Tamilyn said:
Has anyone been able to train thier chi's to go outside, or am i hoping for too much? :? This is my first small dog ,so I have never had any experience with puppy pads.
Tammy
Never fear! Cooper is here!! He's been going outside since he was about 3-4 months old. I trained him using the potty pads and he didn't like them very much but he used them religiously for his #1 stuff. #2s were reserved for underneath my bed until about 6 months of age.
All the books I read before getting a puppy said that if you see your dog using the bathroom on a pee pad, praise them like there's no tomorrow. Also, say phrases like "go potty" or whatever you intend to say when it's time to try outside.
As a general rule of thumb, puppies can hold their bladders for as long as their age (up until 8-9 months) ... i.e. a three month old puppy can hold it for 3 hours. I used that theory with Cooper, taking him out every 3 hours or so when he was 3 months old and either it actually worked or Cooper's a genius ... or both.
Also figure out how long it takes for your dog to use the bathroom after they eat or drink a lot and try to beat them to the punch by taking them outside 10 or so minutes before they normally would do their stuff.
And this may be gross but I would take the pee pads that Cooper had used and rub them on the grass in the yard in hopes of getting his pee smell on the grass. I also let my friend's dog come in my back yard and play so he'd mark territory in the yard and Cooper would smell it when it was his turn to go out. Who knows - I thought it might encourage him to pee outdoors, if only to re-claim his territory.
One thing I do know for sure is Chihuahuas seem to be a bit more stubborn than other breeds when it comes to potty training. I got really lucky with Cooper - he almost wanted to go outside and showed very little interest in ruining the carpet. Now when it's raining like crazy outside, I'll take a pee pad and put it on the patio so he won't have to get wet. Every time, he looks at the pad, looks at me as if I have just insulted him, and runs out into the rain and takes care of his business.
It can be done!!