A few questions....

I agree. Pip is now five months and just is getting routine with his pads. He usually will go outside, but gets side tracked sometimes. He also loves to sniff around and find whatever he can off the floor to knaw on. I have to be very careful about what is falling from the counter. Pip used to potty in his crate too, but he doesn't anymore. I make sure to praise him each and EVERY time I see him going outside or on his pads. Sometimes he misses, but his accidents are so small, doesn't really upset us at all.
It is true that your baby should be okay w/o full vax to wonder outside, as long as he/she doesn't interact with other dogs.
It is hard but I have learned patience is huge with Chihuahuas. Try a bigger crate so there is room for the bed and toys, but room in the front in case there is an accident. I got a medium cage from Wal-mart. Pip does well in that. I learned leaving pads out of the crate is good too,as well as food. He would just dump his food and water and tear up the papers, leaving a huge mess everytime we put him in it. Your baby will get used to the crate. Pip will actually go in his now just to play and he doesn't cry as much when we crate him when we leave.
Well, any more questions? Will be glad to help, from one learning parent to another!

I suggest NOT getting a bigger crate. Only because dogs have a natural instinct to be clean and thus, will start to train themselves not to soil their crate area. Besides, your puppy will be sleeping most of the time because they are still little and growing so it won't really matter how much room they have in their crate. I have a bed and blankets in my pup's crates and that's all.

Having said that, I crate my dogs during the day only. But I come home during lunch to feed them and let them potty. During the day, I try to not let them hold their pee no more than 4 1/2 hours.

At night, I DO NOT lock them in their crate. Instead I leave their crate door open and put pee pads around the room. Their crates are located in a spare bedroom that houses only a computer, desk, and a dresser. I use this room as their "den". I also use a baby gate instead of closing the bedroom door. I've heard that by closing the door, they feel "trapped".

I like the idea of keeping them restricted to one room as their den. Now that they are getting older (5 mos next week), I'm more familiar with their potty/eating schedule and can trust them to run around in the living room and patio. However, they are still off limits to the dining room, kitchen, and bathroom.

Good luck

starchi
I am new to this board, but I'll try to answer some of your question since I also have a puppy Chi mix and she is also almost 3 mo old
1. I think she is too young, but make sure to really praise her when she does it right (newspaper, pads). My Pupa already seems to know if she did it right - she has a couple of places with newspapers (when she grows up a bit I leave only one place) - and when she does pee or poop in the right place - she runs to me for me to say "what a good girl" and other stuff u know :lol: But when she accidentally does it wrong - she just stays quiet or goes in her room....
2. Better not to take her out, I took mine on the roof (it is closed, no dirt and no gods there) - so she can run around a bit
With "struggling" while she is on my hands I am familiar :lol:
3. I cant really help, cos we dont crate train her, she has her "own" room it is a spare bedroom, where she has a nice "doggie house" + a little open basket, pillows, blankets, toys, water, newspapers..
4. Pupa is the same, which tells me to start teaching her "leave it" like adviced here :lol:
5. My vet told me that dogs ofter beg for food even if they are not hungry, cos for them food is like "attention" from you. If I were you I would ask your vet if your pupie's weight is fine and keep feeding her just right amount and DONT GIVE up when she is begging but it is so hard. If min is begging I try not to pay attention and give her a treat when she stops begging and goes to her toys. Another thing my vet told me - "make sure you give her a treat from YOUR HANDS only if she was a good girl and did something right, otherwise put it in her plate or bowl"
6. Pupa also didnt want to go in her room (of course - who wants to stay alone!) - but what I read is that "pick a toy that she like a lot and give it to puppy only when you are going away, or give her a treat when you are going away, and dont make the process or parting long because dogs quickly pick up on your feeling of guilt" seems to help
That's all I can tell you. I am far from a chi-expert, I am only sharing my own experience and what i was told or read

I wouldn't say a chi is completely house trained for a year. Buffy took about that long to be able to go anywhere in my house unsupervised. Chico my new puppy (he is almost 4 months) is doing great on the house training, he goes outside on a schedule(staying on the same routine every day helps), if I can't watch him he is in his crate, and he stays in one room of the house only when he is playing. He eats 3 times a day(7am,1pm,7pm) and goes out before and after each meal, plays an hour or more then in his crate again for an hour or two, I think this helps in learning to hold his bladder. I am a stay at home mom, so when the kids get home they play with him most of the evening and know to take him out to "pee" every hour or so. At night he sleeps in his crate in my room by my bed from 11pm -7am, he now sleeps through the night.I think he feels more secure being in my room where I am, and my other chi Buffy sleeps with my husband and I in the covers, Chico will too eventually(hopefully he will want to). So just be very strict on your schedule, be patient, don't feed much other than his meals(so his bowels get on a routine schedule), supervise play time, and be patient. Your puppy is still young, give him a year to be completely housetrained. As for the size of the crate, don't use a very big one, I put a fleece lining in mine and a pillow that is it. If it is too big they will go to the other end to mess. And if you put food or water in it they will need to go outside to potty. I am no expert, but this has all worked for me, hope it helps you.