Potty-training is an essential process that every owner must go through with their Chihuahua. Unless you plan on keeping your furry four-legged friend in a fenced-in backyard (not recommended), you’ll have to teach them to use the bathroom outside the house and not inside. Unfortunately, however, Chihuahuas have a notorious reputation for being a breed that’s difficult and downright stubborn to housebreak. In fact, some owners throw in the flag and simply lay out pee pads for them instead. The truth is that practically any Chihuahua, no matter how old they are, can be potty-trained when it’s done correctly and under the right circumstances.
Although Chihuahuas can be successfully potty-trained at any age, it’s recommended that you start as soon you bring them into your home, preferably when they are still a puppy. During the first 6-12 months of a Chihuahua’s life, their brains are developing at a rapid pace; therefore, they will naturally catch on to routines and consistency. You can use this to your advantage by instilling the basic potty-training commands in your Chihuahua’s head. When they learn these principles at an early age, it will stay with them well into their adult years, making the potty-training process easier for the both of you.
Chihuahua Potty-Training – Where Should I Start?
It’s easy to feel lost and confused when you first bring your Chihuahua home. You’re busy preparing their bed, making sure they have food and water, and you’re probably playing them with, too. While all of this fine, you need to place potty-training at the top of your list of priorities. As stated above, it’s crucial that you begin teaching them the basics of where using the bathroom is acceptable and where it’s not.
Before you start attempting to potty-train your Chihuahua, you’ll need to pick up a few basic items first. These items are necessary to encourage good behavior, as well as prevent bad behavior. Here are the things you’ll need:
- 1-2 boxes of small milk bone treats for rewarding good behavior.
- A crate that’s just large enough for your Chihuahua to stand up and turn around in.
- A small, comfortable bed with a couple soft blankets.
- A soft, non-abrasive collar with a leash that’s at least 10-feet long.
Note: This isn’t an entire list of everything you need to own a Chihuahua, but rather a list of items that will come in handy when potty-training your Chihuahua.
Potty-Training Basics
One of the key factors to successfully potty-training your Chihuahua is letting them know when they do something bad. When you see them do their business on the floor inside your home, quickly walk over to them and immediately say “No!” or “Bad boy/girl!” You should never physically spank or hit your Chihuahua, as this may injure them and make it more difficult to train them. Instead, stick with a strong verbal statement, letting them know that what they did is unacceptable. Chihuahuas are quite emotional, and verbally telling them “no” while pointing at them is all it takes to get the message across.
No matter how hard you try to prevent it, accidents will happen. It’s an inevitable part of owning any indoor dog, regardless of breed, so don’t expect your Chihuahua to be any different. After you see them peeing or pooping inside the house, tell them “No!” and walk them outside. While you’re walking them, say something along the lines of “go potty” or “go pee-pee,” as this will help them associate the words with the actual behavior. It may take some time, but remain patient and wait for them to do their business. When they are good and use the bathroom outside, give them a milk bone treat along with lots of petting and praise as a reward for their good behavior. Treats go a long ways when it comes to potty-training and obedience training, so use them to your advantage.
Another little trick I’ve learned that helps to potty-train a Chihuahua is to always take them to the same place outside to do their business. Chihuahuas have a keen sense of smell and will be able to tell where they’ve used the bathroom before. When they come across an area where they’ve already used the bathroom, they will notice the scent and assume it’s okay to use the bathroom here again. You can begin walking your Chihuahua to other parts of the yard once they are older and fully potty-trained, but stick to a designated area during their early puppy years.
Chihuahua Crate Training
Some owners are under the impression that forcing a small Chihuahua to stay cooped up inside a crate is cruel and inhumane. After all, how fun can it be to remain stuck inside a crate where you can barely move around? The fact is, however, that a crate gives your Chihuahua their own personal space in which they can call home. There’s a certain sense of security they begin to feel and associate with their crate, and chances are they grow to enjoy being inside it. As the owner of three Chihuahuas myself, I frequently find my Chis hiding in their crates even with they are allowed to roam the house free.
The reason why crates are such an effective potty-training tool is because you can confine them to it anytime you’re unable to watch them. Instead of “hoping” your Chihuahua doesn’t use the bathroom inside the house, you can rest assured knowing they are safely confined to their crate. Naturally, most Chihuahuas won’t use the bathroom in the same crate where they sleep and rest. If they have to use the bathroom, they will try to hold it until you let them outside. This works in your favor, as it lets your Chihuahua develop the skills necessary to hold their pee until you take them outside. Just remember to never leave a Chihuahua in a crate for long periods of time.
References:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-potty-train-your-dog-or-puppy
I have a Chihuahua mixed with two other dogs. I was asked to care for Jazmin for a friend and now I became her owner. She doesn’t like to potty outside but will whine when she wants to go out. She’s very skittish around other people. Whenever she pottys in the house we tell her “bad girl” and put her back in her cage. She also refuses to eat.. I’m nky sure what to do.. Can anyone help?
I have a Chihuahua she keeps poking in the house I don’t know what to do I have tried telling her no and bad girl but its just not working what should I do?!
I have the same problem. My Chi is 10 weeks old and continues to have accidents in her crate during the night. I take her out every night before bed around 10 p but at 6:30am she wakes me up and she has pooped in her crate. During the day she goes wherever pads, carpet ,floor. This is even after many trips outside. Help!
Very easy Savannah. Put her in crate just big enough her size, make sure she doesn’t have too much room to play around. Set the crate where you want her to do business. But make sure choose a small area and where is easy to clean up. I’m living in apartment so i choose balcony for her spot. ( just for example) it’s up to you.
Step 1:
any puppy use to go out roughly less than 30′ after her meal. Let her out where you want her to do her business. Be patient wait that much time or less, surely she will do. Right after she has done immediately say good girl and pet her just like you give her a reward. Let her play around with you or her toys a bit then put her in crate.
Step 2:
There are 2 ways you can choose, it’s up to you.
A . Put her in the crate and close the door. She will soon fall to sleep ( after playing most puppy need rest ) now you can leave her in crate and don’t worry abiout her for couple of hours. Than repeat step 1 as puppy need their meal evry couple hours.n
B: put her in the crate with the door open. But make sure the crate aand herself in the limits area that you want her do her busses. ( isolated the crate in that area make sure she just allow get out the crate but not a surrounding area ) balcony or conner of the room where you want it for example.
