I need help house-training my dogs. They are chihuahuas so what the book says is not working. Please help.?

Question

I have already tried the puppy pads and taking them out. They will potty outside but they also go anywhere they want in the house. I gate them in the kitchen at night but during the day they have freedom and thats when they use it anywhere.

Answer 1

A puppy is like a baby. He will relieve himself anywhere, anytime. Because a newly adopted adult dog is unfamiliar with your home, he may not understand where he should "go"! Housetraining, or teaching your dog to go outside to relieve himself, is an important lesson your dog must learn.
It is up to you, the new parent, to housetrain your new puppy or dog with patience, love and understanding.
CRATE TRAINING
In the wild, wolves live in a den or cave. It is important the entire wolf pack keep this area clean. The same idea works with your family pet. Your dog’s crate is his home, his bedroom. It is likely that your dog will not like to soil his bed. Therefore, he will wait until he is let out to do his business.
HOUSETRAINING WITH YOUR CRATE
On average, puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month they have been alive, plus one hour. For example, if you have a three month old puppy, he can wait 3 + 1 = 4 hours. If you work longer than this, the best solution is to have someone (a neighbour, a relative, a dog walker) come in at an appropriate time to let your dog out.

100 PER CENT SUPERVISION
Supervision is the key to housetraining! While you are at home, your dog must be supervised. Whether you are watching television, making dinner, on the phone or on the computer, your puppy must be watched. While it sounds like an impossible task, it isn’t. Keeping the crate in a social part of the house makes it easier. Using a house lead – a small, thin lead with a little clip on it – also helps immensely. Outside, you put a lead on your dog so you can control him. If the lead is removed after returning home, control is lost. For example, when watching television, have the lead tied to a couch leg. Your dog can have his blanket and toys with him. He’ll feel safe and comfortable. The majority of accidents happen when your pup wanders off and you haven’t noticed. You don’t want him to sneak off into the kitchen and find a puddle a short time later. If your pup is kept from wandering, the possibility of an accident is diminished because he will not eliminate where he is sitting. 100 per cent supervision means ensuring your dog is playing with you, in his crate, outside or on his house lead.

SCHEDULING
In the morning, take your dog outside. He should urinate and possibly have a bowel movement. Spend about five to seven minutes with him and then bring him in. Do not play with him yet. Feed him breakfast, either in the crate or with the lead, and supervise it. If your pup did not have a bowel movement earlier, take him back outside about 15 minutes after he has eaten. Use the lead to keep your pup moving along while outside. Otherwise, he may start sniffing, stopping and playing to avoid the job at hand. You can say “hurry up” and your dog will begin to associate these words with the task at hand. Praise him excessively when he has eliminated. Bring him back in the house and place him in his crate if you are going to work. Continue to supervise him with the crate or the lead if you are home. When returning after being out, go directly to the crate, let him out, praise him and put him back in. Feed him his meal, take him outside 15 minutes after he has eaten, praise him after he eliminates, and bring him back in. Continue to follow the same steps consistently.

While you are home, you should take your pup outside on a regular basis. Even if your pup is in a crate or on a house lead, he still needs the opportunity to eliminate. Also, be careful what you wish for! A pup who barks to go outside may be cute and clever now. However, you must try not to fall into the habit of leaping up every time your dog wants in or out. It is a very submissive gesture on your part. Have your pup wait a moment or two.

Setting up a schedule is also a good idea. If your pup is under four months of age, take him out for five minutes every hour on the hour. If your pup is over four months old, take him out every second hour on the hour. The schedule will help you remember when to take him out. Go out for five minutes only. It provides the opportunity to eliminate even if your pup may not need to go. Take your dog out after active play and also after napping. If an accident occurs, you may have forgotten to take him out .

FEEDING TIME
Having a puppy drink a lot of water and then placing him in his crate is much more unkind than letting him be a bit thirsty for an hour or two. Adult dogs should have access to drinking water at all times. However, this is not the case for untrained pups. Most parents will not allow their children to drink a big glass of water before going to bed. Avoid setting your pup up for failure. Restrict his water intake to three or four drinks daily and make sure you remove the water dish about three hours before bedtime. This will help your dog sleep more comfortably.

