Daddy gets a C for not watching him. Mommy gets a B for not putting him on the papers before she showered, and Valken gets an A for outsmarting both of you, LOL, LOL!! :) too funny!
Megan if he is eating 3x a day at 7months old, plus treats, then he should
be fine. From what I have seen from people who have chis they feed them 1/2
cup per day avg. and that is broken into 2 or 3 meals per day depending on
the person, the brand of food, and the dog. I have seen that amount given
to dogs who are 4pd and 8pd chis. Gigi gets gets 1/3 a cup per day and
that is split into 2 meals. She weighs 7pds. It has a lot to do with the
dogs metabolism, age, and body structure, so every dog is different. If you
think he is getting to fat then reduce by a couple of kibbles, if he isn't
gaining enough then increase with a couple of kibbles. Yea, it's funny, we
measure by kibbles, LOL! With chi's they are all so different in a lot of
ways, yet they are all the same. Go with your gut feeling and he should be
just fine.
But for housebreaking purposes you are better off having a feeding schedule
so you can regulate his bathroom habits. You can always change back to free
feeding once he is 100% housebroken and he either tells you when he has to
go, or he just goes on his own.
-------Original Message-------
From: Megan
Date: 2/1/2012 1:40:10 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Housebreaking - Morning update - day2
He's just about 7 or so months old. The woman I got him from said she gives
around 1/4cup a couple of times a day - but also sort of keeps some food in
the bowl all the time because he's a puppy. If he doesn't eat all his food
right away, I leave it out & eventually he finishes it. That way I don't
worry if he's getting enough. He might be a bit heavier than when we got him
but he's probably going to top out at 4+lbs. Just a little guy. I got a
harness for him..size xxs and it's huge on him.lol
--- In [email protected], Joan Croft <joan_croft@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Megan,
>
> Just something to remember.if he is a puppy he may get hypoglycemic in
> between his meals. If he does not eat an entire meal of his kibble, it may
> be better to leave it in his crate in case he needs it a little later. I
> don't remember how old the little guy is, but small puppies can have
> hypoglycemia between meals.
>
>
>
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf Of Megan
> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:47 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Housebreaking - Morning update - day2
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Peggy!
> Valken was with daddy while I was in the shower..so it's definitely daddy
s
> fault!.lol
> That poop was a real surprise to me! I had no idea the little booger had
any
> business to do!
> This morning...after he peed,and wouldn't do anything else..letting him
off
> the pad was a test to see if he really did have to go..guess I found out!
> I had been just sort of keeping some food in his bowl all the time (within
> limits)but now I'm giving him food in the morning and then early evening
so
> we're more scheduled and I can figure out what his body is doing.
> When i got back in from the barn around4:40ish I took him out of the crate
> he peed and refused to poop. We went back to the crate 5 times! I was sure
> he had to poop because he kept sniffing the rugs. Finally...after close to
> an hour of this I decided to feed him because I was sure he'd have to poop
> after that. After about 15 minutes he did. I put him on the pad and he
> pooped and then manically tried to eat it..a couple of times. he only got
> half of it.LOL. He only does it when he poops on the pad. He doesn't seem
to
> have any problem leaving the poop on the rugs.LOL. Maybe his mom did too
> good a job at keeping their area clean.
>
> So. I'm gonna print this out. The first part for a chuckle and the 2nd
part
> for my marching orders. I can use the xpen to block off an area
surrounding
> the pad if I need to so i don't have to stand there forever if he decides
> he's gonna be xtra stubborn.
> Stay tuned for the next super duper exciting update!!!
> hope you and the girls have a fab evening.
> Megan and the "squirt."
>
> --- In [email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com> ,
> Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Megan!
> > So why wasn't Valken in the crate while you were in the shower? Better
> yet,
> > why didn't you make sure he did his business before you went in the
shower
> > and decided to let him be free? And why didn't you wait longer this
> morning
> > for him to go on the pad, and when he didn't go, why didn't you put him
> back
> > in the crate, and then try again in 10 minutes? Bad mommy!!! LOL!
> >
> > You have to figure out how many times a day, and when, you know that he
> has
> > to pee and how many times a day does he have to poop. How many times per
> day
> > are you feeding him?? What times do you feed him?? You have to figure
out,
> > does he usually poop before you feed him, or after you feed him. Each
dog
> is
> > different. Does he usually poop just before going to bed at night?.....
> > then the odds are he will poop after he eats breakfast the following
> morning
> > Once you have that all figured out then use the pad training accordingly
> >
> > My Princess won't eat her evening meal unless she pees and poops first.
> > Solution.....She goes out first, then I feed her. Four hours later she
is
> > ready to pee again. Princess only wants to eat once a day, with treats
> after
> > she does her business, and she only poops once a day. Gigi always has to
> do
> > both 15 minutes after she eats. She eats and poops twice per day.....
> > Solution she goes on the pad after she eats.