This way is best if you are busy person and not always with her. Or been away from her more than couple of hours. So she can get out ofnthe crate and do her business any time she need to. Keep doing this for a couple of days surely she would learn quickly where she go out when needed.
I need only 1 day to teach my Minpin to do spotty training.
If during playing time she might accidentally want to that by turning and snipping around, quickly say no and move her to where you want her to do. Be patient, any puppy will make mistakes. All you should do is watching her closely first couple of first day home.
Good luck
Hi Savannah,
Do not punish this behaviour. It should be ignored otherwise it will get worse.
Know her toilet habits, as soon as you see her walking in circles and sniffing for a good spot. Take her to the place she needs to go. If it’s a pee pad, make sure a little pee is already on there so she knows this is the toilet area.
Then once shes done, praise her like she’s won the Olympics! And do this for the first week.
If she has full roam of the house, confine her to a room until she is trusted again. Thats when you are there or not.
What is wrong with poking?
I believe she meant pooping. Lol
I am 97% sure she meant “puking”.
I have a rescue chi mix and we have trained him to go outside to do his business which is fine but I have injured my knee walking him and so have my husband. How do we re-train him to use the pads?
Someone please help me. I have 2 sister full bred Chihuahuas, now over 6 months old and still keep pooing in the house. They know its wrong, they get praised when they do it outside every time then get a treat. They like the comfort of the house and I dont use pads as I dont agree with them and dont want it in my house. I have a german shepherd who is great and I am finding it so frustrating as I am out of options and so are my vets advise. I dont see why it is acceptable because they are small As if it was my german shepherd doing that in the house she would be gone.
if all you guys have this problem on the pads go to your local pet store ( i suggest petsmart/petco ) and purchase puppy diapers
My chihuahua is about 7 years old and I potty trained her as a puppy to use a litterbox! She knows just like a cat that she needs to go there and not on the floor. She only goes on the floor or carpet when she is mad at me or my family, as an act of rebellion. I also recommend cat stuff for a smaller chihuahua. Sometimes, it provides a better fit and more comfort since they are so small. Mine has a cat bed, cat collar (so we know where she is in the house mostly) cat clothes, cat food dishes, all because they’re just the perfect size for my 4lb baby,
Hi Daniela,
Any tips on how to litter box train a puppy? My chihuahua is 7 months old and is still peeing and pooing in the house. I would like to litter box train her but I am not sure where to start!
Thanks-
Nicole
Great tip to use cat stuff. How did you train her to use a litter box? Do you put pee pads, newpaper, litter? How often do you change it? Thanks.
Could you please tell me how you litter trained your Chihuahua? I have an 8 week old shih tzu chihuahua mix please help
I just acquired a very small Chihuahua rescue from a bad hoarding situation. She came into the shelter so I am fostering her but will adopt her soon. I have her on Orijen right now, the research I am finding is not to put these dogs on commercial food. What do other people feed their dogs?? I am going to incorporate sweet potatoe and zuchhini with the Orijen and other things that she can eat grain free. She already has wardrobe and we are going winter shopping! She is an absolute darling in spite of the horror that she has been thru.
Thank you
Joan
I feed my 3 lb Chi Royal Canin Mini….she loves it & it’s perfect for her tiny mouth. Her coat is shiny, nice skin & teeth. She gets that & nothing else. I feed my 7 lb Yorkie, Simpky Nourish for Toy Dogs….Both are excellent foods.
That’s Simpky Nourish..excuse the spelling error. It’s from Petsmart.
I too feed my girl dry Royal Canine and it’s very good the Chihuahua brand and then I feed her Simply Nourish it’s a freeze dried Chicken all our and natural chicken . All you have to do is soak it in hot water. She loves every bite of this food. And wants more of it. I too though have a potty training problem with her. She is 15 weeks and she hasn’t taken to any type of potty training and I have even been giving her tons of praise. Don’t know what else to do. Thinking of the potty training apartment and keeping the door open so she can sleep and go on the pads to relieve herself. Tried outside, tried pads, tried litter box and to no avail still making mistakes. I have run out of ideas.
Royal Canine Starter…dry & can…started mine on it at 6 weeks and now she’s one and has shiny coat, beautiful and healthy My vet highly recommended it….
Joan royal canin has a pet food just for chihuahua in puppy and adult. My 12 week old puppy loves it and the have adult food just for chihuahuas too. However if you give people food, green beans and rice for upset tummy and diarrhea carrot treats, sweet potatoes and salmon
I was really happy when i discovered Orijen. Mine gets the 6-fish and all the research I’ve done seems to indicate its one of the healthier options, but i also consider it a great base and try to give her other things (it was also really important to me ethically to have her on a pescatarian diet, I know a lot of dog owners don’t agree with my choice to not allow my chi to eat meat)
I do add to it certain things or cook for a few times a week. If I add any warm clear soup w a bit of rice or tomato sauce and a little pasta and olive oil to her food she is really really happy. Im very lucky Ive been giving her vegetables ever since she was a puppy and she loves them (broccoli, carrots, potatoes, even raw salad). Organic eggs or yogurt also work well w her food and she gets cheese as a reward.
I have a 2 1/2 year old male Chihuahua. I’ve had him since he was weaned from his Mother at about six or seven months old. I’ve trained him with the phrase “Go potty”, to go to the bathroom outside in the yard. He’s had very few accidents in the home, and when he does, I’ve told him “No”, set him outside, and said “Go potty”. When he was about a year old, I started taking him on walks. I noticed after the first few walks that he didn’t act as any other dog I’ve known. He didn’t wildly sniff everything, and would not mark his territory as we went along. I’ve taken him on a number of day long trips, he’ll eat and drink, but will not go to the bathroom until we return home! I even spent some time house sitting for a friend, and had to rush him back home bright and early every morning (because he was crying and whimpering from holding it in too long), because he had held it every night. This despite my taking him outside numerous times while using “Go potty” and even showing him the treat he is normally rewarded with. He wouldn’t even look for a place to go. I want to take him on longer trips, and even move to a new place soon, but I don’t know how all of this is going to work! Any advice would very be welcome!
