Consistency Is Key
If you are ready to start potty training Chihuahua, there are some basic things you should know. First of all, because this breed is quite smart, it does not have to be a difficult task. By following the tips in this article, you should be able to potty training your Chihuahua quickly and painlessly.
Potty training Chihuahua should start at about 7 weeks, but you should expect a few accidents in the months ahead, even after you consider the dog trained. But by starting early, you can speed up the timeframe.
Because dogs have the instinct to keep their beds clean, potty training Chihuahua should include some kind of kennel training. You should especially decide to keep your dog in a kennel during the night. In this way, the dog learns to hold its bladder and bowels during the time it should be sleeping. Let the dog out at the same time each day and immediately take it to the place where it should relieve itself.
Consistency is one of the most important factors in potty training Chihuahua. If you have a dog that is going to go outdoors, let it out every morning and after every meal.
Unless you have a dog that is living completely indoors, you should always reinforce that it should relieve itself outside. When they go in a spot, they are likely to go to that spot to relieve themselves again and again. Use gates to keep the dog away from carpeted areas or areas where they have peed before.
If you are going to potty train Chihuahua indoors, a litter box is your best option. Litter box training is becoming especially popular these days as the breed becomes more popular. When taken outside of its sunny native areas (the breed comes from Mexico), it will often refuse to go outdoors in the cold.
You can still use kennel training with litter box training. Simply take the dog to the area where you want it to relieve itself at the times you want to train it to go.
Also know that these dogs are very sensitive to praise and affection. Potty training Chihuahua means giving it love when it does what you want in terms of peeing and pooing. Because your Chihuahua wants to please you, it will learn how to behave as far as relieving itself. Lavish your dog with praise and affection when it does what you want, and ignore it when it makes a mistake (other than cleaning it up, of course). He or she needs to know what he did right and what needs to be improved.
You should know that accidents will happen. You shouldn’t punish the dog, especially by hitting it, when this occurs. Instead, go easy on the dog and reinforce good behavior rather than punishing it when things go wrong. You have to be patient when potty training Chihuahua.
While accidents do happen, try not to let the bad things overshadow what your puppy is doing right. If you make a mistake like keeping them crated too long, accidents are going to happen. You have to train yourself as well as your dog.
Potty training Chihuahua starts with patience, love, and affection.