The excitement of a new puppy can often distract from the firm way they must be domesticated. Chihuahuas and other Toy breeds are notorious for being extremely difficult to housebreak. Behavior specialists list Chihuahuas in the top five most difficult breeds to housetrain. Though it is not easy, it is not impossible. There are quite a few tips to train your puppy with very few accidents, so do not despair! You and your new housemate can do it!

Steps

1. You Want to Start by Creating a Space for Your Pup. Whether you use a small exercise pen, a crate, or fence off an area of a room in your house, make sure it is no larger than 2×3 feet. The intention here is to create an area small enough that he considers it his space for eating and sleeping. It is against their nature to urinate or defecate where they sleep, so this is a good way to start. It will teach him to “hold it” until he is let out.
2. Establish a Feeding Schedule. He will most likely have to go about thirty minutes after eating, and that is when you should take him outside. For pups under 3 months, feed them 4 times a day, 3-6 months, 3 times a day, and over 6 months, twice a day should suffice. Avoid feeding him scraps or treats in between meals when he is a pup. This will compromise his training, and lead to mistakes in the house.
3. Be Sure to Take Your Pup Out Just Before Bedtime, and Immediately Upon Waking. If he naps during the day, be sure to take him then, as well. As they grow and nap less often, they will associate waking up with being taken outside, and will be less likely to go in the house.
4. You Can Attempt to Associate Certain Words and Phrases with Urinating and Defecating. To do so, while he is going, you should say things such as, “go potty,” “go to the bathroom,” or even “go for a walk.” This word association will help you communicate when he should go. If you are leaving for the evening and you will not be around to take him out, but you need him to go before you leave, you can then use these words and phrases to encourage him to go outside. If “Want to go to the bathroom?” is always said during or just before he is taken outside to go, he will associate it with going to the bathroom.
5. Praise Your Pup for Proper Behaviors. Use positive inflections in your words, and give him positive attention for using the bathroom the proper way. Do this during and immediately afterwards. He will enjoy this, and eventually, associate it with his potty behaviors.
6. Correct His Wrong Behaviors, but Do Not Condemn Him Afterwards. If your pup makes a mistake, pushing his nose into it or yelling at him after the fact will not help. He will not understand the connection, and he will just think you are angry for no reason. If you catch him in the act and yell, “NO,” or speak sternly, he is much more likely to understand the connection and alter his behaviors as a result. Excess anger without proper conditioning will set back the house training, and will scare the pup. Chihuahuas are generally quite scared of loud noises and raucous behavior, so be cautious with your disciplinary approaches.

Tips

• Some people like to take a newspaper out for their dogs, as a way of getting them used to using a newspaper when they cannot hold it and their owners are not around to take them outside. Others like to use a wide variety of methods such as grass pads and indoor dog potties. These methods are left to the owners to decide, as dictated by schedules, preferences, and cleaning methods.
• Chihuahuas fall very naturally into schedules, and as they grow, you will want to alter these schedules very gradually. A very young pup will need to go at least every 2-4 hours, and some will have to go even more frequently than that, depending on age and size. Every time they have an accident, it sets back their training, as they are creatures of habits. Be sure to keep a watchful eye on your pup, and ensure that you have the time and energy to train him before taking him into your home.
• After a few weeks of these techniques, your pup should understand a little bit more about his acceptable potty behaviors. There will be mistakes throughout, but with these careful techniques, your pup should be housetrained in two to three months.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Potty training a dog is generally a lengthy process which costs the owner valuable time, money and countless amounts of patience and it is for that reason that selecting the right product right off the bat is so significant. When deciding between purchasing a dog litter box or pee pee pads, there are many factors to consider. At first glance it may appear as though both are viable potty training and indoor toilet solutions, however there are some great financial advantages associated with the litter boxes. This guide indicates the financial upsides to training your dog to use an indoor dog litter box rather than a pee pee pad in terms of equipment costs, additional expenses, and their overall environmental impact.

The Numbers:

Speaking strictly in terms of numbers, a dog litter box is a more sound financial investment. A dog litter box requires the one time purchase of the litter box (roughly $50), and with pee pee pads the expense is cumulative. Consider the following scenario: if your dog utilizes two pads per day at $18 for a package of 30 pee pee pads, that owner is facing a $450 a year expenditure on pee pee pads alone. For five years at this same rate, this dog owner is likely to spend $2,250 on pee pee pads. The annual cost of pee pee pads measured in the cost of pads alone illustrates how indoor litter boxes are a more financially feasible option. Moreover, when owners take into account the price of correcting certain problems intrinsic to pee pee pads, the true annual cost advantage of indoor litter boxes becomes evidently clear.

