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| From: | Saysfaa (adsl-75-35-180-195.dsl.ksc2mo.sbcglobal.net)
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| Subject: | This is doable |
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Date: | January 1, 2008 at 7:10 am PST |
In Reply to: Potty training adult chihuahuas posted by Stacie on December 30, 2007 at 1:40 pm:
Do you use a crate? That will make things much, much easier on everyone, including Gizmo. Don't just stick her in it if she isn't comfortable with it, you'll need some time to teach her about it and let her get comfortable with it. Callie, on the Vegsource Canine Corner knows the websites that give lots of info on that. Either ask her or I can get it if you need it.
Then, leash her to you all the time she is outside the crate so you don't loose track of her even for just a few minuets. Then watch for signs she needs to go (circling, sniffing mainly, you've seen this before she goes, right?) and take her out. When you go out to go, don't play with her, just do an imitation of a post until she goes then celebrate big time. It can take a really long time for her to go the first time or two because dogs like to go in the same place all the time, or at least in the same kind of place (on grass, or concrete, or weepad, etc).
After a few days, she should be going without much resistance when she is taken outside. Then start logging when she eats and when she goes. Adults can usually hold long enough for a work day if you don't have really long shifts or live too far from work, but you will also be looking for her pattern... because you might want to feed her earlier so she is ready to poop before you leave for work instead of shortly after.
It would be best if you could be home for a fews while you start this, but it can be done even if you are not home. I would find some way to get her out during the day, though, either come home during lunch or arrange with a friend or neighbor (maybe trade petsitting or something) to come let her out. Because even though an adult dog can hold long enough, she might not be able to suddenly if she has a urinary infection or if she's spent the last three years going a hour after she eats or going at 10:00 in the moring.
Finally, if you don't have enzyme cleaner, get some and thoroughly wash under where her rugs are, and where her pee pads were. She will want to go where she has gone before and it will help those places don't smell like she's gone there before. Even if you scrubbed it with soap and water, she has a much better nose and will smell traces through soap and water cleaning. Ammonia cleaners smell like urine to her, so never use them to clean accident spots.
It is a lot of work for a while, but it is worth going all out when you decide to do it because a clean break in routine will get results much faster and with more sure results than an intermittent effort.
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