I have an 8 month old chi, he will go outside and go to the bathroom, but if he has to go, he will not wait for me to take him outside he will just go inside. I have tried most everything and nothing is working! I keep him on a leash, and crate him. But if I try to reward him with freedom for doing all his business outside, he will go into a separate room and pee, even if it is only a tiny bit. I am about to have a baby, and I won’t be able to spend all my time watching my chi when the baby gets here.
What else can I possibly do?!
Hi Dakota my chi does the same thing and what you have to do is when you are going some where close all the doors and tell her to be goodgirl then put out pee pads or put a doggy door and that must help
Hello, I have just been bought a chihuahua puppy for my 13th birthday. I have called her Lola, like ‘Charlie and Lola’! {except in that, Charlie is a boy, and I’m a girl!!} She is genuinely a good girl, apart from biting me and anyone else she can get her piranha-like teeth on! Hopefully, that will stay just for her teething stage! She does have a tendency to either pee/poop on/near/far-away-from or just on the edge of her puppy pad! This page has given me some great advice!
Thanks!!
I want to send an update. I started dedicating myself to pottie training using these tips and we haven’t had an accident all week. I know we have a way to go but I’ve seen a lot of progress! My problem was not using a crate and not spending enough time outside with him.
Here are a few tips that will make your reader’s lives easier. 1 – Chihuahuas are very intelligent and are easy to train. It is the owns that are hard to train. It’s like teenagers and parents. Some people say the teens are difficult, but once the parent has the right tools to work with, the teens aren’t as bad as you’d think. Same goes with Chihuahua puppies. We have two and they were paper trained and night time crate sleepers withing 24 hours of getting them at 12 weeks old. You must have a designated pee pad area…away from their food, but close to where they sleep. When you see the puppy sniffing around and/or starting to squat, immediately take them to their pad! Do not scold them! Do not yell at them! They may dribble on the floor/carpet… so you’ll need to scrub that area asap with warm water and liquid dish soap so that they won’t smell it later and think that it’s the spot where they should go. With the same respect, puppy pads are scented to attract dogs to go pee and poop there, but I like to either rub the pad on the part of the carpet that was soiled on and put it back where it suppose to go. So that the puppy will smell the it and know that “that’s the place I should go”! Positive reinforcement is better than negative. So praise puppy after they use the pad. Don’t give them a treat like some beginners say! Praise is enough! Puppies love, the love and praise! 2- For night time, we use a high cardboard box big enough only for a little sleep blanket and pee pad. That way he is either in bed or on the pad. He is either sleeping or peeing/pooing. No play area. No night light. No nightly visits to comfort him. Ignore his yelps and whimpers and cries! It’s hard! My wife got up in the middle of the first night and the yelp of our puppy sounded like he was in immediate danger and extreme pain, but no…he was just playing her! The second night, he just whimpered a little but fell fast asleep. We find in the mornings that they have used the pad a few times. 3- Be sure to change the pad frequently! It’s okay and even preferred to have one pee or poop on the pad when training, but too much…too dirty and the puppy will not want to go there because they need a clean area.
Conclusion… Puppies go by scent. They will pee where they have peed before. So clean up any accidents right away. Do not traumatize your puppy when they do have an accident or dribble. Correct their behaviour by relocating them to the pad. Don’t let dogs share sleeping crates. One to a puppy. Igor puppies distress yelps at night. Then they will know next time that yelping doesn’t work and they will accept their night time sleeping arrangements.
This is very helpful. Thank you
Yes’ thank you got some great tips and ideas from you.
I have a 3 month old Chi! Treats are really helping with potty training! Also I noticed once I took the pee pads off the carpet he avoids the carpet! He goes outside most of the time except when it’s really cold! I put pee pads in the garage! I’m trying to teach him that it is unacceptable to go in the house!I also crate him during the day when no one is home! He still has accidents but I’m hoping he will start barking or ringing the bell on the door to notify me when he has to go! Goodluck to all of us! They are a challenging breed
I adopted a Chihuahua that was a year old. She was original trained by her previous owner to pee on a puppy pad. Everything was great for about 6-8 months and suddendly she refuses to pee or poop on the pad. I brought her to the doctors and she is getting treated for UTI but she is continuing to pee / poop all over the house. I think it is a more behavioral issue because I took her to my sisters house and she went on the puppy pad so its not like she doesn’t know. I thought about taking her outside but it is too cold and too much snow. I also am frustrated and ready to throw in the towel. Should I crate her and still train her to go outside?
I have a six month old chihuahua, I have tryed to potty train her outside, but I live in the north and some days we are minus 30 celcius and it is just too cold for her to be out. She is only 4 pounds. She seems to do very well on the pee pad some days then the next she will not use them. Do you have any advice that might help train her. When we are not home she is confind to the hallway and bathroom, but when I am home she is loose in the house. It is when she is loose in the house that she just pees or poops where ever she is at.
So stop having her loose in the house. You need to start the crate training all over again that is on acceptable to have a 6 month old running around loose peeing and pooping all over
I have a 5 month old Chihuahua Ive had since she was 3 weeks old, bue to being rejected by her mother. At first, she would use potty pads every time. For the past month, she has been using the potty all through the house, usually on an area rug or on the carpet. Ive tried putting her on the pads, but she will get up and go pee. Im not harsh with her, so I dont understand the regression.
This is exactly how I feel I need answers too. I have 2 10 week old chihuahuas and they are exactly like yours 🙁
Hey there, I just recently adopted a 3 month old Chihuahua full blooded and I also have a 2 year old Shih-Tzu who is Puppy pad trained. We have an empty room that we use for storage and as our pet room. Our Chihuahua will use the puppy pad sometimes but most of the times she’ll go and pee on our rug in our living room. their food and water was beside the rug, but I just recently moved their food and water to the extra room where the pads are. How can I get my Chihuahua to use the pads all the time?
I have a Chi that just turned 1. She will not pee on the potty pads – she’d rather lay on it or eat the them. I have tried every brand I can get my hands on. Also, since I live in FL the flees are fierce and now I can’t take her out on a regular basis. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
have you tried puppy diapers? i also have a chi, he hates pee pads, so i put on diapers, he eats hard food so the poop comes out solid and is way easier to clean. if those dont work try to rub her urine on the pad so she’d think she used the restroom there and its okay to use it there. hope i helped!
