If he does NOT sit when you command, he gets NO food. Only after he obeys the "Sit" and then "Okay" command, he then eats. This is MOST vital... Food is the basis of "who is leader". The LEADER supplies the food. NEVER allow him to eat if he is growling at you.
5.
ANY time that you take him for a walk, YOU must walk as a pack does.. YOU must be in the lead. This means that you must walk ahead of him or have him walk beside you. He must NOT be allowed to be in front of you. YOU must decide where he is allowed to stop and sniff....
If HE stops to explore something, tug on the leash (have him on a harness so that he does not become injured with collapsed trachea, etc). He may mark, but ONLY 1 time. Any other time, you must take charge and continue walking. On harness and leash, he will not be able to ignore your lead.
6. Never, ever give him ANY food from your plate or the dinner table.
7.
Whenever you leave a room that he is in, when you come back into that room, COMPLETELY ignore him for 1-2 minutes. No matter what he does, tantrum or not. ONLY when he is calm and if he is NOT growling, THEN after those 1-2 minutes, you should then pay attention to him... .saying hello, giving a pat, etc.
8.
He must not receive ANYTHING without first sitting. This should be a command that he must follow before getting a snack, before going for a walk, before being given a toy... He must not receive anything without first sitting upon your command.
9.
Until he learns that YOU are the leader and his behavior changes, NEVER lay or sit on the floor with him. You must remain at a higher level than him.
10. If someone comes to your house to visit, YOU must be the one to greet them first. Even if this means putting your Chihuahua behind a gate or in a crate for a moment. Otherwise, if he listens, command him to "Sit" while you go to the door. This shows that you are the leader and will decide if a person is a friend or foe...if you deem it safe.
11.
If your Chihuahua is ever in your way, for example, lying on the floor, NEVER walk around or over him. ALWAYS command him to move. If he does not know this command, gently physically move him while commanding, "Move" and then continue on your way.
12. It is best to avoid a staring contest during this training time. It can be an invitation to a fight (growling and biting) by Toby)... BUT if you find that you and he have established eye contact, NEVER be the 1st to look away. NEVER. That would send a CLEAR signal that he is the leader without question.
13.
During this time of training, He should NOT be allowed to sleep on your bed (if he is). His place should be at the foot of your bed, on a pillow with your scent or in a dog bed.
14. During this time of training, you must NOT hug or cuddle him. This may be hard. You can still show affection, by talking to him in a sweet voice, giving a quick pat, giving him a treat, telling him that he is a good boy whenever he behaves well...But until he learns that YOU are in charge, you should not hug him....
He may see this as a challenge and trouble could happen. Once he is trained, you can go back to cuddling him as much as you wish.
15.
If he throws a tantrum for attention (or any other reason) NO attention should be paid to him. ANY attention, including playing games, fetch, etc MUST be started by YOU ...AND ended by YOU. The attention or game begins when YOU say it does...and it ends when YOU say "time to go in" or you get up and do another activity.
IF he growls severely and it appears that he is being severely
aggressive (and a bite may come), he should immediately be given a "time out". He should be quarantined into a room that is VERY boring and completely ignored for 15-20 minutes.
16.
During this training, he must NOT EVER be allowed to lay on your lap, be up on the sofa with you, sit on a chair with you, etc. HIS place MUST be on the floor. If you feel that the floor is too uncomfortable, you can place a small baby blanket for him to lie on.
However, one of the BEST ways to establish that YOU are the leader and he must behave is for him to KNOW that YOU have the most comfortable spot to sit, lay and sleep. This does not meant that he must suffer in any way. He will always have a carpeted area on the floor, a blanket to lay on and a doggie bed to sleep in.
17.
Do NOT play any game of tug-of-war during this training time. Even if you always win it, he will see that you are willing to compete with him. And that should not be the case. He must learn that there IS NO competition...That YOU are the leader, no questions, period.