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Why does my sweet Lab snap at my Chihuahua over a mouse?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua (Long Coat) | Female | unspayed | 8 years and 8 months old | 11 lbs

I have 2 dogs a chihuahua who is 8 and a lab who is 7, they are both females. I have noticed some behavior changes in my lab who is normally sweet and gentle she likes to play fight with my chihuahua. Every time my chihuahua finds finds a mouse (she likes to act like a cat) in the carport she chases it around and tries to find it over and over again and for some reason this makes my lab snap at her (growing and pinning her down until I get to them and stop it). why is my lab acting this way?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on December 3rd, 2019

I'm not sure I completely understand the scenario but if the Chihuahua is getting really excited, it could be making the lab anxious and so she is lashing out. Some dogs do not like high excitement (it makes them anxious) and they will try to stop the source of the excitement. That being said, canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

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