I have a chi/terrier mix will be 2 yrs old next month. we got rascal when he was 6 weeks old, not housebroken. rascal was housebroken within a months time and has never had an accident in the house since. We have a fenced backyard where he loves to go most times, he comes yells at us when he has to go out and I also walk him every night and he does his business. Only when there is snow on ground he prefers backyard to his walk. From reading all the comments I guess I am very lucky! He is a great dog, no a member of the family!
Hello,
I adopted a Chihuahua mix from the shelter in September they think he is about 3 years old. At first he was PERFECT and would not have any accidents in the house he slept where ever he wanted but now it’s so common and it happends too often. He pees in his own bed, when we did crate him he peed and pooped in it. Resulting in eating it!
He pees or poops in the house even if we just came back from a walk!
I dont know what to do anymore he seems to be more relaxed when not being crated, when I put him in a crate he refuses to come out, to eat, drink, pee or poop or even for human contact. Nobody knows his story we just know he came from a high kill shelter in California. please I really need help!!
I have just gotten 2….neither is completely house broke.I’m home most of the day. ..should I crate them when I’m home to brake them completely?
To stop your chi from eating his poop, there is a pill called Deter from any pet store just ask them, it’s caused from a mineral decency see if that helps
i am having the same problem. My dog came from a shelter and will not go outside in the winter. I live in wisconsin. Besides that I hav keeping her inside with potty pads. She was malled big time from big dogs in my apt. complex. very badly hurt. Now it is winter and she is not going on her pad. Tonigt I am putting her in yhe bathroom with a bed and potty pad. I want help with a dog that has come from a shelter and abused. Not by me. She is scarred with any dog she sees. So i decided to keep her inside or take her back to the shelter. Iwant to know how to deal with this four year old dog. Not puppy. That seems that is all that I am reading. Is only about puppies. Personally, I do not think that they should bring strays from Texas to Wisconsin. I am really ready to take her back to the shelter. she was a year old. They estimated. Now she is about four and a hail years old. cannot put up with this in my very small apt.
I have a 6 month old Chi that we adopted and being we live in Michigan it’s freezing, we take him out to go potty but he just stands there and shivers and whines and jumps on our legs, how do I ever get him potty trained if he won’t even go near the door because he’s cold? Frustrated and ready to throw in the towel!
Hi Alisha
The problem is that your dog is cold. It most likely is that your dog is too uncomfortable because of the coldness. Maybe you could try buying a indoor grass mat at you local pet store. They are usually 20-40 dollars. If that doesn’t work, try potty mats. Hope for the best for both you and your puppy pal!
I crate mine if I can’t keep an eye on her. If I take her out and she goes, I let her run around the house for 30 minutes and take her out again…she has food, water, pee pad and bed in her crate and I keep it clean…
I am having the exact same issue 🙁 I live in Southern Alberta, and with the windchill it’s generally around -30/-40. My pup is 3 months old, and he has mastered peeing outside. I carry him out, put him down and he pees instantly. However, when it comes to pooping, he will not go. Instead he will cry and jump up my legs to be picked up. I have a jacket for him, but can’t find boots in his size in town. He will go on a pee pad in the house but he has terrible aim 🙁 He’s even crate trained, but will literally hold his poop for 10-11 hrs 😳.
When I first began house breaking him, we had a bit of a break in the weather for 2 days, the weather was around -5, so still cold, but not near as bad. My initial tries to get him to go was to put him him the same spot, and say “go potty” and repeated that every hour. And I had ZERO luck. I tried the sprays, nothing. Potty pad on the lawn, nothing. But then one day he was playing in the snow, so I took him for a walk. The little guy walked for 25 solid minutes, and on the walk he peed and pooed. Since then I’ve had no issues with peeing.
Now I just need a solution for the poo.
I have a 6 week old chichi and she hates grass. She will only potty on the concrete. Is this normal and how do I change this behavior?
I adopted a Chihuahua mix at 16 weeks from a pound and I’m having a horrible time potty training her on pee pads because it is freezing cold here and snowing.. Every time we put her on her pee pad she will sit there stubbornly for even an hour and as soon as she walks off will pee instantly on the carpet or floor.. She also refuses to ever poop on the pee pad she always hides and does that as well. We have successfully gotten her to potty on her pee pad several times but it has taken a lot of time hours and patience. But it seems like its getting worse rather than better. What can we do? Why is it that she wants to run away and he instantly instead of partying on her pee pad? if I can’t correct this problem my father is going to give her back
Hi Beckie
My dog would do the same thing. The reason why your dog will not use the mat is because she is either feeling pressured or doesn’t want to go because she knows you want her to. Since you cannot take her outside you could buy a grass mat from the pet store ($20-$40) Which will make her feel outside because it has grass and it should work. If not maybe you could try telling her simple commands as the article says. Other than that maybe you and your dog have to zip up in cozy jackets and take a 10 minute potty break outside. Good Luck!!!
Hi
I just got a 2 month old Chihuahua and I’m trying to potty train on the pee-pee pad but he seems like he’s not really doing it. What should I do?
Confine her to a small area. Place her bed at one end and pee pads at the other end. She will instinctively pee away from her sleeping area, which will be her pee pads which should be placed about 5 feet from her bed. If she pees somewhere, take the pee pad and dab a small bit of the pee on it so it catches the scent and use an enzymatic cleaner to remove the pee scent from the places she is not supposed to go potty and never let her watch you clean up her mess. If you want her to continue going on her pee pad then praise her, if not, then show no reaction to it but praise her when she goes potty outside. This is what I have read and it makes sense. I just got a chihuahua mix and am crate training her.
My chi does the same thing. She refuses to use all types of training but when we spent the night at my friends she went right on the pee pad and did both. I need to know what I am doing wrong with her and what to do right to get this 15 week girl potty trained
I’m no dog expert but I will give you my experience.
I have a female Chihuahua I got when she was 8 weeks old. She is now 8 months and potty trained.
Young puppies have little control of their bladder so accidents are going to happen just don’t give up. When it does happen take her to the place she was supposed to potty.
When she wakes up immediately take her to where you want her to potty and when she does give her a treat she loves. (I use pieces of cat food because its small and she can consume it quickly)
I potty trained on a puppy pad in the bathroom and she now goes there automatically. I do not need to put her there that is just where she goes. It was consistency that made it work. When she used the puppy pad she received a treat and praise when she had an accident I used a stern voice and exclaimed no and placed where on the puppy pad. Also, repeatedly use a word to associate the actions, for example I say “potty”. It wasn’t until she was about 5 months old that I was comfortable enough to let her roam the house freely without fear she would have an accident. I started noticing her breaking from play to go potty without being prompted. I love the puppy pads. I have washable pads that I change daily. I do not have an odor and wash them with bleach.
