Cotswold town terrorised by two 'hooligan' chihuahuas who attacked ex-police dog

25 March 2022, 15:33 | Updated: 25 March 2022, 19:04

Two unruly chihuahuas are running riot in a small Cotswold town, forcing the council to get involved after an incident involving an ex-police dog.

The local council has issued a warning to the owners after the chihuahuas attacked a retired police dog.

The two "unpleasant" chihuahuas were allowed to run off their leads in the historic market town of Corsham, Wiltshire.

Councillor Ruth Hopkinson, the Lib Dem member for Corsham Pickwick and chairwoman of Corsham Town Council, received a complaint from a concerned resident after the two dogs attacked his German shepherd.

The councillor said "it’s not the first time they have behaved in an aggressive fashion" and has received several reports about the dogs being aggressive.

Ms Hopkinson issued a statement on Facebook urging the owners to keep their pets under control. She said: "You might consider your dog 'friendly' but it may react in an unexpected way when faced with another dog or even a child.

"In either case, please keep your dog under your control at all times, preferably leashed in public areas. Any damage your dog does including vet bills for other dogs or dead lambs is your responsibility and you are liable.

She added: "Before anyone has a go at me, I love dogs (not so sure about cats) but owners need to be responsible, the vast majority of people are but there are some who aren't."

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Ms Hopkinson stressed that the size of the dog doesn't always correlate with aggressive behaviour.

Dr Jeffrey O’Dwyer, a local resident, described them as ‘bloody Mexican hooligans’ as the pair charged at another man walking his two 65lb dogs.

Chihuahuas are one of the world's smallest breed of dogs, named after what is now known as the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua.

But, they are anecdotally known for their occasional aggressive behaviour.

A study from the University of Helsinki using around 9,000 pets found that smaller dogs have higher odds of behaving aggressively than large and medium-sized ones.

Aggressive behaviour was considered to be barking, biting and nipping.

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The People's Dispensery for Sick Animals said: "Chihuahuas, like any dog, are likely to make some noise and this will be down to the individual, their personality and training.

"The good news is that as they are clever dogs, they can be taught not to bark excessively but this needs to start from a young age, ideally before they develop the habit.

"If you’re having trouble with problem barking, we’d recommend seeking the advice of an accredited behaviourist."