House Training Made Easy.

First and foremost, read the Chihuahua Club of America suggestions here for house training and general care----> https://chihuahuaclubofamerica.org/articles/chihuahua-puppy-general-care/

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*****note***** crate training/ pen training is NOT cruel.  What is cruel is allowing your puppy to eat something that will be toxic or troublesome to cause medical issues or death.  Crate or pen training also prevents messes and home destruction. Accidents build up and cause smells and necessary repairs which is stressful for all who live there.  What is cruel is a puppy ending up back at the breeder or the shelter because YOU failed at training. 

After reading this article above, consider our suggestions below. 

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1.  Set up your puppy's sleeping/play area exactly like the breeders so transition is easier.  A photo of our set up is above.  The closest you can come to the puppy's current situation, the easiest it will be to train. 

2.  Weeks 8-20 or so-   keep your puppy and young adult in an enclosed area at night and when your attention is not on him/her. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR puppy to explore without monitoring.  It's a safety concern.  Place the pen in a central area with noise, people etc...Place bedding on one side with water and/or food.  Place a puppy pad or litter pan on the far corner.  If a puppy eliminates off of the pad or litter pan, place the feces on the pad or pan and wipe the urine up and try to put it in the appropriate area.  Yes.  Dogs need a clean area, but while training, the puppy needs to see and smell the appropriate area to eliminate.  During this time, you must also make effort to get up early before the puppy wakes up and make several trips outside to help with house training.  We suggest at least 8x a day for the first month you have your puppy. Our suggestion is to take a soiled pad/pan outside in the area you want your puppy to use in addition to the inside pen arrangement.  This way, the puppy makes connections from their pen to the outside. Take them directly to that spot and be patient.  Do not let them play outside yet.  "Outside" is for feces and urine right now.  PRAISE the puppy when it goes.  Always have treats in your hands.  You may want to consider a second pen outside. Bring the puppy inside to cuddle and play.  Do not let the puppy out of your sight.  If you need to do something or go somewhere, put the puppy back in the pen.  When you do have the puppy in the house with you playing or cuddling consider a washable pair of panties or belly band just in case.  

2.  Weeks 20- 32- Continue with the pen and outdoor training/routine BUT add in the following:  Attach the puppy to a leash and harness connected to you while you cook, clean, work in the house.  RARELY will a dog eliminate next to their owner.  When your puppy starts getting anxious or pulling, it may indicate that they need to use the outdoor facilities.  PRAISE them once they do.  Remember to take them to their special area that they have used before.  CONSISTANCY is key.  NEVER leave your dog unattended unless they are safely confined.  

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​​From the Chihuahua Club of America: 

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Housetraining

Small puppies eliminate frequently and with little or no warning. They are like babies and can’t hold it! Constant supervision is key. Never let a puppy have free run of your home if you are not supervising every move, every minute.

The more accidents your puppy makes when you are not watching, the more ingrained this bad habit becomes, and the harder it will be to housetrain your puppy. Prevention, supervision, and rewarding the desired behavior are the way to train your puppy.

A puppy will need to eliminate after each meal, after play periods, and after waking from a nap. Small puppies may need to urinate as often as every 15 minutes! Sniffing the ground and circling can be signs that it is time to take your puppy outside, or to his litterbox, newspaper or potty pad- whichever method you have decided on. If you catch the puppy starting to squat, bring him to the correct place, and reward and praise after he has eliminated in the correct spot! Never punish a puppy for an accident you find after the fact- he will not remember doing it, and will not understand why you are angry. Besides, the accident will be your fault for not having supervised him well enough.

When you cannot watch your puppy, you can keep him in an exercise pen with a bed and food at one end and a potty pad, newspaper or litterbox at the other end. The puppy will naturally not want to soil his sleeping/ eating area and will walk away towards the appropriate spot to eliminate. It may to helpful to place a small piece of soiled newspaper or potty pad, or a handful of soiled litter in the spot where you want your puppy to eliminate. Puppies naturally want to eliminate where they can smell urine.

Often, puppies will cry and whine when first introduced to their pen (or crate). Going back to comfort the whining puppy, or lifting him out every time he cries is rewarding bad behavior- this tells the puppy that “when I cry, mommy or daddy rescues me”. If you would like a puppy that is quiet and well behaved in his crate or pen, this behavior must be ignored. From day one, praise and attention should be given when the puppy is calm and quiet- reward the good behavior and ignore the bad!

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