Now if we could just tackle their stairs things would be perfect.
Please help I have a 2 1/2 year old male he’s fixed Chi and I just got a puppy she is 5 months. I take them out on a regular basis and give them a treat when they go potty outside. My older Male still goes potty in the house. He sneeks off and goes to the bathroom in the house poops and pees he goes outside enough I don’t understand why he sneeks off. She has been doing the same thing. I don’t want her to learn his bad habits. It’s weird cause they will just been outside and come in and go to the bathroom. I’ve also just bought the potty bells to ring when they have to go potty and that hasn’t worked. They both don’t ring the bells my older Male will for the most part whine to go out then sometimes doesn’t and sneeks off. I need helps some tips. Please. I don’t wanna have to use the potty pads but I’m beyond frustrated with cleaning up their messes. I understand I have a pup but my older Male should know better by now.
We just adopted an 11 month old teacup chi. He is so adorable, sweet, loving, and friendly. He will obey everything we say to him, except for the potty. We live on the 3rd floor of an apartment, and we work, so we are not able to take him outside as often as he needs. I leave for work at 9 in the morning and my husband gets back at 2pm, so he is not home alone for too long. But when he is, we put him in a gated area, with a potty pad in there for him to go on. He will NEVER go on it. He holds it until one of us gets home and then will go hide from us and immediately go pee and poo. We catch him and put him on the potty pad and tell him “go potty” but he will just stare at us. He won’t ever go on the potty pad. No matter how long we make him stay there. He will hold it until he has a moment to sneak away from us. We have only had him for a few weeks and I know he is just nervous and getting used to us and his new home. But when we adopted him, the shelter said he had been perfectly trained to go on a potty pad, and he would always go on it. It’s been a few weeks and I don’t know how to get him to get back into the habit of using the potty pad instead of going everywhere else in our house. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!!!! I have tried absolutely everything! It is getting frustrating and I don’t want our house to start smelling. We love him so much and he is the perfect dog for our family, but we NEED him to go on the potty pad on his own everytime. PLEASE HELP!! Thanks!
Hi, I have a 12 year old Chihuahua that has NEVER been fully potty trained. I have used every inch of advise found, but nothing has ever worked. She is very stubborn, aggressive and does not like people or other dogs. Since she is so old now, how do I break this? I am getting a puppy in about 3-4 weeks and do not want the puppy to learn her bad habits. Is she trainable at this age? I also worry because she has arthritis and has a bit of incontinence. Right now, the only thing that mostly works are pee pads.
is 7 weeks to young to potty train a teacup chihuahua
I have a chihuahua puppy who’s 6 month old and will have accidents in the house 1 to 2 times a day even though we take her out every 1-3 hours. What can be done to change this or prevent it?
Hello! I have an 11 month old Toy Chi. She is such a loving and wonderful dog, but I am having a hard time potty training her. For the most part she’ll pee outside because I take her out in the morning twice before work, and right when I get home in the evening. She also will go sporatic times throughout the night. The issue is that she poops inside the house daily, but also has a habit of going under my bed to potty. She now is peeing under there and it’s smelling up my house. I can’t catch her once she goes under the bed so I cannot punish her. What do you suggest?
I don’t agree with the advice to yell at your dog if it is in the process of peeing or pooping in the house. This will just make it more nervous and more likely to have accidents and probably start getting sneakier about it, because it’s scared. Just take it outside lots, teach it to pee on command (I tell my chihuahua “do a pee” and she knows) then a treat and praise immediately. Consistency, lots of patience and treats. I think greediness is a chihuahua thing so that is on your side! Good luck everyone.
I just adopted a 7 week old Chihuahua, I wasn’t too puppy pad train her. How can I do this with ease?
I have to let my 2mth chihuahua alone at home
During my working time.
Give me some advices.
Help me;plz.
And to the rest.
Do not let your chi roam the house untill
he/she is fully housebroken! And that requires to
take your chi out on a regular basis.
Magic doesn’t excist, so don’t go whishing for
things to happen. Only hard work and persistansy
helps.
If you dont have the time, then dont get a dog.
I got my chi puppy on labor day. At that point he had just turned 8 week old. The people we got him from had one enitre room blocked offwith plastic and puppy pads covering the whole floor. He was doing great for a while but now all of a sudden we goes all over the floors. I have a puppy pad in my livingroom kitchen and one in his crate just in case. I am at a loss here. Please help me…..
I have a 1 year old puppy and she will go to the bathroom outside then 30 minutes later she will go in the house. My parents don’t think there is a way to train her and want to give her away. They said if I can potty train her, then we can keep her. Any tips on what to do? My parents don’t want her to have to be walked every half hour and want her to learn to tell us when she has to go and to be able to hold it. She is in her crate all day unless we take her for a walk and she goes o the bathroom.
Hello, two months ago we adopted our sweet 9 year old Sophie from the local Animal Shelter. She’s very shy, loves the lap, and in general is a wonderful companion. She will go potty outside and we praise with the treats. She even has her own doggie door which she uses with a potty pad outside on the patio and again we praise. But she also goes potty in the house. She absolutely hates walks even when giving her treats along the way. This morning she went out her doggy door and peed and pooped – we praise her. then she came inside went right into the room and peed. Please help ..Thank you
We have two eight month mixed Chihuahua puppies. One we adopted at 6 weeks and she is completely potty trained. The other puppy (her sister) we adopted 1 month ago. After one month she just started pooping all over the house, on my bed, under couches. And she just recently peed on my bed. This happens when we are home and watching her, I’m not sure how she does this so quickly and without us seeing her. We kennel the during the day. What can we do to stop this behavior? Our first puppy is great and we thought the new one would follow her behavior, but she hasn’t. What do we do?
