Board & train
Board and train for Chihuahuas
The smallest dog is also the one with the most hands coming at it from above. Many Chihuahuas learn early that a growl or a quick snap makes the hand go away, and barking from behind your legs is the same lesson at a distance. Add house-training in a Calgary January and you have the three things owners ask us about. A program for a Chihuahua starts with safety and confidence, not with sit.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Confidence before commands
Safety first, then the slow work of making hands less frightening.
Management comes before any exercise. A Chihuahua who snaps when lifted is picked up from the side and from the floor, not scooped from above, and nobody is asked to hold still while the dog grabs. Children are not part of the training or the testing. If the dog has bitten, say so: dogs with bite histories are accepted into Behaviour Rehab after a full assessment, and a vet check to rule out pain is sensible alongside it.
Behaviour Rehab is built for the fear underneath the snapping: five to six weeks of individualized work on fear-based behaviour, confidence building and structured socialization, taken at the dog's pace. For the Chihuahua who barks at strangers but has never used its teeth, On-Leash Foundations covers loose-leash walking, place and working around everyday distractions in two weeks. A Chihuahua puppy fits Puppy Fundamentals, which meets new sights and sounds calmly during the window when new things are easiest to take in.
- Handling without the snap
- A bed that belongs to the dog
- Barking from behind your legs
- A toilet routine for winter
Back in your hands
Everyone in the house picks the dog up the same way, or not at all.
What transfers home from a Chihuahua program is mostly how people behave. The handover lesson covers how the dog is approached, lifted and set down, and every adult in the house does it the same way. The dog keeps its own bed and goes to it on cue, so the couch stops being something to defend. You keep rewarding the dog for choosing distance over teeth, and you never punish a growl, because a growl is the warning you want to keep.
House-training a dog that weighs less than your winter boots takes a routine you run, not one we ran: short, frequent trips out, a sheltered patch of yard kept clear, a coat if the dog shivers, and a crate the dog is comfortable in, which the welcome package's crate-training guide covers. Never delay a trip outside to wait for quiet. The method is in our Chihuahua training guide; the consultation recommends the program, and a shorter one is suggested whenever it is enough.
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
NE · 2-week board & train
On-Leash Foundations
If every walk is a wrestling match, pulling, barking, zig-zagging, this two-week program rebuilds the walk from the ground up with foundational on-leash obedience..
Includes handover lesson, follow-up session, lifetime support, slip lead + collar
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Will a Chihuahua board and train stop the snapping?
A program works on the fear underneath it, with management and safety in place from the first day, and nothing about a bite is promised away. Behaviour Rehab runs five to six weeks at $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST after a full assessment. Snapping that persists or escalates after training is a reason to reassess with a professional.
Is a board and train for a Chihuahua safe for such a small dog?
Everything is one-on-one, with no group classes, and socialization is structured rather than a free-for-all. Tools are matched to the individual dog, and the daily routine includes exercise, enrichment and individual care. The consultation is the place to ask how your dog in particular would be handled.
Which Chihuahua training program helps with barking at strangers?
On-Leash Foundations works on loose-leash walking, place and everyday distractions over two weeks, which covers the dog who barks at passers-by from behind your legs. Where the barking comes with lunging, hiding or snapping, Behaviour Rehab is the program built for that, assessment first. The consultation tells you which, and recommends the smaller program when it does the job.
Does a board and train take a Chihuahua that has bitten someone?
Yes, into Behaviour Rehab, after a full assessment. The assessment is where the history, the triggers and the handling are talked through, and the program is customized from there. Be straightforward about the bites; it changes how the dog is handled on the first day and keeps everyone safe.
Keep reading
Small dog, careful plan
Tell us when your Chihuahua snaps, barks or hides, and whether anyone has been bitten. Book a consultation and we will plan from there.
From real owners
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