8 wk. old male chihuaha (Shnitzie)

Question
We just purchased our first chihuahua. We have a few concerns and questions. He's doing Ok with the potty training (we have to carry him outside frequently) and he's only pooped in the house twice and we've had him over a week now. In the morning he will follow me outside but other then that he wont, we have to pick him up and carry him outside. He's nipping and growling now, i understand that this is normal for a pup, but if there's any recomendations on how to get him to realize this is not good behavior. He's always biting on my cat too. When i put him on a leash he goes absolutely crazy, he'll twist and scream his face off so i just take him outside. How long does it take to train a chihuaha to go outside on his own? I live in Mi so it's chilly most of the time but he does go outside. He stays in his crate at night and will go on puppy pads during the night. What is a good age to get them to do simple tricks like hand shakes and sitting, etc.. I have a lot of questions here and i apologize but i want to do what's best for him. I am most concerned about the leash problem though. Thanks! Any other recomendations with your experience with Chihuaha's would be great!

Answer
The leash problem is indeed a problem, though it is common for puppies who have never worn a leash before to fight it. Try just letting him drag it around when he's in the house; don't try to take him for walks or anything with it just yet. When he's not paying it any attention just dragging it around, you can start using it to teach him to come to you. Gently tug on it to get his attention, and encourage him to come to you by using a happy voice and maybe even luring him with a tasty treat. If he acts out, ignore his twisting and screaming and carrying on, but do not pick him up when he's acting this way, and do not just drag him along with the leash. Try to get him to come along with you willingly by using a happy voice and gentle tugs on the leash.

Housetraining works best when you can take the dog out on a leash and keep it from running around acting crazy and being distracted. After the dog potties, THEN he can have 'freedom' to play and act crazy, but until he potties, he needs to be restricted with that leash.

If he's pottying in his crate, that's not good, even if he is using potty pads. You want to teach him NOT to potty in his crate, and at 8 weeks of age, that means you will have to get up at least once (probably twice) during the night to let him out to potty. The general rule is that puppies need to be given an opportunity to potty in an appropriate place at least as many hours as they are old in months (during the day - at night, they can usually go twice as long because they're sleeping). He's only 2 months old, so that means that at least every couple of hours he should be taken outside for an opportunity to pee. Puppies will usually poo within 20 minutes of eating. When he potties outside, praise him like he's saved the world! If he potties inside, do not do anything unless you catch him in the act. Just clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. If you see him pottying in the house, make a noise to startle him (such as saying "aah aah" or clapping your hands), then say "Outside" and immediately take him outside (preferably on leash). Until he's used to the leash, you may still have to pick him up and carry him, but you want to start having him go to the door on his own four feet as soon as possible.


The nipping and biting is normal, as you said. Try to have plenty of toys available that you can redirect his mouthing to. Praise him for biting the toys, and tell him in a stern tone of voice, "NO BITE" when he mouths you. Sometimes, rather than saying no bite, it helps to yip as another puppy would if it were being bitten too hard. If he persists, get up and walk away. If he comes after your feet as you leave, put him in his crate for a short time out (5 minutes or so). This isn't a punishment; it's just a settle down period.

You can start teaching him some tricks and obedience using treats and praise now if you want. Sit is very easy to teach. I can help you with that if you need me to. Just let me know.

Kristen