Chihuahua training - how to train and educate, how to teach commands to a puppy

Among the distinctive features of Chihuahuas is their tendency to dominate and the desire to take a dominant position in the family.

That is why it is necessary to take a responsible approach to training and education and teach your pet the correct behavior. This is a prerequisite for keeping a Chihuahua.

Otherwise, he will begin to dominate, which will result in a lot of problems for the hosts.

Are Chihuahuas trainable?

Chihuahuas are distinguished by their sharp mind and quick wit; they are able to quickly absorb information and remember it. By carrying out training and education step by step, you can avoid difficulties, most of which are related to the character of your pets. By nature they are willful, capricious and stubborn. Provided the owner shows patience and perseverance, sneezes respond well to training and consider it as an exciting game. During step-by-step training, they acquire the skills to perform basic commands and behave correctly.

Chihuahua training goals

Education and training are necessary for several reasons:

1. The dog is better socialized - being in public places, it does not pose a danger to others.
2. At home, he behaves calmly (does not damage furniture, does not howl at night, goes to the toilet in a litter tray).
3. The risk of getting into unpleasant situations on the street (road accidents, fights with other dogs) is reduced.
4. The dog becomes friendly to people and animals.
5. The pet is ready to attend exhibitions and competitions.

The optimal age for a Chihuahua to start training

To properly raise a dog, the process begins from the first days the puppy is in the house. Most often, babies of decorative breeds are taken away at the age of two months. From infancy, they must understand how to behave, what is allowed and what is prohibited, what objects can be played with and what cannot, where the toilet is located and much more.

Within a week, the Chihuahua becomes fully accustomed to the house, gets used to its nickname and begins to follow simple commands. Training is carried out after the second vaccination and the end of quarantine.

Is there a difference between training and education?

Training consists of teaching the dog a specific set of commands. It will be needed not only for participation in exhibitions and competitions, but also for developing obedience in sneezes.

Education is the instilling in a puppy of certain behavior skills in the house, on the street and in public places. The training process takes no more than six months, while Chihuahuas are raised throughout their lives. The task is to explain to the pet in a timely manner how to behave in a given situation, to convey to his understanding what is good and what is bad. The main tool of education is the behavior of the owner, his voice and intonation.

Types of motivation during training

The main reward for your dog should be your good mood and happy tone. Of course, you can’t do without treats, but they should not become the primary reason for a successful training for the dog.

Praise and treats

The correct ratio of praise and treats during training is two to one. That is, for one tasty treat there should be two verbal rewards.

Do not under any circumstances overfeed the animal. This will not only have a detrimental effect on his health and weight, but also on his attitude towards you. Agree, it’s unpleasant to realize that your dog is currying favor only for the sake of food, and not because he wants to win your favor.

Please note that you need to praise your pet loudly, joyfully, with feeling, because as mentioned above: our emotions are the main guideline for a dog.

Toys

Another motivating moment during training will be your game form. Many dogs get tired of monotony and monotony; energetic, curious Chihuahuas are no exception.

Take your favorite balls and teasers to the playground and practice commands with their help. You will be able to capture the attention of your ward for a long time and achieve better results.

Features of raising Chihuahuas

Despite the miniature size, intelligence and curiosity of sneezes, raising and teaching them commands is not easy. Representatives of the decorative breed strive to be leaders from a very early age. If obedience is not taught in time, the Chihuahua's dominance will become obvious and it will be difficult to get rid of it.

Some puppies are easy to train, others resist to the last, but in any case, the owner’s mood should be friendly, without aggression, physical punishment or screaming.

Boys

It will take more effort and time to train and raise a male sneeze dog. The owner will face disobedience and stubbornness, but if the dog understands the commands, this will last for a long time. If a conflict situation arises, the Chihuahua will show an iron character. In response to this, the owner will be required to take actions that can force him to be respected and recognized as a leader.

Girls

Chihuahua girls have a more impressionable, emotional, cunning and insightful nature. When learning, they grasp everything “on the fly”, but with the same speed they forget the acquired knowledge. If you don’t like something, bitches don’t go ahead. The most stubborn will retreat for a while, wait and try again to achieve what they want.

Tips for a novice trainer

Experienced dog breeders give the following tips on how to properly raise Chihuahua boys and girls:

• If the day is not going well in the morning, it is better to postpone the workout. You can engage in training only while maintaining confidence and complete calm;
• At the first sign of fatigue, you should take a break. There are no instant results;
• Excessive emotionality in class is a direct path to raising an animal with many phobias.

Note! No one can cope with all the commands at once. The main thing is to remain calm and receive positive emotions from contact with the animal.

