My dog was a gift from a friend. She is 16 months old and to my knowledge never been trained to obey. She is a precious 6# 6oz bundle of joy.I am trying to train her to pee and poop outside. She does some time but goes in the house sometimes.I would appreciate some good information as what is the best method to use with her.She has a mind of her own but minds some too.I really love her. Thaks for any help.

I have an article on housebreaking a chihuahua to go outside, which will go into more details on the best method.

16 months old is still very young. I have successfully housebroken much older dogs. The key is consistency. You will need to keep a very regular schedule with her in the beginning. Take her out immediately after she has eaten. Chihuahuas have very short digestive tracts, they usually want to go the bathroom right after they eat to make room in their intestines for the new food. Walk her until she pees and poops, don’t be alarmed if this takes 20-30 mins at first. You must praise her lavishly when she does go outside. Bring a very yummy treat with you. Pretty soon, she will develop a habit of going outside with you after she eats and doing her business quickly to get the praise or treat.

When you guys are indoors, watch her carefully, if she gives you any signs that she wants to go, i.e. sniffing the floor, turning in circles, then you should take her outside immediately. If you catch her in the act of going in the wrong place, say “no” loudly. This usually shocks them to stop, and then you should immediately take her outside so she can finish going.

As for her having a mind of her own, that’s fine as long as she knows you’re the boss. It’s very important to establish pack order early on: people first, then her. At 16 months, she can start learning some basic obedience, like sit and down. Once she learns a basic command, you should use it as often as possible before giving her any privilege like getting food, sitting on your lap, or jumping on the couch. In time, she will learn that you are the one in charge. Knowing one’s place is comforting to a dog, it’s their social order.

Share

Tags: Housebreaking, Training