Tips for Chihuahua Training
by Renee Dietz on October 10th, 2005When you bring your new Chihuahua puppy home, one of the first things you will need to do, after giving it lots of love of course, is to housebreak it. Although a daunting task for any dog owner, this is something that must take priority. Unfortunately, housebreaking a Chihuahua can be a challenge in that they are not the easiest breed to train. However, do not let that deter you from buying a Chihuahua because the time invested is worth owning this particular breed.
We recommend you avoid paper training or using commercially made training pads. The reason is that this method of housebreaking is usually advertised as being easy and successful when in fact, it only teaches your Chihuahua puppy that tinkling in the house is permitted. Therefore, we suggest you use other methods, which are proven to be far more successful.
A better option is to use crate training, which is safe and best of all, it works. By using crate training, you will soon have your Chihuahua puppy sleeping throughout the night instead of making messes. The key however is to be very patient while providing your puppy with lots of love and support. In addition, you will need to establish a schedule to work with your puppy’s body, not against it.
If you have purchased a small puppy, you need to remember that they have very tiny bladders and simply cannot hold it for long periods. Now, if you have purchased an older Chihuahua or one from a rescue that is not housebroken, you can still be successful. For this, you will probably need to be more patient and above all, consistent.
For the schedule in both cases, start by taking your Chihuahua outdoors at 7:00 a.m. Then, feed the dog inside the crate about 15 minutes later. Sometime around 7:45 a.m., take another outdoor potty break and again around 11:45. Around noon, feed your puppy, again in the crate and take it outside to potty around 12:45. Typically, your Chihuahua (even adults) will take a nap. Provide soft bedding and a few safe toys inside the crate, close the door, and allow your pet to rest for about an hour.
Then sometime around 2:30 and again at 4:30, you need to make trips outdoors. At 5:00, you will again feed your pet in its crate, always making sure it has clean water. At 5:30, you are back outside. For the next couple of hours, let the Chihuahua rest, go for a short walk, play with it, and just enjoy bonding time. Then around 7:30, take the water out of the crate for the night. Your last trip of the night outside would be around 8:30 and then bedtime at 9:30.
As you can see, training your Chihuahua requires dedication on your part but within a few weeks (and sometimes months), it will all come together. As your puppy matures, the time required to go outside will diminish. Once your Chihuahua has been housebroken, you can then move it to your bed for sleeping, which is what most people do. After all, Chihuahuas love snuggling underneath warm covers!
Author’s Bio: Renee Dietz says she has “been blessed with the ability to write.” Over the past 25 years, she has written more than 150 ebooks, well over 18,000 articles, and web content. Renee has written on various subjects that range from teaching a parrot to talk to stock commodities to weddings and everything in between. Her style is creative, informative, and always reader-friendly. Renee goes on to say that “writing is my passion, something I take to heart. For this reason, I work diligently to ensure every client is a happy client.” One of Renee’s favorites quotes comes from Douglas Adams - “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”
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