Let’s have a look at the challenge of potty training an older chihuahua and how this can benefit your relationship with your dog.
Chihuahuas are among the most loving and friendly pets anybody can have. They are perfect to be introduced in families with kids, and they are extremely sensitive creatures.
Anybody that decided to adopt an older chihuahua will see the benefits in no time!
Chihuahua owners have reported being happier, less lonely, and more satisfied with their lives.
However, potty training your dog is among one of the most important tasks you should complete as an owner.
In older dogs that haven’t been trained properly when puppies, it can be extremely challenging.
How to start potty training an older chihuahua
Whether you have just adopted an older chihuahua or your pet hadn’t been trained properly when he or she was a puppy, understanding his personality traits can help you establish an efficient training plan.
Moreover, the effectiveness of the training can vary depending on whether you have adopted your dog or you have lived with it for many years.
In the first case, you will need to understand his past and upbringing deeply. In the second case, you will need to analyze what went wrong with the initial training.
Let’s have a look at the different training and how to make them more effective.
Training an adopted older chihuahua
Let’s start by understanding your dog’s upbringing…
If you have just adopted an older pet, spend some time just observing and noticing his natural behavior.
Take note of where and when he goes to the bathroom and if he goes regularly or not.
This will give you an indication of what your pet was used to in his previous home and where the problem actually is.
While you would like to give him time to adapt to the new environment of your house or garden, this issue needs to be addressed immediately.
This will avoid creating bad habits that in older dogs are incredibly difficult to modify.
Ultimately, it is crucial to understand the upbringing and previous habits of your dog.
If he hasn’t been looked after properly or was experiencing abuses, you will need to commit properly and use softer training in order for him to respond positively.
Keep in mind that your dog might have been brought up outdoors and never lived in a house.
In this case, he would not be able to understand the commands you are giving him or how to move properly in a confined indoor space.
The importance of potty training an older adopted chihuahua
A properly housetrained chihuahua will be a dependable and ultimately happier dog that trusts and respects its owners. This will help you have a pet that you can consider as a buddy for life.
Moreover, potty training is the basic teaching that your dog should be used to before proceeding to more complicated commands.
An obedient dog is a pet that has been looked after properly, and he is happy with his owner.
However, you will have to understand whether your adopted chihuahua had been mistreated or followed ineffective training.
If he had been trained through forceful exercises, he would not respond well to the commands you are giving him, and he can even be dangerous.
However, by coming up with a force-free plan that works for your dog’s personality, you will be able to transform his behavior and increase his happiness.
How to potty train an older adopted chihuahua
With adopted older dogs, the standard training used to housetrain puppies might not work.
While repetition and rewards exercises will help your dog understand what he should or should not be doing, some training might make your chihuahua feel uncomfortable.
If they have had a troubled past, they will most likely feel threatened and scared, which is often the leading cause of aggressive behavior.
If this is the case, forcing your dog in a restricted space will cause opposite outcomes that the wanted ones.
Owners of adopted older dogs should focus all their efforts on gaining their pet’s trust. If your dog is comfortable and loyal to you, he will be open to accepting your command and rewards.
This makes for a dog that it’s easier to train and instruct.
If you aren’t sure how to gain your chihuahua’s trust, there are a number of manuals available that offer the guidance of expert dog trainers and behaviorists.
What not to do
- Don’t use force. Chihuahuas can easily feel threatened, and this will cause damage to the training.
- Don’t punish your dog. Correct the wrong behavior with words, just after he had a bad attitude. Use rewards for positive actions instead.
- Do not get angry if you find his excrement around the house. He will not remember to have relieved himself there and won’t be able to associate your anger with the act.
- Don’t confine your dog in small spaces as a punishment. If he had a troubled past, he will be scared and stop trusting you.
Housetraining your own older chihuahua
Pay attention to your dog’s personality
If you have been living with your older chihuahua for a long time and realized that he hadn’t been housetrained properly, you will need to understand the reasons behind his behavior.
He might feel threatened or scared, and this increases the chances of him hiding from you the fact that he needs to relieve himself.
If this is happening within your house, start noticing your dog’s habits and take note of when and when he goes to the bathroom.
He might be returning to a confined place with his own smell on or to the laundry room because it has the same perfume as yours.
It can be challenging to modify your older chihuahua’s behavior, but there are different training plans that can be followed to make this task easier for both you and your chihuahua.
The importance of potty training an older chihuahua
Any dog owner values and cherishes the relationship that he has been building over time with their dogs.
However, poor house training can create dangerous or uncomfortable situations for both family members and visitors.
Moreover, if you are experiencing frustration toward your dog, he will be able to understand your negative feelings, and he won’t be as loving around you.
While your relationship might already be great and rewarding, there is always room for improvement.
If you need your dog to complete proper housetraining, this might be to avoid difficult situations at home or in public.
Having fun and training together can bring you closer to your dog and vice-versa.
However, this process might take time and commitment, as changing a bad habit is not as easy as creating a positive one from the beginning.
Implementing a new and steady plan can help!
How to potty train your older chihuahua
Firstly, start by understanding what mistakes were made during the original training.
Whether you were responsible or you are just taking over from someone else, it is important to analyze what are the bad attitudes that your dog is now used to.
Implementing new tasks, in this case, has to be a slow but steady process.
If you start punishing your dog for something that he has never been punished for, this can create an opposite effect than the desired one.
Start by introducing simple tasks and rewarding your dog if he lets you know when he needs to go outside.
You will then need to stay outside with your dog until he relieves himself. While this can take time, he will be able to understand where it’s right or not to go to the bathroom.
Remember that this takes as much commitment from your part as from your dog.
If you feel like you are in need of professional help, you can find easy-to-follow guides that will show results in no time.
Aside from eliminating the frustration of having tried many different pieces of training with no positive outcomes, reaching out for help can help you, and your dog understands each other better.
What not to do
- Don’t start punishing your dog for something that he has never been punished for before.
- Don’t give up on older dogs’ potty training by showing commitment.
- Don’t use forceful exercises to change your dog’s behavior. This will only reduce his trust in you, and any following training will be even more difficult.
- Don’t assume that basic training that works for puppies will work for an older dog that has solid bad habits.
Conclusion
While any older chihuahua’s owner loves his pets and wishes only the best for them, often efficient training is needed to improve this bond.
Potty training older chihuahuas can be very challenging, especially if they have been adopted or if they have a troubled past.
Understanding your dog’s personality and needs is the first step to creating efficient training that will yield long-lasting results.
Are you an older chihuahua’s owner?
Did you find it challenging to potty train an older chihuahua?
Let us know by leaving a comment below!
FAQ’s
Q. Is it really possible to potty train an older chihuahua?
A. Yes, it is, however, there are some strange methods that you will come across so be careful.
Q. How long does it take to potty train my dog?
A. It depends on the dog but the truth is between 3 to 7 days. You will have to be patient.
Q. How good is your course?
A. It is a 1st class course and that is why a money-back guarantee is included within the purchase.
Q. How many people have used it?
A. At the moment it has been used just over 10000 times.
Q. How many refunds have been requested?
A. The truthful answer is ZERO.
Q. How can I get it and how much is it?
A. Just Click Here. The cost is less than $18 USD.
