chihuahua do

Question
my dog has always been very loving and alway needed attention now when you pet him his tail dosen't wail and he moves away and won't be bother with anyone. the vet says health wise he alright. but he hides under the bed and crawls out if you call him like he's afraid.

Answer
Hi Linda,

Thank you fopr writing to me about your Chi.

If your vet didn't do a thyroid panel, please have him run one. Changes in thyroid can effect emotion.

Do you know if your dog might have been abused by anyone or traumatized?  Dogs are naturally loving and it is odd that he would suddenly shy away from affection.

Also, you didn't mention his age..if he is a senior, he may be in pain and prefers not to be touched.

Sometimes when people don't understand dog psychology they may do something that effects their dog in a negative way.  They don't mean to do this but because of lack of information, the results can be upsetting and confusing to the dog.  For instance, never call your dog to you to scold or punish him...never use your hand to hit a dog..the hand must always mean love and affection and a dog will choose not to come if it thinks that there is something negative about to happen.  

Check back in the recent past and see if something might have happened that could have confused or frightened your dog.

When you call him to you, have a really special treat ready, like a piece of chicken or dried liver treat.  In this way he will anticipate something great when he arrives and it will encourage him to respond in a manner that you desire the next time around.

Best Regards,
Shelley Davis