chi

Question
have a 7 month old male chihuahua that does not listen to me when I call him. He runs away and hides under the table and chairs. Because he doesn't listen, I put him in his crate or I put him on the leash. I have to trap him in a room and sometimes I throw a towel on him. This take a long time catching him and it is frustrating at this point.What can I do to make him come to me without running away. Is it something wrong that I am doing and why is he doing that.


Answer
The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Neutering him if not already will help too.