Having trouble tRaining my chihuahua!!!HELP
 

Hey...

I finally found my chihuahua.took alot of hard searching..but now im having trouble training her.She is a purbred short coat and she is currently 9 weeks now.I've had her for 2 weeks.

In the beginning she would pee on her p-pad but she would never poop on it..she will always go on the carpet.Now..she has decided that my bed..teddy bears..my cats bed and the carpet is her p-pad and she goes everywhere now.I've tried to teach her but she never learns.I work from 8-5 so I can't supervise her at all times.I was crate training her..the first day she did well..but then she decided to pee in there as well, so I gave up on that but she still uses it as her bed and comfort zone.I've also noticed that when she needs to poop..she will hold it untill im out of her site for a second then she will go..its like she knows that its bad but she still does it.

I live in a apartment and I do not have a balcony..so thats why that p-pads are my only option.Im thinking about litter training her..the pets stores that i've contacted do not have "doggy" litter..and they say to use cat litter.Now im not to sure about that..is it safe for a chihuahua? i'm afraid that she can swallow it and clump in her tummy.

*The person that I got her from had the puppies peeing and pooping on a white towel...can this also be the problem..I've noticed she likes going on soft surfaces.

If any one has any tips on how to train my chi..please help!!!

It sounds like your pup needs way more structure.

First off, back in the crate! You are never going to get her housebroken if she has run of the house while you are away.

Then put her on a strict schedule as far as feeding and taking her out. When she goes out, she must stay out until she goes. If you absolutely can't stay out until she has gone, then back in her crate she goes and try again in 15 minutes or so. EVERY time she goes outside - throw a mini party!

You might try putting her on a leash attached to you for a bit. This way, you can observe her body language and learn her cues and she will not be able to go to another room to use the toilet.

The biggest part of this is consistancy. You can't follow the schedule today and throw it out the window tomorrow.

[QUOTE=Chi_lover]I finally found my chihuahua.took alot of hard searching..but now im having trouble training her.She is a purbred short coat and she is currently 9 weeks now.I've had her for 2 weeks.[/QUOTE]

first of all, you got her at 7wks? too young to leave her mom/litter-mates IMO.

secondly, she's a wee 9wks! she's a baby! of course you're having trouble... give her time to grow up a bit. you should expect a 9wk old pup to have MANY accidents.

[QUOTE=Chi_lover]I've tried to teach her but she never learns.I work from 8-5 so I can't supervise her at all times.I was crate training her..the first day she did well..but then she decided to pee in there as well, so I gave up on that but she still uses it as her bed and comfort zone.I've also noticed that when she needs to poop..she will hold it untill im out of her site for a second then she will go..its like she knows that its bad but she still does it.[/QUOTE]

she never learns? I REPEAT, SHE'S 9 WKS OLD, SHE'S A BABY.

you work from 8-5? I certainly hope this pup isn't alone in a crate for that whole time.

and btw... pups don't have accidents because they know it's bad and still do it... she DOESN'T KNOW, SHE'S A BABY. She needs to be taught where to go and needs this teaching OFTEN during the day.

[QUOTE]I've tried to teach her but she never learns[/QUOTE]

Can you explain how exactly you can teach a 7 week old pup how to not pee or poop inside the apartment within 2 weeks?!

I hope in a few years you remember what you said today:[B] "SHE NEVER LEARNS!"[/B]

[QUOTE=Chi_lover]

*The person that I got her from had the puppies peeing and pooping on a white towel...can this also be the problem..I've noticed she likes going on soft surfaces.

[/QUOTE]

I'm sure that this might have a lot to do with it.

When Dory was small her owners would put a pee pad in her crate with her just in case.

If, for now, you can keep her away from your carpets and keep soft things off of the floor. You might buy a cheap towel just like she used to go on and put it over the p-pad until she assosciates the pads with the towel with the bathroom.

Good luck

Nine weeks old . . . she's going to be having accidents for quite a while. You work all day, so she shouldn't be in her crate all that time. (It's too long for her to hold it and you don't want to get her used to sitting in her pee and poop in the carrier.) Instead, how about leaving her in an area with a washable tile surface and NOTHING SOFT while you're away? The bathroom, for example, or the kitchen with baby gates blocking her from other areas of the house.

