CHIHUAHUA: TRAINING

Chihuahuas are lively and intelligent, but also very stubborn. As with all dogs, the earlier you start training your Chihuahua, the better; it's the key to having an obedient, well-rounded adult dog.

Chihuahua Trainability

Chihuahua training is no mission impossible, but it does require patience, firmness, and perseverance. This little dog tends to do as they please and can even be willingly stubborn. This is the aspect of the Chihuahua's temperament that makes training them a little more tricky than training service dogs.

But don't panic! Chihuahuas are intelligent and highly capable of learning. They are very sensitive to positive reinforcement: petting, encouragement, and praise will help them to assimilate their learning. And, if you combine their training with fun games, there's no reason that it shouldn't be successful. Above all, training your Chihuahua requires patience and firmness.

Chihuahua Obedience

You Chihuahua's level of obedience can be… unreliable. It can make training your Chihuahua a little complicated. They are quite capable of understanding and following commands, but they have to want to. Obedience training requires a lot of patience, but it's essential for living in harmony with this small dog, as well as guaranteeing their safety.

Chihuahua Training

We strongly recommend that you start training your Chihuahua as early as possible, so they don't begin to develop any bad habits. Ideally, you can start training your Chihuahua at around two months old and do it in stages:

• Hygiene: This training must not be overlooked. You need to house train your Chihuahua by showing them where they need to go to do their business and encouraging them to do so. With a little positive reinforcement (a treat or a cuddle), your puppy will quickly understand what to do and where to do it.

• Basic Commands: These commands are absolutely essential for establishing a good family hierarchy (do not let your dog run the show!), and ensuring harmonious cohabitation and safety for your dog. This is the foundation of Chihuahua training. Your dog must be taught the meaning of the words "no", "stop", or "down". If necessary, you can associate each word with a gesture at the start, to help your pooch better understand its meaning.

• Good Behaviour: Learning to walk on a lead, respond to their name, and not to bark wildly, are among the key learnings for your dog. Don't forget: You also need to teach your Chihuahua to get used to being alone, so that being separated from you doesn't cause them anxiety or stress.

• Games are a great way to teach your Chihuahua basic commands and good behaviour. These are playful moments that strengthen the bond between master and dog by working on trust and complicity. And, since playing is in this little dog's nature, even better!

Chihuahua training must be done with patience, kindness, and firmness. As these dogs are naturally pretty fearless and won't hesitate to stand up to dogs much larger than them, aim to start training your pup as early as possible to prevent them from slipping into bad behaviour or putting themselves in danger.

Despite their stubbornness, this little dog is very sensitive to positive reinforcement: praise from their beloved master, or a little treat from time to time, will make them want to learn and do well.