In principle, toilet training a Chihuahua is no different to toilet training every other dog breed.
There are broadly two techniques you can use, depending whether you can get a secure outside toileting space from the moment they are a puppy, or whether you need to use puppy pads.
But due to their tiny size, there are many pitfalls which can decelerate toilet training for Chihuahuas, Chihuahuas crossed along with other small breeds, and teacup Chihuahuas.
This article is about understanding why those pitfalls occur, avoiding them just like a pro, and setting your puppy (and yourself) up for toilet training success!
Potty Training A Chihuahua
Potty training is the procedure training your new puppy or dog the best place to pee and poop, and encouraging these to use it until they return there reliably of their own accord, and don't toilet anywhere else until they have use of it.
If that's not a choice, you can jump start the bathroom . training process using puppy pads indoors, and make the shift to outdoor toileting because they grow up.
Sometimes, because of their size and bladder capacity, it's easiest to toilet train a Chihuahua utilizing a combination of each method initially.
We'll take a look at many of these options more closely in a moment.
But first let's take a look at the special considerations Chihuahuas need during the toilet training process.
Chihuahua Toileting
Chihuahuas are extremely small it's almost difficult to think that they ever descended from wolves.
When Chihuahua puppies will be ready to come home at 2 months old, they usually weigh between 1 and 2 pounds.
Being built on this type of tiny scale doesn't leave much room for bladder capacity, and Chihuahua puppies are only able to hold a tiny amount of pee before they need to make use of the toilet again.
This creates several challenges while toilet training:
Chihuahua puppies want to use the toilet often.
At 8 weeks old, they might not be also able to reach Fifteen minutes between toilet trips.
This means that establishing toilet training demands pretty much your entire attention for many weeks.
Chihuahua puppies need to pee more often during the night too.
Almost all 8 week old puppies get as much as pee at night, and continue to achieve this until they're 12-16 weeks old.
But it's not unusual for Chihuahuas to get in the night time until they're 20 weeks old or more.
Broken sleep is exhausting, and a real shock to the system if you've never experienced it before.
Chihuahuas only pee in tiny quantities at any given time.
Why is this an issue?
Well, dogs instinctively pee where they've peed before.
An important a part of setting up good toileting habits is scrupulously clearing up any accidents, so that your puppy doesn't go back to exactly the same spot again.
But when accidents are tiny, it's not hard to miss them. Without constant supervision, your pup can pee in inappropriate places, which makes it more likely they’ll return there to pee again later.
Chihuahuas get cold quickly
Finally, since they're so small, Chihuahuas don't tolerate the cold well.
Especially as puppies they lose body heat quickly, which can be dangerous if they are outdoors in wind, rain, or snow.
To avoid hypothermia, Chihuahuas have a strong, life-preserving instinct to remain warm.
Which isn't very suitable for toilet training in early spring, winter or fall, or perhaps during the night in summer, based on your climate.
Are Chihuahuas Difficult To Toilet Train?
So those are a few of the obstacles to Chihuahua potty training. Not one of them are insurmountable, and we'll look at dealing with these questions moment.
But how do Chihuahuas respond to training generally?
You may have heard them described as being stubborn or diva-like, which is misleading, since it implies they are doing things simply to get one over on us.
But dogs don't think like that. If your Chihuahua puppy pees in the wrong place, it's not to spite you.
He has no idea about the significance of rugs or carpets, or your feelings about them being peed on.
As we touched on earlier, dogs are creatures of habit.
Potty training a Chihuahua can be straightforward if you:
- Make it easy and comfortable for them to do the right thing in early stages, so they build good habits.
- And overlook accidents with good grace, rather than mistaking them for pot shots at you inside a training-based battle of wills.
Getting Started With Chihuahua Potty Training
Most of us ultimately want our dogs to make use of the toilet outside each time, and hold on until they can do so.
You'll need use of a safe back yard for your unvaccinated puppy to go on the ground – for example a private backyard.
But it doesn't suggest you won't use puppy pads indoors as well.
We'll arrived at that in a moment.
But first let's consider the details of potty training outside.
Toilet Training A Chihuahua Outdoors
Potty training outside starts as soon as you arrive home with your new puppy.
Take them right to their designated toilet spot, and pop them down to have an opportunity to pee and poop.
If they are doing, lavish all of them with praise. When they don't, scoop them up and carry them inside your arms for five minutes or so, prior to trying again.
