How to Crate Train a Chihuahua

Hello, Check out the Surprise method from the article linked below and practice crate training with that method often for 30 minute -1 hour periods during the day throughout the day when you can to help pup adjust to being alone more quickly. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate At night, ignore any crying unless it has been at least 2 hours since pup last went potty. When it has been at least 2 hours and pup wakes up crying, take pup potty on a leash and keep the trip super boring - no treats, talking, or play, and return them immediately to the crate after they go, ignoring any crying that happens when you return them. Keeping trips boring helps pup learn to only wake at night for potty needs and not play or food, to begin sleeping longer sooner. Pup will need to go potty 1-2 times at night right now at this age, even when fully crate trained, but being consistent, practicing crating during the day, and keeping trips outside boring, can help pup wake less at night, cry less when first crated, and start sleeping through the night sooner as their bladder capacity increases with age. Know that its normal for pup to cry in the first two weeks. The first three nights tend to be the worse, with pup gradually getting better and better after that. It's really important to stay firm and consistent. The easiest time to teach this is 2-3 months old. After that a puppy is less sleepy and the crying can be even more persistent. Some puppies are quite dramatic, that's also normal. Pay attention to timing of potty trips so you will know if it's a potty need that needs addressing or simply pup getting used to something new and still learning how to calm back down. Crate Training when done in the right way can actually prevent future adult separation anxiety - which is more more severe and much harder to address than what's usually seen with puppies adjusting to the crate and being alone. Crate training can also help potty training - many puppies who sleep in the bed before they are fully potty trained will start having accidents in the bed around 3 months when they are less sleepy at night and wake to go exploring more. Crate training is important for preventing adult destructive chewing habits that require more long term confinement when not supervised to prevent - opposed to puppy chewing that most dogs will grow out of if you can work on things like Leave It when you are home and confine pup somewhere safe with their own toys to chew on when you can't supervise, so they aren't practicing destructive chewing without interruption for it to become ingrained....I say all of that to encourage you in your resolve to crate train. In the end crate training also means more freedom and adaptability for puppy too...Not to mention that your relationship with your partner and freedom to go places is more than enough reason alone to do it, so if there is some crying involved, stay strong. It's normal for puppies to cry during practice. They eventually discover that you always come back though, nothing horrible happened to them while in there, and they can relax. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 19, 2022

Hello Quandale, A lot of puppies will do what's called zoomies, where they race around the room like crazy. If that's what pup is doing, it's very normal. Puppies can also get super wound up when they don't nap. Sometimes a hyper puppy actually needs some quiet down time in a crate or exercise pen with a dog food stuffed chew toy to concentrate on. Puppies this age tend to need a nap every couple of hours. The biting is completely normal. The main goal with the biting training wise, is for pup to learn how to control the pressure of their mouth and for the biting to stop completely by five months - when pup's jaws get stronger at that age. Check out the article I have linked below. I would work on teaching the Leave It method and the Bite Inhibition method. Leave It will take pup a while to learn but be most helpful in the long run, but the Bite Inhibition method can be used right away. So use the Bite Inhibition method for now but start practicing Leave It, so pup will be great at Leave It before five months of age. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Some puppies are scared of certain bowls. The light reflections in metal or sound of pup's tag hitting the edge can be scary (plastic tag protectors can help with the tag part). If the bowl edge is high, that can be tricky for a really small breed and pup might need a shallower dish until they grow. If you are using an automatic feeder or water dispenser, the sudden movement of the food coming down or water bubbling can scare puppies. If one of those things seems to be the case, I would switch to a different bowl, like a shallow food safe ceramic or heavy plastic bowl. If she isn't afraid of the bowl and is still being picky, I suggest mixing her food with something she likes the night before feeding her. Start with a higher quantity of food she likes and a bit of dog food, then gradually increase the dog food and decrease the food she likes overtime. Test out freeze dried meat dog food toppers, like stella and chewy or nature's variety first. If she likes those, crush them into a powder in a ziplock bag, then place that and some of her dog food in the bag overnight to flavor and scent the food. Feed that regularly if she will eat it, then gradually decrease how much powder you use and increase the dog food slowly in place of it - go slow so that eating the new food has become habit and he doesn't think about it changing gradually so keeps eating it. If she likes the kibble topper, you can also feed something like Ziwi peak or nature's variety raw boost long term - which is composed of freeze dried food or has it mixed in, if that's in your budget. If pup doesn't like the freeze dried stuff, then do the same thing but use things like minced chicken, liver paste, or goats milk mixed with the dog food and refrigerated overnight (you may want to do the goats milk last minute because it will get soggy though). Another option, is to have pup work for all of their kibble. Have pup perform commands and tricks and use the dog food that has been mixed with freeze dried powder from a ziplock bag, as rewards for pup obeying commands. Many dogs are actually more enthusiastic about their food if they have to earn it and consider it a treat. Feed pup entire meal amounts this way so that he is hungry during training in place of the bowl for a while. When you are home, you can drop the reward into pup's bowl for them instead of feeding directly, to get them eating out of the bowl gradually. When you do so, act like the food is treats - you should act like you have a great prize not like you have to temp pup to eat. It may seem opposite but what a dog can't have without working for it, often makes it even more appealing. Once pup is doing well with that I like to use things like Kong wobbles, to put the food into for pup to work for. When pup is working for the food in the wobble well instead of having to take it from you, you can transition back to the bowl by unscrewing the top of the wobble, which leaves the bottom that's shaped like a bowl, and pup now associates with fun and enjoyment. I would also involve your vet in this conversation. There are a lot of common puppy illnesses whose symptom is a lack of appetite. I suspect pup is just adjusting to their new home and the way you do things opposed how things used to be, but pup might need deworming or be coming down with something, and I am not a vet, so involve your vet in the conversation to make sure there isn't anything more concerning going on. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

July 1, 2022