[ChihuahuaMomma]

I'm dog sitting, and my dog has sort of been acting out, she won't use her piddle pad AT ALL, anymore. Now we are all alone together again. She's not doing it the way she used to. She's going potty on the carpet. I can't take it. My apartment smells horrible. How do I RETRAIN her? And get her to not pee in the same spot that she can already smell her pees?

[LifePaparazzi]

Hello there. I too have Chihuahuas. One of mine is trained as a merdical alert service dog, and I trained her myself. So, having said that, lets look at your problem.

First off, Chihuahuas, are the hardest dogs to potty train. Since your dog used to piddle on the pee pee pads, the problem may lay with the location. She, I assume, probably picked up the bad behavior from the other dog. If you look carefully at the areas in which she now does her business, you may find a common denominator. It may be they are just scented right at this point. This is easily fixed with a product that removes urin odor, sold at most pet shops.

Another behavior for Chihuahuas is their desire to find a quiet, safe place to carry out their business. You may want to exam the area in which you have placed her pee pee pad.

First off, I would start by getting her back in to the habbit of using the pads. So, you may want to begin by placing a number of pads, in the location of previous accidents, all around the apartment. Get her back in to the habit of using the pads, even if they are not in the location you wish for them to be.

Chihuahuas are wired very differently then other dogs. So the usual dipping their nose in it and saying no, means nothing to them. Neithe does the newspaper smack or other punishments. Chihuahuas function on a positive, negative reaction. This can be taughted by simple changes in your voice and actions.

When you see her ready to tinkle, firmly and with a deeper voice say NO, then carry her to the pad and praise her for being on it, even if she does not tinkle at the time. If she sees you cleaning up her mess, totally ignore her. That is the worst punishment for a Chi. No attention at all. But do make a huge fuss with lots of high pitched tones, when she uses the pad.

After she gets used to the pad again, slowly start removing, or moving closer to where you want it, the pads around the house. Made sure you choose a quiet, away from traffic, area for the final location of the pad you want her to use.

Finally, remember that with a Chi. You need just three tools for training. High pitched friendly voice, low pitched slightly louder tone, and totally ignoring her when she has done bad. Also, it helps to put your dog on a potty schedule, say 10 min. after feeding.

Hope this will help you. Email me if you need more help.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Thank you for all the great information...

I will try these things.


I also had another question. She, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, peed on someone the other day. She's never done it before. It was a new person and she was excited, I think. Now this person wants nothing to do with her, and thinks every time she's near she'll do it again. How do I let my friend KNOW that it won't happen again, and what was the reason for this?

[LifePaparazzi]

Well, Chihuahuas just get easily excited. Every once in a while they will do that. However, good news it that they usually only do this while they are young. After that it stops. It is worse with males then females. So, if your little girl is still young, she may inadvertently do this from time to time.

Best thing I can advise is; Take her out for a walk prior to your friends arrival. Also, don't let her on your friends lap, until she has calmed down from her greetings routine. You can also remove her water dish for an hour, prior to your friends arrival, then put it back once your friend has arrived.

Your friend needs to understand that it is not a sign of disrespect. Young and excited dogs just do that from time to time. At my home I make it clear that this is a dog home, and friends are advised that they are entering a dogs home. No offence to your friend, but if she can't handle your dog, are you sure she should visit. Maybe you can get together away from your friend. Or you could simply try to explain to her what I mentioned above.

Hope this helps. If not.. ask away.