I love my 3yr old chi. He has been a little bit of a problem . He has a reputation in my building. He nips at people and he nips at a dog just playful
I have had a 3-1/2-month-old chihuahua-terrier mix for 3 weeks. Instead of potty training getting easier, it gets more difficult and time consuming every day! Lola ignores the pads and goes straight for carpet every chance she gets. Outside she is constantly distracted by sticks, bugs, sounds of all kinds, etc. She will walk and run around for a hour at a time and never pee or poop. Then she’ll come back inside and do one or the other within a few minutes. When I scold her, she doesn’t even respond. Instead, she just carries on jumping up and down. I’ve said, “go potty” about 10,000 times already, and she just doesn’t get it. However, after saying, “Want a treat?” 2-3 times, she knew exactly what that meant!” She knows “lie down” and learned her name within a couple of days. I think she’s pretty smart overall, but this potty thing is about to do me in. I spend at least 3 hours a day, starting at 5:00 a.m., walking her around the yard or down the street. I’ve tried on the leash and off; nothing works. This is so frustrating! I love this little girl, but I don’t know how long I can keep this up. It keeps getting worse instead of better. HELP!!!
Hi Karen,
Sounds to me like your dog thinks he’s the leader.
It is impossible to train a dog, that doesn’t have respekt
for it’s owner, so you need to address this problem first.
You can find great tips on how to gain respect from
you dog, by watching the Dog Whisperer by Cesar Millan.
That helped me a lot.
Oh my gosh! I read your post and thought that I wrote it.
We have a chihusha terrier mix about the same age and are going through the same issues!
I also am so frustrated, I have potty trained several other breeds without issue.
My little girl is so sweet but I am afraid that she is going to explode. She WILL NOT go number 2 outside she will hold it until she can sneek away and go in the house. If anyone has any suggestions it would be very much appreciated. Losing my mind!
I have a very lovable 2yr old male chi. He was crate/house trained when we lived in TX. Since we moved home to WI he has refused to eliminate outside. We have been in the same house for a year now. I have tried the crate again which he loves and follows the given command to go in his crate but he will still hold it in and go on the basement floor. I don’t know what to do.
My Chihuahua is almost 4 years old. He’s pretty much been a back yard dog the whole time Ive had him because I could never get him to NOT pee inside. He sleeps in his crate at night but I cant let him in the house with out him peeing on the couch or a room rug. I feel bad for him I would love for him to be inside with us all the time! But im not sure if its too late at this point. (mind you we all work and are gone for almost the entire day we leave at 8 am and dont get home until after 4pm) any ideas?
I just adopted a 10 month old Chihuahua and trying to potty train him but he would not eat any type of hard treat unless it is human food. How can I successfully train him to potty outside and begin eating hard food?
I have a chihuahua that is almost a year old. He refuses to be potty trained. He is fixed. He will pee outside but he is determined to poop anywhere he wants to in the house. I am at my wits end. I have tried every training method know to man. I am coming close to getting rid of him. I have a lot of money tied into this dog and I hate to take the loss. I am close to dropping him off at our local shelter because I just can’t deal with it anymore. He is not a stupid dog because I have taught him many tricks. He knows what he is doing is wrong because he hangs his head and tries to hide. He is just plain stubborn. Any advice would be appreciated but I think I am gonna have to take the loss financially and get rid of him for my sanity. I have had several dogs throughout my life and I have never had one this bad. I wish I had looked into the breed more before I got him or I would have never got him. Puppy pads are not an option. I am not cleaning up crap for the next 12 to 15 years of my life.
I have a 2 1/2 yr old chihuahuas that i adopted a week ago. Very nervous around ppl and is scared when i bring her outside to potty. I will stand out there with him for 30 minutes and the second i bring him in he pees. I don’t know what to do!! Help
Hi. I recently got my sisters Chihuahua from her that,she has had as a pet for at least ten years. She is moving and hard to take the animals and so since me and Tia ( the chihuahua) have a bond she gave her to me. I’m having problems because Tia is used to going out a doggy door and peeing in a fenced area and unfortunately the apt we are currently in has a carpet where the owners let the dog pee inside so that smell is still there and she refuses to pee outside because she gets scared so we catch her either peeing inside or holding it until she can go in a fenced in area. What can I do to get her to start going outside??
Hi so theres this chihuahua like 2 blocks from me shes really fraile and sick and scared of everything and i noticed the owner dosent take good care of it so i asked him if he would give it or sell it to me he decided to sell it to me for 200 dollars ik its allot for a sick chihuahua thats like 7 years old but i know i would do a great job taking care of it an feeding it but i dont know what to do cause my mom by the way im 14 said shes ok with it but she can only sleep ouside and poop outside and we live in a apt that has like a balceny and we cleaned it up and where gonna buy a dog house a bed dog bowls leashes ect but i dont know if i could train her to not poop in the house since we have carpet and that would be a mess shes already 7 years old and if i would yell no or bad puppy im sure she will pee cause i tried peting her and she peed i think its because her owner abuses her ima bring her home in a day cause i cant stand for her to get kicked or anything by her former owner can anyone give me advice on how to help her not be scared and try to prevent her to peeing or pooping inside
Hello. I have had a male chihuahua/pug but much more chihuahua for about a year and a half. He was born 11/29/12 so here goes. At first I thought he was doing great but then after a while I started to notice my 3 yr old daughters room reaked like dog pee. Poor girl. I should mention he’s not fixed, I will be doing this on July 30th can’t wait! Anyways well we’ve tried everything besides crate training and now it’s just so bad I’m almost ready to get rid of him. I mean my daughters room is just covered in dog piss, we’ve shampooed it numerous times but u can just see the stains all over her carpet, it’s bad. He’s pissed all over clothes, stuffed animals, blankets, towels, you name it. So i just discovered a couple days ago he’s moved to my sons room and I can barely type it but he is pissing and popping on my sons bed!!!!!!!! It makes me extremely angry to even type it. I never catch him in the act obviously. Well today I’m laying on the couch in my living room and I hear what I thought was a kid pouring water out and I see it’s my frikking dog peeing on my living room carpet right in front of me!!!! Our back door was even open! He could’ve just gone right outside on his own. I don’t know what to do besides get him fixed and go from there. I am so mad that my house and all my belongings are literally getting ruined I’m embarassed to entertain, my daughter can’t even sleep in her room let alone my son. I just don’t know what to do. The kids are attached, he’s their baby but I just don’t even know. What do I do????
Hi, I just got a 11 week old Chihuahua. He was outdoor trained when I got him but we live in the far north. Where he would freeze instantly if we let him out to do his business outside. Im trying to train him to poo and pee on a pad. He pees on the pad 75% of the time, then he poops all over the house. Different spot every time. What can I do to train him to poop on the pad?
