’ll help them feel safer and more at ease. Handling them shouldn’t be something they dread—it should be something they trust you to do thoughtfully.