Puppies don't generally like to pee or poo whilst being held, so the aim is to alternate between cuddles and trips towards the toilet area, until they will use it.
Luckily cuddling tiny soft puppies is no hardship!
Continue taking them outdoors every time they eat, when they awaken, after playing games, and each Twenty minutes among those occasions.
Over the coming weeks, you'll be able to gradually extend the intervals between toilet trips.
Encouraging Your Chihuahua To Toilet Outdoors
Here are a few tips to get the Chihuahua puppy toileting outdoors!
- If the elements leaves them cowering in the doorway, generate a gazebo so that they have somewhere dry to make use of. Search for objects you should use as windbreaks around the side too.
- I potty trained my puppy during the period of a wet autumn. He's not a Chihuahua, but a Whippet with very little excess fat. On wet and windy days the only place he'd poop was at our greenhouse. Luckily it was from use for the season, and it was better than while using floor in our house! Because he grew, he stopped feeling the cold a lot, and didn't require it anymore.
- If the weather is dry and bright but a little nippy, think about a lightweight weight jumper they are able to wear outside and inside. Something lightweight is preferable to something thick and heavy, because taking it off and on every Fifteen minutes in the early days will quickly get annoying!
- And finally, consider combining outdoor potty training and indoor potty training. Providing an appropriate space to pee indoors means you can at least keep accidents off your favorite rug!
And we'll look at how to do that next.
Using Puppy Pads In Chihuahua Toilet Training
Puppy pads are the second method for Chihuahua toilet training.
Even if you're utilizing an outdoor space too, there's no reason not to use puppy pads overnight, or perhaps in your puppy's playpen just in case they need to toilet whilst you're showering, preparing dinner, or answering the door.
Using puppy pads has advantages of house breaking a Chihuahua:
- If you reside in an apartment, they're safer and much more convenient than going to the street several times an hour.
- Once your Chi has formed the habit of utilizing pads during the day, you can decide to leave a puppy pad out during the night so they don't have to wake you up to go out.
In fact, some Chihuahua owners go so far as utilizing a dog litter box in their Chihuahua's life – you may also get ones which seem like little patches of turf!
But if you like, you'll be able to gradually phase the puppy pads once they develop.
How To Potty Train A Chihuahua Using Puppy Pads
To potty train a Chihuahua using pads, first you will need to find a spot in your home with hard, non-porous floors, and wipe clean walls and baseboards.
Kitchens, utility rooms and laundry rooms are all popular choices.
At first, you'll cover most of the floor with pads, which means that your puppy's first wee in there is guaranteed to hit a pad.
Then, because they start going back to the same spot time and time again (remember the way we said puppies prefer to pee where they've peed before) you can start removing half of the pads furthest from that spot, after which 1 / 2 of the remaining pads, and so on.
Eventually, your puppy will reliably return to a single pad to pee and poo, and you can gradually move that pad to the corner of the room, or in their puppy pen.
Once they begin to hold their bladder for longer stretches, you are able to move the pad just outside the rear door, or go all at once and scrap it altogether.
Encouraging You Chihuahua To make use of Puppy Pads
To encourage your Chihuahua to start using puppy pads:
- Return these to the pads regularly.
- Watch them closely, and clean up accidents elsewhere quickly.
- By watching them closely, you’ll also learn the signs that they’re about to toilet, for instance turning in circles sniffing the floor!
- Don’t allow them to have use of carpeted areas anytime when you can’t supervise them.
Troubleshooting Chihuahua Potty Training
In this article, we've checked out how potty training can be adapted for Chihuahuas in particular.
For a more detailed description from the general potty training process check out this puppy potty training schedule.
You can read reviews of the best indoor dog potties here.
And Pippa Mattinson has solved 15 of the very most common toilet training problems on our Labrador Site – but many of the techniques apply equally to Chihuahuas!
Final Thoughts On Chihuahua Potty Training
Chihuahuas puppies can take longer to potty train than other breeds, because they possess a small bladder capacity.
This means they're going to have more frequent accidents if they are not taken to the right toilet spot often enough.
Chihuahua puppies might also resist toileting outside if it's too cold or wet.
But time, patience, and a few simple adaptations will make sure you get there as soon as possible.
What Are Your Chihuahua Toilet training Tips?
Do you have experience in Chihuahua potty training?
What tricks worked for both you and your dog?
Let us know in the comments box listed below!