(Image Source)

Pee pads are not a perfect invention and have inherent problems associated with their usage. How do urine stained paw prints on your clean carpet sound? Or puppy pee on your hardwood floors? Dogs stepping on a pee pee pad are essentially stepping in their own urine which they then track throughout the house. Conversely, the dog litter boxes have grates which prevent even the smallest of dogs from stepping in their own urine which is safely stowed in the space below. A dog’s tracks of urine throughout the house will have accumulative costs associated with steam cleaning carpets, furniture and odor eliminating procedures. It becomes shockingly apparent that dry paws equal happy dog owners.

Aside from tracking pee throughout the house, pee pads are also known for their leakage problems. This leakage can be as a result of the dog simply urinating more than the pee pad can handle or a defective pee pee pad. Regardless of why the pad is leaking, the result is the same: soaking your home with your dog’s urine while you are away. Continued leakage in the same place will cause undo costly damage to wood and carpet surfaces, and not to mention anything else it touches. A dog litter box is does not leak and is built for easy cleaning.

There are also certain problems with using pee pee pads that are unique to puppies. Puppies like to explore, dig and chew on things and pee pee pads are a potential target. Puppies are known for chewing pee pee pads into tiny pieces and then playing with them thereby leaving urine soaked pieces throughout the house.

(Image Source)

Environmental Cost:

With everyone making strides towards being more environmentally sustainable, the ecological cost of your dog’s potty training or indoor toilet should also be point of consideration. With landfills already reaching maximum capacity, pee pee pads are only further attributing to the loss of landfill space as they do not breakdown easily. On the other hand, an indoor dog litter box can be lined with old newspapers which can be discarded and recycled at the end of the each day. (It should be noted that indoor litter boxes do not require newspaper to be fully operational.)

Indoor dog litter boxes are a more economical indoor pet bathroom solution than pee pee pads. Not only is the one time purchase fee associated with a dog litter box less than the yearly expense of pee pee pads, but the additional costs associated with repairing the subsequent effects on home flooring and furniture from potential pee pad leaks and urine paw print stains, makes the decision between these two options crystal clear: dog litter boxes are more cost effective. This financial consideration coupled with the overall environmental cost of pee pee pads, in comparison to a dog litter boxes’ minimal carbon footprint, catapults indoor dog litter boxes as the best option.

Popularity: 11% [?]

A purse dog comes with two meanings. You’ve got the purse that’s shaped like a puppy, popular with young girls everywhere as they can keep trinkets, money and jewelry in a purse that looks like a stuffed animal but is cute enough to pet. The other kind of purse dog is what the stuffed animal purses are most likely trying to mimic, though one look at these dogs and it could be the other way around. A living purse dog is a puppy that’s from a small enough breed that they can fit into a purse. They’ve become all the darlings of Hollywood as celebrities walk down the red carpet with these dogs under their arm. Can you say cute? It’s not just little girls who gush these purse puppies with all kinds of affection.

Taylor Momsen

The American actress, singer and star of the show Gossip Girl is all the talk of the town with this fluffy ball that she might as well have picked out in a toy store. You’d expect this pooch to be battery operated, but forget to take it for a walk, and you’ll soon find the batteries have leaked all over the carpet. This puppy is so cute you could almost sneak it through airport security, until it starts whimpering for love.

Ashley Tisdale

The American actress, singer and television producer can be seen hitting the premiere of High School Musical with this stuffed animal that yaps. It’s so small and fluffy, you’d swear there was a toy inside. The star of the 2009 film Aliens in the Attic has found a pooch so cute you’d swear it was from another planet where guard dogs are the size of cute fluffy pillows.

Britney Spears

It’s hard to believe this pretty little pooch of Spears can survive such trauma as being the night time companion of one of America’s most controversial party celebrities. We can only hope she lets the ball of fluff drive home. It’s a cute little dog, but you kind of feel sorry for her after the owner she got stuck with.

Blake Lively

The star of the TV show Gossip Girl gives her miniature Benji a scolding after it peed on her party dress. Bet she made it to the party to be the gossip of the town. Dogs need to go for walks, Blake, even if they are the size of furry slippers. Seems like Blake should be getting the scolding, since the puppy probably doesn’t know how to flush.

Lauren Conrad

The star of the MTV reality series Laguna Beach looks like it’s found the meaning of Zen in Conrad’s arms. This puppy may take a big purse, but if it’s small enough to be carried like a baby, it still qualifies as a purse dog.

Amanda Bynes

Named one of Teen People’s “25 Hottest Stars Under 25,” Bynes totes this adorable pooch everywhere she goes. The look of fear in his eyes makes you wonder if he’s watching out for the paparazzi, or maybe he’s worried he might end up as Bynes’ next fur coat. Now that’s incentive for puppy discipline training. Pee on this jacket, buddy, and you just may become the next.

Paris Hilton

Paris’ dog looks so small it could fit inside a pocket, let alone a purse. A little bigger than a gerbil, this dog puts on the cute. Too bad it has to put up with Paris. A night with Paris and Britney is enough to leave any pooch dreaming of the dog house. At least his is probably air conditioned with its own Jacuzzi and professional puppy masseuse.

Popularity: 8% [?]