Call it Puppy Love | Family-raised Chihuahuas | Puppy Tips

Housebreaking

A clever breed, Chihuahuas can take well to training if it is begun early on. Some Chihuahuas have been trained to use a cat tray, while others are never house trained at all. It is entirely up to the owner to put some time in from day one of the puppy's arrival.

Successful house-training requires consistency. If your puppy is eight weeks or older, a consistent training program should produce results in as little as a week:

  1. Paper training will not train your puppy to go out doors. It will train her to use the papers (her place to go). You should start taking your puppy outside at 8 weeks old.
  2. Be consistent. Always take your puppy to the same spot outside, at about the same time.
  3. It is important to take your puppy out early in the morning, before going to bed at night, and after every feeding.
  4. Only take your puppy outdoors for training, not playing; otherwise, she won't associate going outside with her training. When she is housebroken you can let her play outdoors.
  5. Praise, praise, praise your puppy when she goes outdoors, and scold her in a loud voice when she goes in the house.
  6. You might have to limit her food and water at night. Make sure to confine her at night or when she is left alone

Remember, a young puppy does not have complete control over its elimination —the smaller the breed, the more often they must go. Frequent trips to the yard (or papers if you want a paper-trained dog forever) are very necessary in the first two weeks. Do not play or talk to the puppy on these outings, he is learning that this is elimination time, not play time. Always take him to the same area (using an exercise pen, perhaps, to keep him wherever he's supposed to be) for this purpose. When he goes, lavish praise and/or treats to reinforce his behavior — then he can come in and play. If he doesn't go, it's a good idea to put him back in his crate for a short time and then try again later.

Punishment for mistakes in the house in these early weeks doesn't teach, and may cause behavior problems —the trick is to prevent the mistakes from happening in the first place! Remember, your love and approval are the most important things you can give your puppy — he will do anything to gain them.

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