Although the chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog, it has a big personality after they were named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. You may be surprised that Chihuahuas are excellent watchdogs and they will not hesitate if their territory is invaded.
Shower your Chihuahua with praise and affection when training them. Never force. Naturally, Chihuahuas want to please their masters. If you praise them when they do what pleases you, they will be quick understand that it is a correct behavior.
Surprisingly, training Chihuahuas does not require punishment. Affection and gentleness with this small dog goes a long way and it is almost always sufficient for getting the dog to do what you want. Reward the dog when he or she pleases you. This will let him know what he should do. Always accent the positive when training Chihuahuas.
Chihuahuas respond well to food based rewards. If a Chihuahua has just eaten, it is not wise to start a training session. Work with an empty stomach for the dog to get best results.
Keep the training sessions short and fun. Each training session should be no more than 10 minutes at a time. Begin and end the session with something the dog already does or know very well.
When you are already tired and angry, skip the training as Chihuahuas will need your love and patience.
Potty training would be one of the first areas that you can teach your Chihuahua. Since your Chihuahua is a house dog, you will need to find a suitable place for the dog to pee and poo and then consistently reinforce this behavior.
Chihuahuas do not guard, hunt or move as a herd. But, they are in fact, intelligent dogs. They often show what they can do through obedience and agility trials. Even if you don’t compete in formal competitions with your dog, you can enjoy training Chihuahuas.
Chihuahuas do well when you use a ticker to train them. You can teach your pet that a “click” means he has done a correct behavior followed by a reward.
Offer to walk you Chihuahuas daily because they need the exercise daily. And, you can even do it indoors as like getting your Chihuahua to run around in your home is already enough exercise for the dog if cannot find the time for a quick outdoor exercise.
In summary, you should always be patient when training Chihuahuas. Consistency is vital if you want to ensure that your little dog obeys and remains loyal to you.