Basic mistakes in parenting

Beginning breeders often do not quite understand how to train a Chihuahua dog and make mistakes. The most common of them are:

• practicing commands in a noisy place. Extraneous sounds will distract the Chihuahua from training;
• use of force. Physical punishment prevents the emergence of a trusting relationship between the pet and the owner, and this is the basis of successful parenting;
• feeding before training. The animal will show apathy towards everything that surrounds it;
• lack of motivation. Encouraging your dog will help you achieve results faster.

Note! Only regular training will bring the desired result.

Miniature Chihuahuas are a breed that you will never get bored with. Active, cute, smart - they will surely find a place in the heart of every dog ​​lover, you just have to put a little effort into their upbringing.

What can you teach a Chihuahua?

If you raise a well-mannered and trained Chihuahua, the results of your work will be noticeable very soon. Pet training achievements include:

• calm and balanced behavior;
• lack of response to passing traffic;
• defecation in a tray or while walking;
• knowing your place in the apartment;
• absence of barking and howling for no reason.

Additionally, Chihuahuas are trained to perform tricks - to overcome obstacles, dance, bark on orders, search for things, and carry small objects in their teeth. Special classes with a dog handler will help teach sneezes to guard things or an apartment, and to be a guide for the visually impaired.

How to train and raise a puppy from 0 to 1 year old?

With early mastery of commands, the Chihuahua will become an obedient dog by one year. A dog breeder does absolutely the right thing if he starts raising a puppy at 2 months. During this period, they are taught to go to the toilet.

At 3 months, the baby is put on a collar and taught to walk on a leash. They start with 15 minutes at home, gradually increase the time to an hour while walking outside.

At 4 months, little Chihuahuas can learn to walk next to a leash and without it, return when the owner calls, and not pick up food from the ground. At the age of up to six months, the pet follows static orders (“Sit!”, “Lie down!”, “You can’t!”). After six months, the Chihuahua begins puberty, its character becomes rebellious, so it is worth making a lot of effort to teach other commands.

At home

The most important skills that a puppy should acquire at home are to know his name, get used to a place to rest and a toilet. They are taught to walk on a diaper or napkin soaked in urine, sitting there after sleeping or eating. After waiting for the Chihuahua to do its business, you need to praise it. Over time, the diaper is replaced with a tray and filler.

On the street

To speed up socialization, Chihuahuas need to be taken outside more often. He must get used to people, animals, moving vehicles and unusual sounds. A person, with his calm and natural behavior, shows that there is no reason for fear in the world around him.

At first, the sneeze should not be let off the leash; strict care must be taken to ensure that it does not get involved in a fight. The best place for walking with a dog is quiet streets and a specialized “dog” area.

Nutrition

You need to start learning with the simplest things

It is important to teach your pet to recognize the owner’s voice and the intonation with which words are spoken – the Chihuahua must understand when he is being scolded or praised

To do this, you need to accompany the words with facial expressions and a change in timbre.

NOTE!

So, a stern facial expression and a stern voice will indicate bad behavior to the dog, and a soft, quiet tone and gentle stroking will make it clear that everything is fine.

You need to accustom the puppy to the nickname, for which you should often pronounce it in a calm voice, calling your pet to you or offering him food or a treat. All this contributes to the development of positive associations associated with the name, so the dog will respond and come to the owner without fear.

From the first days, it is necessary to set the boundaries of what is permitted and strictly adhere to them - for example, if the dog is not allowed to sleep on the sofa, then you should not allow it to do so even occasionally.

Expert opinion

Expert dog handler.

The common belief that a dog needs to be trained after it is six months old is incorrect. Most often, the fears of Chihuahua owners regarding the early start of classes are caused by the fear of creating a stressful situation for the pet, which could affect its psyche. But this is only possible when using harsh methods, including physical punishment.

Using absorbent diapers as your dog's litter box is an easy way to keep your home clean.

To train your pet to relieve itself in the right place, you will need to make some efforts:

• you need to take your dog to a diaper immediately after waking up and every feeding;
• if possible, you should limit the puppy’s free space and place one or more diapers in a designated area - this will minimize the likelihood that he will get confused and shit near the toilet;
• if the pet is not limited in moving around the apartment, it is necessary to put diapers in several places at once and gradually reduce their number.

Behavior on the street

The basics of proper outdoor behavior should be taught to an adult dog in the same way as a puppy. The only difference is that this will take a little more time, because the adult has already formed his character and has ingrained habits.

At first, you should only walk your dog on a leash and carefully monitor what it is doing - any attempt to eat something or show aggression towards other animals or people must use the “Ugh!” command.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with Mollies reproduction: what to feed the fry

Playing with other animals also contributes to getting used to the street. Dogs are social creatures and often learn basic behaviors from each other.

