we have a very stubborn chihuahua. basically my gf didn't bother to train him (and didn't want me to either) when he was a pup and now he's pretty unruly. he's about 3.5 now.  is there any hope at this point.  i find this breed much more difficult than my other dog

Define 'stubborn'........  How can he be stubborn if he's never been taught what is required?  Can you speak Russian?  Could I call you stubborn if you refused to speak to me in Russian?

If you want him trained to a certain standard, there is no reason why you shouldn't start now, as if he was a pup.

As digger did not exactly provide you with a helpful reply( dunno what that babble about russian was supposed to mean :D) It is not too late to trya nd train any dog. I suspect you will need to enlist the help of a trainer , who will look at the way your dog interacts with you and your g/f. Unfortunately training any dog needs consistency from all parties involved, and unless your g/f is prepared to go along with the training too, you will probably be fighting a losing battle.

Not meaning to start a row ( ;) ) but I thought diggers reply hit the nail on the head.  If you havent taught the dog a  command how is it supposed to understand it it isnt being stubborn it just doesnt know what you are saying, the same as if you dont speak russian and someone speaks to you in russian you arent being stubborn, you just dont understand.

Claire :)

Claire's interpretation of Digger's post is exactly the same as mine! If someone tells you to something in any language you don't understand (Russian, Cantonese, Serbo-Croat etc) and you don't obey, are you being stubborn?
:)

Digger was dead right a dog cannot associate a command with an action unless you teach the dog what you want as a response to a command, dogs don't need teaching to sit stand down etc they need to be taught to associate the command with the sit, stand etc

No dog is too old to learn just as in people you are never too old to learn something new, however the older the dog or person is the older it sometimes take to learn

How much help do you want?  The OP specified a problem - I tried to suggest that maybe the problem wasn't so much with the dogs attitude, as the fact that he didn't understand what was required of him - using the comparison of a human who doesn't know Russian as an example.  The OP also asked a question - was there any point in trying now - which I also replied to.......  The OP did not ask for specific instruction on *how* he should go about making his dog not stubborn.......

you all make very good points and i agree with you.  It is true that we send him mixed messages. In fact when he started barking when the door opened he was right away picked up and given love so of course he's going to do it now.

thing is it is a bit of a quandry when two people want to approach the dog's training in a different way. i think my gf prefers him to be as he is.  which is very frustrating for me.  i think he wants some structure in his life because he eats when he wants, sleeps when he wants and pretty much does what he wants. 

btw, not sure how normal this is, but he was neutered at a young age and yet he is always worked up and humping everything. am i missing something here ???? i thought the 'force' was taken out of him through the neutering process. maybe it was not done properly.

Nope, castrated dogs can still mount, mate and even tie with bitches. All it is guaranteed to do is remove the possibility of fathering puppies. Nothing else is certain.

so how do we calm him down because i think he's very VERY frustrated and he's out of control

I would firmly tell him 'NO' and put him inhis bed for quiet time out. But chis are renowned for being 'characters', so don't expect miracles!

nk London,

Humping is actually as sign of dominant behaviour, not necessarily sexual behaviour.   And not necessarily even confined to male dogs. 

Best way to calm him down is to get him active doing something else.   Playing ball, walking, playing tug, taking him to obedience, making him "work for a living" by asking him to sit or shake hands or whatever you want before he gets a treat. 

Tired dogs are rarely frustrated.

Stacey

Sorry digger, but when i first read your post i genuinely didnt understand it...but i am well known for being thick so take no notice!

Hey - we all have those moments - hope it makes more sense now? :)