How to Potty Train Your Chihuahua [Training Guide!]

If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you have just recently acquired a chihuahua puppy. Congratulations!

While caring for a new member of your family can be a very rewarding experience, it can also become quite frustrating if your chihuahua starts to mindlessly poop and urinate around your home. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to potty train your chihuahua and help them learn where to do their business. So how exactly do we do this?

In order to potty train a chihuahua, you will need to designate an area where you want him to do his business, get him accustomed to a scheduled potty break, and lastly, give him positive reinforcement when he uses the proper spot!

This article will discuss how to schedule potty breaks, where to do your business, and how to give positive reinforcement. We will try to answer some relevant questions at the end of this article so be sure to read to the end!

Designate a Bathroom

Like many humans, your chihuahua will need to go potty every so often. It is important that you choose a single area inside or outside your home as the bathroom and avoid letting them use other areas to keep your household as clean as possible.

One good place to designate as your chihuahua’s bathroom is outdoors such as your front yard where the odor will be far from reaching the confines of your home and his poop will be dried out in the sun which would make it easier to pickup without breaking.

However, if you cannot afford to let your chihuahua do his business outside, you could always designate an indoor area of your home such as a small corner of a room, an area near the back door, or even in your bathroom! Just choose somewhere that you can easily clean so you do not have any issues if your chihuahua goes number or or number two in that spot.

While this may not be the most fun activity, it is important that you do not let him go potty anywhere he pleases as not only will this be frustrating for you to clean but also will be frustrating for your chihuahua to learn where he can and cannot do his business.

Schedule Potty Breaks

After choosing an area to go number one and number two, for a chihuahua, one of the most important things you can do when trying to potty train them is to establish a regular and consistent routine for when to use the bathroom.

First thing in the morning, upon waking up, you should always allow your chihuahua to go the designated area to do his business.

Directly after eating, also take your chihuahua to his designated area to try and use the bathroom.

During the night, you will leave your chihuahua on his own for a considerable amount of time so it is best to take him to his designated area before bed time.

Repeat this cycle throughout the day and your chihuahua will start to get accustomed to this schedule and will eventually learn not urinate or poop sporadically.

Give Your Chihuahua Positive Reinforcement

It is not enough to simply designate an area for your chihuahua and structure a schedule to go potty, you should also give him positive reinforcement when he uses the bathroom in the designated area. Like all kinds of training, positive reinforcement is key if you want your chihuahua to remember what they learned.

Similarly, like all social creatures, chihuahuas like it very much when they know they are doing a good job. You should reward your chihuahua every time he successfully uses the bathroom in his designated area with plenty of treats and pats in the head.

This will make him realize that you are pleased when he goes in the designated area and will reinforce that behavior, making it more likely that he will do his business in that spot again.

Relevant Questions

With all that’s said and done, some owners might still find their chihuahua pooping and urinating sporadically in the most unexpected places. This is because chihuahuas are notorious for being stubborn when it comes to potty training.

If you find yourself still having trouble with your chihuahua, here are some common scenarios with relevant solutions:

My chihuahua still poops anywhere even though I have already designated an area outside / inside.

When establishing a routine for your chihuahua, it is important that you do not slack off with the schedule. If your chihuahua still poops everywhere even after following a regular schedule, wipe his urine with a paper towel and do not throw it all away. Instead, place some of it in the designated area so that when he goes in that spot again, he will be able to pick up on the scent and realize this is where you want him to go.

My chihuahua does not urinate or poop even when I follow the schedule

The most likely reason for this is that your chihuahua isn’t getting water. In order for your chihuahua to fully digest and excrete whatever he eats, it is important that you give him enough water to avoid constipation.

Make sure that your chihuahua always has a bowl of fresh and clean drinking water. It also important to follow a strict schedule when to eat so that you also anticipate when is the right time to let him go number or number two.

My chihuahua leaves small amounts of urine in some parts of the house

All dogs have a tendency to mark or to urinate in areas in order to mark their territories. Marking is a behavioral issue and should be dealt with accordingly.

While this may be very frustrating as a dog owner, one thing you can do is to thoroughly clean that specific area with a strong enzymatic cleaner such as vinegar. This gets rid of any scent markers your chihuahua might have left behind which will make it less likely for him to mark in that spot again.

Moreover, if your chihuahua happens to have a bed or favorite toy, leave the bed toy on that spot so that it would not feel right for them to pee on that spot again.

If any of those did not work, you should consider having your chihuahua spayed or neutered as this behavior is most likely a result of hormone levels that are not in balance.

Final Words

One thing that all pet owners could agree on is that cleaning is such a hassle! It is therefore essential to have your chihuahua potty trained as early as possible. While this might seem such a daunting task, seeing your chihuahua do their business in the right place is such a relief as a pet owner. Furthermore, you can be sure that your dog will live a healthier and happier life.

It is never too late to potty train your chihuahua! Taking the first step is what counts the most. Just follow the steps mentioned in this article and you should be able to successfully potty train your chihuahua. Good luck!