How to Get my Chihuahua to be More Active? (10 answers)

colette: How to get my Chihuahua to be a little bit more active?
I have a four-year-old Chihuahua that's always been kind of lazy. She doesn't enjoy taking walks (she would rather sit next to the blueberry bushes and smell the leaves), and she doesn't really like playing with any dog toy.

So far I've had some luck with a squeaky rubber ball which I tossed around and she actually chased after, but after a couple of days, she got bored of it. So I bought those clear-colored Nylabones that are supposed to be chicken and liver flavored and gave them to her. She sniffed it for maybe 5 seconds and then she completely ignored it!

How can I get her to be more active? I'm worried that It will affect her health if she just lies in the sun napping all day long. She is only four years old and she does not have any health problems, as her vet told me.

How can I get her up and moving?

Photo Credit: Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kate M
What about a playmate, a little active playmate? I would recommend you go to the local shelter and get her a little playmate and make her move. Good luck.

Answer by Shari H
Maybe you could get another Chi to be her playmate?

Our almost 4 yr old Chi was getting lazy and wanted to just find the sun to lie in, to be warm. We were able to rescue a smaller Applehead Chi who has turned our older dog into a puppy again. I can't believe how much they run and play together, since the jealousy thing has passed.

Our dog was no. 1 for all these years and didn't want to share her 'Daddy' with another dog to also sleep with Daddy too. Now they play tug of war, with hubbies old sox. And they also play the game with our older dogs dolls and other toys. They tear around the apt. and outside until they get exhausted. They are more fun to watch than the TV even. The new puppy is the best medicine we could have found for our older Chi.

If you can't consider another dog, maybe you could start giving vitamins and finding a more nutritious dog food that might pep her up a bit. Our older Chi knew how to retrieve and spin around to entertain us and we didn't teach her. She was really slowing down until we got the other dog. Now she's happier than we've seen her in a long time. So your dogs' diet could definitely be lacking.

She's not that old to be so sluggish. We changed our dogs' food to Pet Promise for adult dogs and she started having more energy than "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul". She is a nibbler and only goes nuts for chicken. But we don't want to get her hung up on that, since it's not that nutritious for her long term.

Answer by Steve P
- If your dog starts to play with its toy or chew on it, then take it away from them and start playing with them. They will be more engaged in the game as they will want the toy back from you now.
- Be patient with your dog and don't force them into playing games. This will only teach them that they shouldn't play when someone else wants to play. You should let them know that you want to play too and they should come over to you through games like fetch or a tug-of-war game.

Answer by anonym in la
Tie a steak to a rope and dangle it from a bike. That'll get her running.

Answer by Brenda G
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk this little dog. Make her do it, and don't let her make the decision that she doesn't want to walk. She needs to be "stimulated" and exercised. When walking, don't let her sniff and go to the potty. Make her walk, walk, walk. Of course, you have to build up her tolerance to exercise very slowly, as she must be out of shape if she doesn't exercise very much. It will affect her health if she lies in the sun all day (with me...who doesn't like to...walk, walk, walk either)! So I foster dogs, and then I HAVE to walk because THEY have to be walked.

Rumble Video: Chihuahua puppy successfully retrieves ball

Answer by maryann
1. Feed your chihuahua at least three times a day to prevent them from overeating and gaining weight.
2. Exercise your chihuahua for about 15 minutes a day, but if they can't take it anymore, let them have a break.

Answer by Alex36
Playing with your dog:
Playing Fetch: This game is a favorite of dogs and humans alike. The object of the game is to get your chihuahua to fetch a toy or other object that you have thrown for them. Start by throwing the toy and making it easy for them to catch it. As they catch on, increase the distance between you and the toy as well as the height from which you throw it. You can also make up your own fetch games by throwing different objects such as balls, sticks, or socks from different distances and heights.

Get a Dog Walker:
Dogs naturally love going on walks, but if they are too tired, then they won’t be active afterward either. If you don't have time to walk your dog yourself, you can always hire a dog walker!

Also Read:

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• Should I Get a German Shepherd if I Have a Chihuahua?

Answer by Clode
- The first thing you need to do is make sure your chihuahua gets enough exercise every day. They only need about 10-20 minutes of exercise per day to stay healthy and happy. Take them on walks or let them play outside in your backyard for a little while each day!

- You should also feed them healthy food that will help keep them feeling satisfied. Foods like carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, squash, apples are all great options because they help provide essential nutrients that are hard to come by in an average diet.

Answer by Mac
You can take him to a trainer in your locality and he will make her active within a few days. Or you can give her some toys to make her active.
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