When you're home, take her out frequently and praise her like crazy when she goes outside!

Are the pee pads also soft? If so, I'd avoid them; she may not understand the difference between them and your bed or the carpet.

~LM~

Chi_lover
 

Thanks guys for replying..I will take all your tips and make them handy.
As far as her age..she is doing fine..she's great with the cats and hasn't had any problems.I even asked the breeder if it was fine taking her a 7 weeks..she said that it was fine..this is the first time I own a dog..their a little bit different than cats.

*LavenderRott: Im going to have to wait on the leash thing..i've considered doing it..but one problem..she's too small..she doesn't even fit in a cat harness..

Thanks again guys for your help.

You're leaving a 9 week old Chi puppy alone 9 hours a day and expect her to housetrain herself? Not gonna happen.

A tiny toy puppy needs to eat and drink many times a day, and so needs to pee many times a day as well. There's no way around it, and if you aren't there to train her to use the pads or a litterbox, she'll never learn.

Chis are very difficult to housebreak at the best of times. The breeder who gave her to you at 7 weeks is not reputable, as a good breeder would never EVER give a puppy that age to someone who is gone 9 hours a day.

[QUOTE]its like she knows that its bad but she still does it.[/QUOTE]

No, she only knows you get mad when she does it, so now does it out of your sight.

[QUOTE]its like she knows that its bad but she still does it. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]
No, she only knows you get mad when she does it, so now does it out of your sight.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. She doesn't know it's wrong, but she sure isn't comfortable doing it in front of you which could become a bigger problem when you take her out. She needs to feel comfortable peeing and pooping in front of you so she does it quickly and comfortably when she's on the leash.

Actually NO dog thinks peeing or pooping in the house is wrong, but once they consider the house their home(where they sleep, play and eat) then they don't like to make it dirty limiting their playing/sleeping area. Plus most dogs feel more comfortable eliminating outside on the grass or weed by instict(why? I don't know!). They only do it inside if they fail to hold it long enough or if they're feeling stressed.

As far as puppies are concerned, they can't hold it at all! All they know how to do is play, eat and drink. That's why giving them enough time with their mother is very important as the mother corrects their behavior miraclously fast.

what bredder did you buy her from?
do you have photos of her yet?
:)


[QUOTE=Chi_lover]Thanks guys for replying..I will take all your tips and make them handy.
As far as her age..she is doing fine..she's great with the cats and hasn't had any problems.I even asked the breeder if it was fine taking her a 7 weeks..she said that it was fine..this is the first time I own a dog..their a little bit different than cats.

*LavenderRott: Im going to have to wait on the leash thing..i've considered doing it..but one problem..she's too small..she doesn't even fit in a cat harness..

Thanks again guys for your help.[/QUOTE]

7 weeks is too young, why would the "breeder" say it was ok?:confused:


[QUOTE=Lucky Rescue]The breeder who gave her to you at 7 weeks is not reputable, as a good breeder would never EVER give a puppy that age to someone who is gone 9 hours a day.

i think she could be litter trained, but what would the cat think....lol



[QUOTE=Chi_lover]Thanks guys for replying..I will take all your tips and make them handy.
As far as her age..she is doing fine..she's great with the cats and hasn't had any problems.I even asked the breeder if it was fine taking her a 7 weeks..she said that it was fine..this is the first time I own a dog..their a little bit different than cats.

*LavenderRott: Im going to have to wait on the leash thing..i've considered doing it..but one problem..she's too small..she doesn't even fit in a cat harness..

Thanks again guys for your help.[/QUOTE]

Hey Guys...

Well..now you guys are making me feel bad because I got her at 7 weeks.Generally puppies ween from their mommies at 8 weeks no?
When I went with shannon(the person who gave me Bella(chi)..to the vet..I asked the vet if she was okay and healthy..he said yes.Then he said that it would be fine to take her then..I wasn't too sure about..and I gladly said that I would have no problem waiting 2-3 more weeks, he said that she would be fine..and she has been.