> >
> > Scenario:
> > Up at 7am.....Put the leash on and he goes on the pad...wait 10-15
> minutes,
> > if nothing or just a pee and not a poop, he's a good boy, but put the
> leash
> > back on and walk to the crate for, wait 5 minutes....then walk back on
the
> > pad. If he still doesn't poop......then back in the crate, only this
time
> > feed him in the crate. (you should be feeding inside the crate all the
> time,
> > except for snacks). Wait 5 minutes after he finishes eating.....then
back
> on
> > the pad and I can guarantee you that he will poop, if not....walk him
back
> > to the crate and wait another 5-10 minutes and then back on the pad and
> keep
> > doing that until he poops.
> >
> > Lets say he did poop:
> > Now he is free and you shouldn't have to watch him because he did his
> > business. So lets say he is free for 1 hour, bear in mind he ate and
> > probably drank, plus the running around.....time for the pad again for a
> > quick pee. If he doesn't pee.......back in the crate and try the pad
again
> > in 10 minutes. If he still doesn't pee........back in the crate and try
> > again in another 10 minutes. You keep doing that until he pees. If it
> takes
> > another hour for him to finally pee, then you know that his holding time
> is
> > 2 hours after he eats and drinks, which means that he can have 2 hours
of
> > free time and shouldn't have to be watched.
> >
> > If you find that walking him back and forth is too much, then block off
> the
> > area where you are keeping the pad. You should only have the pad in one
> > permanent place during the training period. If you block off that area,
> only
> > make it big enough for the pad and a little space for him to sit or lie
> down
> > in, but no bigger then that. This way if he is stubborn and wants to
take
> > 1/2 an hour to finally go while in there, you can do what ever you want
in
> > the meantime. If he doesn't go in 1/2 an hour then put him back in the
> > crate and then try the pad again 15 minutes later.
> >
> > The whole idea is for him to associate that when he goes on the pad he
is
> > rewarded not only with a treat, and praising, but he is also free to
play.
> > When he doesn't go when he is suppose to, then he stays in the crate.
> >
> > As far as him wanting to eat his poop, a lot of dogs, especially puppies
> do
> > that. Gigi did that constantly when I first rescued her and occasionally
> > still does it, and she is 7 years old, but she came from living in a
cage
> as
> > a back yard breeder dog, and because those type of dogs don't have their
> > cages cleaned regularly, the dog naturally wants to keep it cleaned,
> > especially when they have puppies, so that's the only way to get rid of
> it.
> > Another reason is that those type of dogs are on a cheap lousy diet and
> > their body is missing something in nutrients so they feel eating tootsie
> > rolls will solve it, or they are just plain not fed enough.
unfortunately,
> > puppies learn a lot from their mommies and they mimic the mommies
> behavior.
> > That's the hardest type of behavior to break, because the puppies go
> through
> > an imprinting stage, and what is imprinted in their brain is almost
> > impossible to remove. So even if your puppy was kept clean and well fed,
> if
> > he saw his mother doing that, then he learned the behavior.
> >
> > Their are some things that you can try to do. Teach him the command '
> > leave-it'' It is an invaluable command, because lets say you are walking
> him
> > and he goes to eat something on the street, once you yell out ''leave-it
'
> > he will back off and not touch it.
> >
> > Start with him sitting in front of you and have some treats in your hand
> > Put a treat on the floor in front of him and say Leave-It! and quickly
> push
> > him back from it. Then point to it and say ''Okay" and let him have it.
> > Repeat several times. If he doesn't get it during the first session,
then
> > try it again the following day and again that night. Most dogs learn it
in
> > 3-4 sessions. You are really teaching him 2 commands at a time..
leave-it
> > and okay. Now your ready to use that command when ever you catch him
> trying
> > to eat anything that isn't good for him or touching anything that you
> don't
> > want him to touch.
> >
> > They also have food treats that contain something that prevents the dog
> from
> > eating their poop. I tried a brand on Gigi and it didn't do any thing.
> > Others have said that it works, so I guess it all depends on the dog.
Gigi
> > stops dead in her tracks when I catch her and say 'leave-it' so that
works
> > for us.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -------Original Message-------
> >
> > From: Megan
> > Date: 1/31/2012 11:15:52 AM
> > To: [email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Housebreaking - Morning update - day2
> >
> >
> > Well - Valken kicked my butt yesterday and last night but I think we're
> off
> > to a better start today.
> > Didn't need to potty last night before bedtime (of course, he'd pooped
on
> > the rug while I was in the shower about 20 minutes before - Ted was
really
> > happy about that!).
> > REALLY had to go this morning. I put him on the pad and said potty. he
> peed.
> > we waited-nothing. so I let him go off the pad and caught him a minute
> later
> > trying to poop on the kitchen floor. Told him "NO!" and got him to the
> pad,
> > told him to potty and he did. He immediately and frantically tried to
eat
> > the poop. I had to fold the pad over it and keep him away from it to
stop
> > him. He was really concerned about that poop staying there. Thoughts?
> > Suggestions?
> > Compared to yesterday this is a great start. Not sure why he thinks pads
> are
> > for peeing and the rest of the house is for pooping.LOL
> >
>
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