Hi Shelley, When I was potty training Cooper and Dali I always took them out on a leash. I would walk around the yard with them and when they squatted to go I would keep saying, go potty, go potty, for the whole time they were going. When they finished I'd say "Good puppy" and give them a tiny treat. As they progressed I would take them to the potty spot and say "go potty", when they did I would give them the treat and say Good Puppy! Eventually I eliminated the treat and still praise them when they go. They do occasionally go in my living room (they are only allowed in there if I am in there with them) usually if I am preoccupied with something and miss their subtle signals to go out. They are tough to read sometimes, good luck, and hope Gimli masters it soon! Cindy
--- On Wed, 2/29/12, Joan Croft <[email protected]> wrote: From: Joan Croft <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] potty training! To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 11:48 AM Desi was just like that. I don’t know where you live, and if you can leave Gimli outside by himself. I finally put Desi outside and then watched through the window. The first time it took 20 minutes for him to go. It took more than a week before he learned that if he goes out there, and eventually goes potty, that he gets a treat when he came in. No more treats, but he will go out before breakfast, sometimes after too. He will cry at the door when he wants to go out. I have been in and out to doctor appts the last couple of weeks, and so I always put a puppy pad in Desi’s area when I am gone. Dolly has reverted to going to Desi’s area when I get home and uses his puppy pad instead of going outside. I believe that it is Dolly who has started pooping on the bedroom carpet. But, I think that is all an alpha behavior. But…carpet…so soft under their feet. I had to pull up all of the area rugs – except a runner in front of the entry door – and will now be having the master bedroom carpet pulled up (thanks to Desi’s incessant going potty where it is closer to what he is doing) and put tile in there too. They don’t go on the tile. Desi sometimes goes potty on toys…especially when Mandy is here…he marks them as his and then he can’t play with them either until I was all of them. With Dolly as the house alpha, he has been having Mandy clean his face and other things so that he is the second in command (I am the first…just meant second in the dogs). You may have to remove the carpet, or do something to block the same spot that he uses. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but this is a problem that obviously I don’t have an answer to. My vet said that sometimes it takes longer for the bladder to mature enough for control…but like you, I think it was just a marking of his place. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shelley Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 7:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Chihuahuas] potty training! I can't seem to potty train Gimli. He is almost 4 months old and he is getting worse instead of better. Before, I could take him outside, potty him and he would be fine running around inside for 20 minutes or so. But that is changing. Today, he went outside, pooped, then wanted to play, so I brought him in, and he went inside to a thick rug and peed! More and more he is going to a corner and doing his business at the one moment I stop paying attention. Also, I don't like to keep him confined as much because as he has gotten older, he is really really hiper!! He has so much energy and if he is confined, he is barking so much. I spend so much time with him playing and walking him, but I can't do it as much as he needs it seems! Is potty training this puppy possible??????? Shelley
