Tiny Dogs, Big Problems: How Social Media Normalises Chihuahua Abuse

Abuse is defined as cruel, harmful, and improper treatment that results in harm. It is always sinister, never about the dog, but always about the abuser. Often, those who intentionally abuse animals have experienced abuse themselves, display psychopathic tendencies, or have never learned that all life has value.

However, abuse is not just about direct physical harm—it also includes the suffering endured by puppy-farmed dogs, neglect, rejection, and the use of dog discomfort for fun.

For Chihuahuas, this reality is especially harsh. As one of the smallest breeds in the world, they are vulnerable not just to physical abuse but also to the trauma caused by emotional neglect, unsafe handling, and social media trends that normalise mistreatment.

The Physical Abuse of Chihuahuas

For small dogs like Chihuahuas, physical abuse can manifest in ways that are often dismissed or ignored. It might mean being hit, hurt, thrown, or roughly handled. Recently, a distressing video circulated on social media showing a Chihuahua being spun around on someone’s finger, all for likes and shares. This is abuse, plain and simple.

Another common yet harmful practice is rubbing a dog’s nose in their wee as a misguided method of toilet training. This outdated and cruel technique causes confusion, fear, and emotional distress, rather than teaching the dog anything useful.

The Impact of Trauma on Chihuahuas

Trauma is more than just a bad experience—it changes a dog at a neurological level. It affects their expectations, their brain, and their nervous system. If trauma happens early enough in a Chihuahua’s life, it can impact their brain development permanently.

Trauma is created by a lack of safety, either from a single overwhelming event or from constant, insidious stress in an unsafe environment.

The nervous system and amygdala are the body’s front-line safety mechanisms, in both dogs and people. The amygdala, a small almond-shaped part of the brain, deals with danger, while the nervous system floods the body with signals to prepare for action. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body.

When a single traumatic event happens, the brain and body go into survival mode. The brain sends adrenaline to the limbs, preparing them for fight or flight. It also assesses the situation to decide the best way to stay safe.

Chihuahuas tend to choose flight unless they are on a lead or unable to escape, in which case they switch to fight.

Flight looks like trying to get away, running, or panicking to leave.
Fight is the yappy, shouty reaction. The dog is trying to create space around them because they desperately need it.
Freeze happens when neither fight nor flight works. The dog simply shuts down and waits it out.

During these moments, the dog’s nervous system, including the brain, is frantically responding to the environment and interpreting whether they are safe or not.

The Dangers of Emotional Shutdown

The vagal system, part of the nervous system, plays a big role in what happens next. When a dog is in fight or flight mode, they are in the sympathetic state of their nervous system. Their body is mobilised for action. If their attempt to create space works, they tend to calm down.

However, if the dog cannot control their environment and neither fight nor flight works, they shift into a different response—freeze. Freeze is a dorsal vagal reaction, meaning the dog has given up trying to stay safe and is simply waiting for the danger to pass. This is where we see emotional shutdown and the deeper effects of trauma.

It is so important to recognise the difference between a dog who is calm and a dog who has given in. Poor training methods often force dogs into submission, and trainers who don’t understand trauma mistakenly claim the dog has calmed down.

The difference between the two can literally shorten a dog’s life.

A calm and connected dog is in a healthy physiological state. Their body is resting and relaxed, their immune system is working as it should, and they are digesting food properly.
A dog who has given in is in a trauma state. Their body is filled with stress hormones, their immune system is compromised, and digestion is not functioning properly. They are neither fighting disease nor processing food effectively.

For bigger dogs, giving in might look like wearing a prong collar, enduring abuse, or experiencing fear-based training techniques.

For Chihuahuas, it can be as simple as being picked up when they are afraid of humans. Many people assume that because a Chihuahua is small, it should be handled frequently or restrained for safety, but in reality, this can be deeply traumatic.

Social Media: Normalising Chihuahua Abuse for Entertainment

The nature of social media and human behaviour has created a disturbing trend—abuse disguised as entertainment. Videos where dogs are pushed into aggressive, defensive responses for laughs are a clear example. Physically manipulating a small dog until they protest is another form of abuse, yet these videos attract thousands of likes and shares.

Chihuahuas, because of their size and perceived inability to cause serious harm, often bear the brunt of this mistreatment. Many people fail to see that what they are laughing at is actually an animal in distress.

A Chihuahua’s Right to Feel Safe

It is also important to remember that a dog gets to choose what they are scared of. We might know for sure that they are safe, but if they do not feel safe, their nervous system will react as if they are in danger.

Picture a tiny Chihuahua being held in someone’s arms while a stranger’s hand is pushed into their face. Do you think their nervous system is experiencing safety or danger?

If you said it depends on the dog, you are right—and that is exactly why we need to learn their language and step in to protect them when necessary.

Speaking Up for Chihuahuas

It’s time to change the narrative. Abuse, whether physical or emotional, should never be normalised, minimised, or accepted. Just because a Chihuahua is small does not mean their suffering is any less significant. If you see a video or practice that mistreats a dog, speak up, report it, and help educate others.

Chihuahuas trust us to care for them, protect them, and treat them with kindness. They deserve nothing less.

If you find this blog useful and want more Chihuahua tips - join my Facebook page here.