A chihuahua puppy can and should free feed until they're at least 6 months or a year old, unless they start putting on a lot of fat. Chihuahua puppies very easily become hypoglycemic and should be fed at *least* 3-4 times a day, preferably more, or, as I said, free fed. Chihuahua puppies simply do not have the stomach room to eat enough food to sustain their metabolisms for more than a few hours. So yes, I would free feed your chihuahua, and I would feed it very, very high quality puppy food, such as Innova, which packs the most possible nutrition into the least quantity, until your puppy is at least 6 months, preferably a year, old. Which leads me to part 2.
I agree with some of the other comments that your puppy isn't going to be housebroken by you letting her run unrestrained around the house and poop/pee everywhere. If you'll check the Files section of the group's home page, I have a .txt file there called "paper training" or some such -- check that out. When you're not 100% supervising her, your baby needs to be in a confined area with a pee pad, such as a small bathroom with a baby gate across the door, or a collapsible playpen. She can gradually be given more freedom, i.e. "graduate" to the kitchen or another non-carpeted room) as she consistently uses the pee pad (if that's what you're using). Pee pads have many advantages over newspaper. For one thing, the plastic backing will keep urine from soaking through to your carpet. More importantly, though, doggy pee pads come with a scent on them that will attract the dog to eliminate there. I buy mine on eBay by the 200-count box, that's the cheapest source I've found. The important thing, however, is (a) Praise and reward lavishly for success, and praise for even an attempt at success (i.e., the first time she actually goes to the pee pad and sniffs it/stands on it). (B) Do NOT yell at or otherwise punish the chi for a mistake. Just quietly say, "No, that's not where you go," pick her up gently and put her on her pee pad, then pet and praise her while she's on the pad, whether she goes further or not, and clean up the floor VERY thoroughly so she won't have a scent to go back to. You've put her in a situation where she literally does not know what you want and will not understand at ALL what you're upset about. Even if you actually catch her in the act, she'll believe you're yelling at her for peeing, not for peeing THERE. If you'd like more specific help, just let me know. You're welcome to contact me offlist. Thanks, Anne