I have been having a hell of a time with a 7 year old chi I rehomed.
His previous family stated that they’d never had any issues but possible the fact they had alot of dogs maybe they didn’t realise it was him.
Because its taken me 6months to persuade him to pee outside, poops once in a blue moon.
So after 6 months of having a smelly hallway I have bleached and bleached we have a new flooring being fitted on Saturday and Fred now has a crate, and a long lead.
I am home the majority of the day and rarely leave them for more then 3hrs and it will be hard not sleeping in bed with him but hopefully a strong established routine will be good for both of us.
I have a 2 year old chi and she always goes outside but never to the bathroom please help
I have two Chihuahuas that are just the sweetest little fur babies ever! My male chi has been here longer. I adopted him from a friend when her two chihuahuas had “accident” puppies. That was 3.5 years ago. So he’s grown up here ..loves me & my husband equally…he’s just a dear. We go a tiny long haired female about 3 months ago. She’s very skiddish. She reacts to loud or sharp noises like someone is trying to hurt her. She’s very loving when you can catch her. But if you call her name to try and get her to come to you …she either runs or cowers down and shivers until you pick her up. I don’t think I mentioned that she is also 3 years old. Anyway ..last week we finished adding an additional room onto the back of our house. Since then …she runs to that new room anytime she gets to the floor…and goes under the bed …and will only come out to go outside to pee …or to eat. I’m baffled. And I can’t stand the thought of her back there under that cold bed when she could be here cuddled with me and the male dog. She seems very fond of the male & he of her. So that’s not a problem. I could use some advice though. Any help would be appreciated.
Marcie – Chance, California
Writing you here to say that i’m on my 4th day and my child Alisha has gone nearly 24 hours now using the potty on her own and without telling me when she has to go. Who knew I would stumble across this site and have a fully potty trained child 3 days later! I have liked this page and told my friends to come watch your video
watch the video here: http://tinyurl.com/nhbyjun
hello i am getting my puppy (chihuahua) in 6 weeks she will be 12 weeks old am i best starting her on puppy pads or lurn her outside? i have 2 young children aged 4 months and other 3 years will this make it harder ii have been and got the crate her bed bowls food vets sorted insurance sorted the breeder is taking them to her vet for injections i just really need to know shall i use pads or straght away have her lurn to go out? please help she is my first puppy and dont want to be a bad doggie mam 🙁 any help is really gratefull xx
I want a teacup chiuahuahu and i want it also potty trained, but i reserch dogs and can find good behaved ones and some thats just for me but they arnt potty trained. How long does it take to train a pup? Is it eaisier to just take the dog to a professional trainer?
I acquired a Chihuahua from a friend. The dog was a rescue having been thrown out off a moving car. The dog who’s name is cup cake will not poop outside instead he waits till he gets inside and will poop immediately after walking in the house. If you scold cup cake he gets scared and hides for hours. Do you have any suggestions on how I could correct this behavior? I am a dog lover, and wouldn’t think of getting rid of cupcake. He won’t pee in the house though and I’m glad for that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Scarlett
We have a chihuahua who is a house dog. We do have a yard but being from Chicago and it being winter 90% of the year we keep her indoors on a regular basis, so we are trying to pre pad train her. Our major problem is that she hides to go to the bathroom, so we are usually unable to catch her in the act and correct her. She has actually become quite skilled at the act. We cannot afford to hire someone to come in house and train. Any tips?
Hi, I have a 8 week old chihuahua puppy he was givin to me by mu aunt because she didnt have time to train him. At the miment I am staying at my sisters house and she is not suppose to have animals so I have to keep him barracaded in my room but I am moving to be with my husband next week I have tried laying puppy pads down for him but he refuses to use them and I cant stay in the room with him 24 hours a day how can I stop him from using the bathroom everywhere? Before I go to be with my husband
my dog will pee on the pad but will go else where to poop
Hi I adopted a 2 year old Chihuahua and I just got her yesterday, all she wants to do is pee on the floor I asked the people I got her from what was their technique for her and they said that she peed on the rug will I have puppy pad she won’t go on them at all she pees on clothes and pillows and it’s too cold to put her outside I need help… I dont no what to do..
Hi, my mother’s boss has a Chihuahua and its assn older one. He says I can have it but there’s one thing, it’s still not potty trained they said that they had bought it for their son but he has nothing to do with it. They told me that he was almost trained but since their son did not take the time to let him out all the time it did not last. Is it going to be impossible to train him? or will it take a little bit more time because he was not fully trained?
Why does my 2 year old chihuahua spend 2 hours outside and then come back inside and five minutes later do her business and her crate? I have successfully house trained over 10 large breed dogs/puppies in my lifetime but I cannot get her trained or figure out why! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP…I’ve done everything I know to do, but now I’m stumped!!!
hello, my name is Andrea and I have a 4 months old chi… I don’t know why she likes to go pee and potty to really strange hidden places in my apartment like under the table or even under the couch, I don’t know if it’s something normal in the breed because I used to have another chi when I lived in argentina before moving to the US and she always went to pee and potty under my bed, it was pretty convenient back then because my bed frame was pretty light and I had all the floor under the bed covered with pee pads so I changed them once every one or two days and that wasn’t bad, but having to move a heavy reclining sofa every day and clean that area is not fun.
there are some days that I don’t have time to take the dog out so I would like to train her to go in the pee pad, I’ve been using those training drops that you put in the pee pad but she doesn’t always use it, specially for potty and she likes to hide in unusual places, what should i do??? is it normal in the breed to hide to use the bathroom??
Hello,
About three weeks ago I adopted a two month old male chihuahua/mix. We know the mother is a chihuahua but unsure of the father. This dog has no sense of potty training and he pees and poops all over our house….on the carpet, tile, my daughter’s backpack, our bed, etc. Even while outside he will pee/poop on rugs, stepping stones, and right on the patio- rather than in the grass or rocks where we bring him. I swear this dog pees about 100 times per day and it’s almost always in the house.
Is it normal for a dog to not catch on to anything after three weeks? I feel like my dogs in the past have at least shown some progress at this point. Also, is it normal for a dog to be constantly peeing? He doesn’t really sniff around too much, but just quickly squats and pees. It seems to be a pretty small amount of pee, more than when a dog is “marking”, but almost like he just doesn’t know how to hold it.