If it is a hot evening, supply your pup with a few ice cubes. They will enter your dog’s system at a slower pace. When feeding your pup, provide a high-quality food that is a good source of protein. The food must be concentrated so your puppy’s body doesn’t require much of it. If you feed less, your puppy eliminates less. Food is directly related to how well puppies do in their housetraining.

EXERCISE
It is important that your pup gets a lot of exercise, especially while crate training. You can play fetch, chase or hide and seek in your home. You can call ‘come’ at the same time to provide further training. Anyway you do it, your pup needs to be able to run and play.

Answer 2

I have one Chihuahua. She is 4 years old and I still keep her in the laundry room when I am not home. She only has free run of the house when I am at home. I use the puppy pads for her all the time. Just find a permanent spot - don't keep moving it around - the will just confuse the dogs. She had a few accidents when she was a puppy but now she is fine. I found training with puppy pads easier than any other method. If we are going on a outing and she need to go in her crate, I just tell her to go pee pee. If she needs to go she will pee on the paper and then I can put her in the crate.

Since Chihuahuas are so small it is not a good idea to leave the loose when you are not home. They can get into too much trouble. When mine was tiny she got behind the TV. I was there to see her go back there and could rescue her immediately. If I was not home she may have been stuck for a while. If yours like to climb they can can injured if they fall. I'm lucky, mine does not climb on things she just goes under them.

Good luck! Email me if you have Chihuahua questions.

Answer 3

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aMPOL

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

i read that when you take them outside to potty, don't bring them back in right away. let them do their business and then let them play for awhile.otherwise they associate going potty with going back inside.so they use their outside time playing and then wait until they come in to potty. take them out often . aslo male dogs will pee where they smell other dogs, so they are just walking around smelling where each other has been. after they potty in your house clean it up with plain water first then you can use a cleaner. it is the only way to get rid of the smell so they don't keep going back.

Answer 5

you should first enclose them to limited area (an easy area to clean up), don't let them have run of the house yet. Then take them out regularly. If they go outside give them some kind of reward. If they go on the floor yell at them. Whenever you leave them at home put them out on a chain so that they don't go on the floor. When you do leave them outside make sure their chains are in reach of a shaded spot in the summer and a dry spot in the winter.

Answer 6

'Wee wee pads' are alright, but 'crating' is better. Dogs are instinctively den dwellers so if you get a wire dog crate and put a sheet over it your dogs will feel safe & secure in it while you're gone.

Leave some good chew toys with them, but no water - they'll be fine for 4 hours without it & it would only make them need to pee. Dogs do not want to 'eliminate' (poo/pee) where they sleep, so they'll want to hold it until they gets out. *As soon as you let them out* take her outside to a designated area where you won't mind them eliminating over & over again (n.b. their urine will likely kill patches of grass over time). They will quickly recognize this area as her bathroom.

Some people think that crating a dog is cruel, but wild dogs leave their pups in a den while out foraging/hunting & your pup will not feel anymore stressed being left crated than locked in a room. If anything, they will likely feel more protected and safe - like hidden in a den - than left exposed in an open room.

NOTE:
Be sure to get a small dog crate, otherwise they will pee in one corner then go hang out in the opposite corner!

Bonus: If you start young, while she's eliminating - don't wait 'til she's finished - say something repeatedly like "bathroom" and over time she will accept it as a prompt to go to eliminate.

If you don't feel comfortable about this, please contact your local humane society for a second opinion. (i used to work for one)

I hope this helps!

Answer 7

My dog did this for a little while. How long have you been keeping this up? Maybe they don't totally understand yet. it also is an issue that you have more than one dog. it is a lot easier to train one dog at a time. stick with one of the training ideas and keep at it. Good luck!

Answer 8

That is always a problem with toy breeds. Some people never can house train them. That is why they make the dog litter and the wee-wee pads!!!!!!
I cannot imagine tootsie rolls all over the house forever!!!!!! It is really gross!!!!!!!

Answer 9

when the chihuahas poo in the house , stick their noses in it and beat them. Carry the poo in the place where it is acceptable to potty and carry them to that location make them smell it there.
You will be surprised as of how effective this works.

Answer 10

you need to crate them. this is NOT cruel! also hang a little bell by the door and everytime you take them out ring it keep them in the crate, take them out (ringing the bell) they absolutely cannot just run around all day