This way, the dog will quickly waste energy and will not wait to get home, but will relieve itself outside, after which it must be praised and treated with a treat.

Read about whether a Chihuahua needs clothing for walks here.

Most often, the reasons that a dog bites are related to its desire to protect itself and are caused by:

• the owner’s unfaithful behavior and his attempt to achieve obedience through physical punishment;
• the pet’s desire to take the main place in the family;
• jealousy;
• mental disorders;
• self-doubt.

A puppy, without controlling the force of its bite and not realizing that this is prohibited, can bite its owner during play, and in such a situation it is important to prevent such behavior from becoming a habit. How to proceed:

How to proceed:

• You should not hit a pet if it has bitten the owner unintentionally - this will aggravate the situation, provoking aggressive behavior;
• when a puppy bites consciously, showing aggression, it is necessary to use the command “Fu!” and lightly slap him on the rump;
• If a Chihuahua bites during play, you should interrupt the activity and give the animal time to calm down and realize what caused the cessation of fun.

If the moment is missed and biting has become a dog’s habit, it is necessary to devote maximum time to correcting this behavior and, possibly, contact a professional dog handler.

CAREFULLY!

NOTE!

Expert opinion

Expert dog handler.

CAREFULLY!

How to teach commands to a Chihuahua?

In order for your pet to correctly and quickly follow commands, you should adhere to several training rules:

1. Don't let your Chihuahua lead the walk.
2. Praise and encourage each time after completion.
3. Do not punish or hit the dog.
4. Exercise daily.
5. Don't be fooled by your pet's whims.
6. Learn new skills after reviewing those already learned.
7. Do not train a well-fed animal.
8. Start learning with simple actions, gradually moving to complex ones.

Video

In order for a pet to learn to follow commands and become obedient, it is necessary to find an approach to it. Strictness, motivation and praise are essential components of successful training for even the smallest dog.

The basic rules and methods of training a “decorative” Chihuahua dog are clearly demonstrated in the video.

What commands does a dog need to know?

In order to avoid unpleasant situations on the street, in transport and in public places, sneezes must be trained in basic commands. This can be achieved in just three to four months with daily training. Exercises should be enjoyable for both the Chihuahua and its owner. Knowing the basic commands allows you to establish an emotional connection with your pet and reliably strengthen it.

“Give me your paw!”

The phrase is pronounced in a calm voice and at the same time a hand is extended to the pet. At first, they help him raise his paw, and then he is encouraged to do it independently. In this case, the main role is played by visual memorization of the gesture.

"To me!"

The command is important during off-leash walks in case the dog runs after a cat or into a dangerous place. They order in a loud voice, clearly and clearly, accompanied by a gesture (patting the thighs).

"Lie!"

To train, take a treat in your hand, give the dog a sniff, and lower it to the floor so that he has to lie down. At the same time, loudly and clearly they say “Lie down!” Light pressure on the dog's shoulder blades is acceptable.

"Sit!"

They say “Sit!” and raise the hand with the tasty treat over the sneeze’s nose. In this case, he will have to sit down to get the treat. To help the puppy, lightly press on his croup.

"Place!"

The command is prohibitive, so it is pronounced with a menacing intonation and at the same time pointed to a couch or other place. It is used if the owner is dissatisfied with the behavior of the Chihuahua or he has committed a crime. They do not give a treat for following an order, but only push the sneeze towards the bed.

"Near!"

The command needs to be practiced while walking. At the same time they say “Near!” and pull the leash towards themselves. If the dog runs far ahead, he is pulled back again, but not too much. When performing a sneeze, they are praised and rewarded with a treat.

"It is forbidden!"

The command is used when you need to prohibit any action. They say it loudly and sharply, making it clear that they are unhappy with the dog. You can distract a sneeze with a tasty treat.

Dog behavior on the street

When a puppy first goes outside, there are so many new things around him. And a child with a strong psyche will strive to learn new things. The owner should not interfere with this, within reasonable limits, of course. If the pet decides to pick up something from the ground, the owner turns it on himself and attracts attention with a treat or toy.

The puppy must understand that the street is not just running around with other dogs. This is an opportunity to communicate with the owner, it is interesting and cool to be with him. The owner has toys and treats for the pet.

That is, when going out for a walk with the puppy, the owner constantly plays with him, not giving him the opportunity to make decisions on his own. By the way, in the warm season you can practice commands with your Chihuahua while walking. Firstly, it gives mental stress, and secondly, the dog is interested in communicating with the owner, which avoids problems with contact.

Important! Over time, it is better to switch the dog to rewarding with a toy instead of a treat.

Despite the fact that representatives of the Chihuahua breed are difficult to train, everything is in the hands of the owner. With a competent approach to training and contact with the dog, everything will definitely work out.