Any tips?
They are very great tips. But what if you have puppy pads at home?
Me and my parents bought a full breed Chihuahua…. her name is Nonamae and she is just the cutest thing… the people who own the mom and dad say when Nonamae gets older she will probably have an Apple head like her dad….. otherwise she is so cute and she was born on December 26, 2013!
Hi, I have a Chihuahua, which is 10 months now, & I don’t let her pee outside because I live in an apartment and I can’t take her everytime to potty. She potties a lot. Idk if that’s normal I keep the snacks and water so she doesn’t feel hungry. But actually she’s always hungry and running after my family and me for food which is annoying. I put some newspapers Ina corner so she can potty there. She rarely does it. She seems to potty on my couch and floor more than on the newspaper, or her “potty” area. The problem is that I want to fix this because my parents are getting annoyed from the “potty” thingy& they say if this keeps going on, they’re going to sell her to anyone 🙁 idk what to do! Help me please. 1) why does she potty a lot ? 2) How can I make her always potty in her area by herself?
Thank you.
Waiting for a feedback pleasee!
I got a ten week old female Chihuahua four days ago and live in the Chicago suburbs. We are having one of the coldest winters in history and every time I take her out she whines and cries, picking her feet up. Even if I catch her starting to pee she won’t finish outside because it’s so cold out. Would it be a bad idea to pad train her next to the door until it gets warmer or just keep trying to take her out? I have three large dogs who use a doggy door and I never had any problems training them but this is a whole new ballgame.
I adopted a 3 yr old chawini a year ago. I got her mostly housebroken but with the cold weather lately she nas been peeing and pooping in the house. Not sure what to do besides crating her all the time. Pls help!
Hi’! Best to do is to buy those potty trays wth fake grass and place it in and area were will be easy acces for the puppy inside the house, if the puppy had pee in your floor/carpet, collected with a clean towel and rub it on the fake grass, he will follow the odor. If doesn’t work, go back to crate training again, keep him in the crate, and every hour take him to pee/poop on the fake grass, increase the time a day, it will take you a weekend if you start early in the morning. Some times they sleep 2-3 hours in a row, gives you plenty of time to rest, but remember you are the trainer, as soon you open the crate door walk your dog to the tray. I always compliment my dogs even when they are adults.
What I always personally do on winter, I put my robe on, hold my dog and go outside with them.
I am getting a chi from the shelter in a few days. I have been visiting him while I wait to adopt. He is3 years old according to them but he looks much older. He never barks at people or the works but runs up to other dog in an aggressive manner, even a pit!!
I wanted am older dog but I am not sure about training him …like crate or walking on a leash…does age matter?
Hey Annette,
The Napoleon Complex is a common behavioral characteristic among Chihuahuas. Although they are small in size, they still have one of the biggest barks around town! Walk him with a leash to ensure he doesn’t pick fights he can’t handle. As far as training is concerned, 3 years is still relatively young in the Chihuahua world, so age shouldn’t be a problem.
Hi! My father said we can adopt this small over 6-week old chihuahua terrier mix puppy, and I’m worried that I won’t be able to housebreak him. I’m gone 6 hours of the day at school, I know I can feed him and take him to use the bathroom before I go to school but are those 6 hours alone going to be too much for him? Do I have to use peepads? Because I really don’t want to so far what I’ve read about them is that they stink up the place and delay the housebreaking process.
I just adopted an 8 month old and she is handful. I take her out many times a day but she will not go to the bathroom outside. As soon as I bring her in she goes on my floor. She never gives me any indication that needs to go I just take her out hoping she will go outside. She has started pooping outside but she will not pee out there. She will pee in her crate. She’s very loving and cuddly but this needs to stop. I’ve tried all the things above to no avail. any suggestions?
Hey Anne,
Hang in there! Your Chihuahua is probably experiencing some anxiety from being in a new home, which in turn is making potty training more difficult. Continue walking your Chi on a regular basis, and do your best to keep a close eye on them at all times. At 8 months of age, your Chihuahua will likely only roam around the house when he or she is playing, eating, drinking, or looking for an area to potty. If your Chihuahua begins to squat (females) or hike their leg (males), yell at them to stop and immediately take them outside.
I am thinking on getting a chihuahua and I already found this site very helpful..thanks. I only have one concern. Since both me & husband works during the day, can I train the dog to hold his pee for more than 8 hrs or should I teach him to pee at a designated spot inside the house?
Hey Stephanie,
8 hours is around the maximum time frame that fully-trained adult Chihuahuas can hold their bladder. Puppies, however, won’t be able to make it this long. You can try blocking them off to the bathroom or kitchen with a pee-pad during the first 6-8 months — and then switching to a crate once their ‘puppy energy’ settles down.
My Chihuahua sleeps in his crate for 8 hours. That’s how long I sleep. How long in the kennel is too long?
Hi. My older sister can’t keep her chihuahua puppy because of work. My mom told me that if I research and am able to train her, I can have her. She is already 7 months I think. She only pees outside like barely at all. Is 7 months too late to keep puppy pads for her?
Hey Danielle,
7 months isn’t too long to use puppy pads, but your Chihuahua may grow dependent on them. If you’re able to spend most of the day with your Chihuahua, use baby/puppy gates (or a makeshift barricade) to contain them in the living room. When you see your Chihuahua sniffing around in their characteristic ‘I need to potty’ movement, take them outside. Even if your Chihuahua isn’t potty-trained yet, they’ll still potty simply because nature is calling. And when your Chihuahua goes potty outside, give them a treat. Following this technique will get your Chihuahua trained in no time at all!
I have just adopted a 3 month old Chihuahua and is it too early to potty train? Also, I have a crate too, but I just got him today but is afraid to come out and roam. Is it because he’s not use to our home yet?
I have a 3 month old “teacup” chihuahua and I’m having such a hard time with potty training her. I’m using the pee pads but she still doesn’t grasp the concept. I used to have her in a play pen with her crate open and now I allow her to be free around the house with her crate open and she eliminates everywhere in different spots. When he used to be in her play pen she wouod relieve everywhere except in the pee pads. I don’t take her out because she’s so small ( cannot find any jackets because she’s she weights <2 lbs) and I live in a cold area. Any suggestions? I'm frustrated and I don't know what to do.