I have decided to wait untill she's about 4 months to train her to the T.Right now..she goes on the carpet..if I see her do it..I put her on her p-pad and tell her that this is where she should go..and sometimes she goes there and sometimes she doesn't.

Like you guys said..shes just a baby..and she learns from her mistakes.
Im not really upset that she's going on the carpet..what worries me the most is that she will never go on her p-pad and gets the habit of going on the carpet for her entire life!..lol

*loveyadogs:I tried the cat litter for a day..lol
the problem was that the litter would get stuck on her nose and she would lick it and swallow it.Im afraid that it can give her upset stomach or any other serious injurys internally.

I got Bella from a friend of mines brother-in-law.
He has two purebred chis and they had a a litter of 3..one girl and two boys :)..this is the mommy chis second litter.

Thanks again for the responses!!

you'll be hearing alot more from me!

I have a little, hard to potty-train type dog too, I can honestly say that you really shouldn't wait to train. It just makes it so much harder in the long run, when they get used to going on the carpet it becomes a problem, and though you seem to be a patient person, it becomes harder and harder to remain patient as they get older. dogs can live for a long time, are you sure you want it being unreliable in the potty training for that long?
I think if you invest in a simple baby gate and confine your pup to an area that they won't be able to pee on the carpet while you can't watch, you'll be beter off in the long run.
I'm not saying that you're going to do this, but many dogs are given away because they never learn where to go. By training your dog from day one, you avoid this situation ever coming up. A lot of things can happen in 10 or 15 years, you might have kids and believe me, you don't want your babes crawling in doggy accidents, or the landlord upset about damages, or to have a partner who just won't put up with it, etc, etc.....

[QUOTE=Chi_lover]I have decided to wait untill she's about 4 months to train her to the T.Right now..she goes on the carpet..if I see her do it..I put her on her p-pad and tell her that this is where she should go..and sometimes she goes there and sometimes she doesn't.

Like you guys said..shes just a baby..and she learns from her mistakes.
Im not really upset that she's going on the carpet..what worries me the most is that she will never go on her p-pad and gets the habit of going on the carpet for her entire life!..lol[/QUOTE]

ok, yes, she's just a baby, but NO, she won't learn from her mistakes on her own. You need to teach her where she is to go to the bathroom. on a pad, NOT the carpet. I agree w/ papillonmama, you should keep her confined to an area w/out carpet - baby gates work well! you must also clean the accidents on the carpet VERY VERY WELL, with an enzyme cleaner so she doesn't still smell it, and continue using the carpet.

[QUOTE=Chi_lover]I tried the cat litter for a day..lol
the problem was that the litter would get stuck on her nose and she would lick it and swallow it.Im afraid that it can give her upset stomach or any other serious injurys internally.[/QUOTE]

don't use cat litter. Dog Litter is available. However, I do have a friend w/ a toy breed who is litterbox trained, she just puts a PAD in the box. no litter. and changes the pad when soiled. she accomplished this by gradually moving the pad closer & closer to the box, then inside.

good luck! she'll get the hang of it if you're really dilligent about it
:)

Thanks Jessi and Papillonmama..

Ok..I found a way that I think I can keep track on and I hope it works.

Right now Bella uses her crate as her home...her crate is located right next to my bed. Right next to her crate is her litter box which I put a p-pad inside and have been now doing for 1 week.I was thinking of leaving her in my room..giving her only acess in there and also not only putting her pee pad in the litter box..but also aroung it,I have puppy safed my room so everything is well.I have hard wood floors..no CARPETS!!.lol

Do you guys think thats a good idea?

*OR
Keep her in her crate untill from 8-11:30..then have my bf go see her,,take her out play with her wait untill she does her stuff.Then she'll be back in there from 12 to 4:30.My mom can take her out when she gets home at that time.I get home an hour later.

Is that still too long?not a good idea?Remember she does pee in her crate.

Which idea do you think I should do.


Thanks guys..you are all being so helpful:)

I also forgot to mention..I have two cats Toffy and Chola.
Bella absolutely adores them..they are like best friends, they all get along so well.
Now If I keep her in my room or in her crate...she will cry becuase she wants to go and play with them..be with them..wont that be taking away her freedom and fun time with the cats during the day? Kinda meany no?