Adopting a doggy, how to test temperament on a small dog?

I went to the shelter this weekend to look for a small dog.. half of the dogs were chihuahuas or chi mixes! thats crazy. There were a few other small breeds but most of them were kinda old. So I guess my only choice for a small breed is a chihuahua. How do I test temperament on these crazy dogs? The shelter employees suggested I be careful because some of them tend to get nippy. Also they said they’re not good with children but its only me and my mom living at the house so maybe they’ll make a good pet. All of them were pretty hyper and barked. I left after I took a few notes and names. I’ll probably go back there in a couple days to choose the right dog. Any advice on how to choose? I know chis can get pretty crazy.

There are so many Chihuahua and Chihuahua mixes out there right now because they became a popular fad due to all the movie stars carrying them around in purses. The generally get a not so great reputation due to bad breeding and lack of training. Any dog can be “pretty crazy” if not trained right, and not to stereotype but many owners of Chihuahuas don’t bother training because their “so small” or the individual just got one as an accessory. Not all Chihuahuas are nippy if trained well, and though some tend to fair well with kids as they are so small and fragile I would not recommend having them around rough children, or with any child unsupervised.
My suggestion would be to speak to an employee at the shelter about what your looking for. These people work with these dogs every day and generally have a decent idea of each dog’s personality. You also generally have the option to take a dog your interested in to a different area to interact with him or her on a personal level to see how the two of you interact. Just find the one you love, and that you think will fit well with you. Remember if no one is just perfect to you, don’t feel pressured into adopting. There are other shelters, other rescues, and new dogs coming in every day. Wait until you find the right one.
Don’t be put off by the barking though, many dogs when put in a shelter environment tend to bark due to being in an area with many other dogs, being in a kennel most of the time, lack of exercise (shelters try their hardest buy sometimes you just can’t get everyone out as much as they need to be), lack of training, and just plain boredom.
Hope this helps you in picking out your new furry companion.

Congo on a hunting test 3 November 2007

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