6 year old chihuahua

Question
I am currently on the first night of a three day trial period with a 6 year old
female, unspayed chihuahua. When her current owner left her here, she hid in
the corner and would not let me touch her without yelping and trying to bite
me. She was never this afraid when her owner was here. I have been able to
put a leash on her, and I have been trying to bring her everywhere in the
house that I go, to assure her that there is nothing to be afraid of. She now
sits on my lap when I sit on the floor beside her, however if I even try to pick
her up, she loses it, yelping and biting again. Is it fair to assume that this
process will only take time for her to warm up to me? Or is there something
deeper and firmly rooted in her uneasiness? I don't want to force her to be
my pet if she's not going to allow me to pick her up or play with her. It's fairly
disheartening. Thank you in advance for your assistance! :D

Answer
Hey, Lyndsay,

Dogs don't like to be picked up, particularly when they're in a fear-inducing situation (like in a strange environment). They like to have all four paws on the ground.

If she were my dog, I wouldn't sit on the floor beside her, and invite her into my lap where she could be cuddled, I'd lie on my back, and invite her to come up to my chest or tummy to be fed.

If she wouldn't play with me I'd also use bits of food as a "fetch toy," meaning I'd tease her with a juicy treat and then throw it a few feet away for her to chase. I'd also tease her with a treat then run away, encouraging her to chase me to get it. Things like that.

I'd also take her on walks and show interest in whatever she's doing in while we're walking. She sniffs something on the ground: "Oh, is that a good smell? Do you like that smell? What a great doggie you are! You're such a good sniffer!" Nonsense like that. It makes the dog feel connected emotionally.

I would also pay close attention to signs that anything I'm doing is making her nervous or uncomfortable, and back off from trying to "force" her to interact with me, and instead put myself in a position where she feels like doing so on her own. And I'd never scold her or punish her for biting.

I think if you try some of these things, your little trail-situation doggie may come around. I don't know if she'll do it within the 3-day time period, but for dogs, loving us is like gravity. It's an irresistible force of nature. With some dogs, it just takes a little time...

I hope this helps,

LCK