Small Dog Potty Training Tips

It is not a simple task getting a small dog potty trained. I would go as far as to suggest to skip outdoor potty training during cold weather, because your tiny dog will most likely pick a warm corner of your home, couch, bed ... During the cold winter months, you're better off using an indoor dog potty, such as the infamous wee pads or potty pads. You can purchase Four Paws Wee Wee Housebreaking Pads 100/Pkg in bulk and garnish your floors with them. There's really no point in lining your dog's crate with them because if you've decided to go with crate training, your dog will not use the bathroom in his enclosed tight quarters. There are numerous similar indoor dog potty inventions in the market, like the Mini Pup Head Indoor Portable Dog Potty (Toilet) and the UGODOG Indoor Dog Potty

Of course, you can also use cat litter boxes filled with commercial litter or shredded newspaper, or if you have floors that are easy to clean, just plain newspaper on the ground will suffice. The goal is to get your puppy potty trained as soon as possible.

Some people prefer using dog diapers, aka dog potty pads or wraps, such as Happy Jack Male Dog Belly Wrap especially with male dogs that like to mark. There are too many dog diaper options to choose from from disposable dog diapers to cloth washable ones.

To our issue now, how to potty train a puppy, especially when it's a small breed. Keep in mind that the main difference between potty training a regular sized dog and a small dog is the fact that small breeds' accidents go by undetected. That means that even though you can't see or smell the damage, your dog will continue to visit until the smell is eradicated. There are many methods to get rid of the odor, but my favorite is cheap ol' white vinegar (which I buy in bulk at my local Costco). It breaks down the enzymes in the urine that attract your dog. The other difference is the size of your dog's bladder. Need I say more?

Start by limiting your new puppy's living quarters, regardless of whether you'll be using a crate or not. Make sure his sleeping and eating quarters are kept clean and are separated from the designated potty area.

If you go the crate route, rest assured that your pooch's potty training will speed up. All dogs have an instinctive desire to do their business away from their den. Crate training a puppy is the way to go, in my opinion.

Use your puppy's pee. Soak up some on a towel and dab it on the area you designate as your dog's bathroom. The scent will help him find his way.

Supervise. Watch your dog like a hawk. The fewer initial accidents the better chance of success.

Use a schedule. This one is for you to figure out, based on your personal/work schedule and your dog's feeding schedule. A dog as young as four months may require a dozen trips to the bathroom. Usually, it's a good rule of thumb to take your puppy potty a few minutes after a meal. You can also opt to ration water and food during this phase of the potty training. This will give you more control of the schedule.

Patience and repetition are your best friends during dog potty training. Small dogs are more challenging to housebreak, and certain breeds like the chiweenie are notoriously difficult.

I would like to conclude today's potty training tips with a reminder. Regardless which route you pick, consistency is the main factor in dog potty training.

Twinkie

Chiweenie Potty Training Tips | Murphy's Law

The basic statement of Murphy's Law is "If anything can go wrong, it will." It has enough variations to fill at least one book. Let me explain why my interest in ol' Murphy; Frankie, my puppy chiweenie sissy. That's my reason. Momma has been asking me for the past two days to post to our friends that Frankie is finally potty trained. BOL Hasn't she heard of Murphy's Law? I finally agreed and promised to post tonight about Frankie's success in controlling her bladder (by the way, she graduated from her dog obedience training class and even got a silly star stuck on her forehead to prove it). All of a sudden, I heard the familiar and special scolding voice our mother uses on Frankie.

Ha ha. Can you all see the wet spot on the bed covers? I am a witness to the fact that our momma has washed both quilts and cover at least one to five times a week, since Frankie became a part of our family. This chiweenie puppy is going to write the book on how to potty train a puppy!

I tried to find a Frankie photo in which she looks the guiltiest. There were many to chose from, so in the end I settled for this. (Don't miss the paw action).

PS: Mom's in the other room doing the laundry.

I was done with my post when I got a notice from Dip-Dip and The Bridge inviting me over to pick up the Showing Some Love Award. My dear tiny friends: Dinah, Bridget, and baby bro Elliot, I was on my way regardless. Blogger friends, you should check out Dip-Dip and The Bridge for yourselves if you haven't yet. It's one of my favorites.

As we all party on, our friend Mango, another favorite blog, is working his tail off with his famous Mango Minster 2010 competition. All I want to say about the contest is: we can all help out by reading the rules thus giving Mango some time to meditate--since he needs it so.

Twink!

How To Potty Train A Puppy - Piss on Earth!

Piss on Earth!

Mom's been talking to the Dip Dip pack of tiny chihuahuas about how to potty train a puppy, and after hearing that Elliot still prefers his wee pad to the cold outdoors, she started thinking in a new direction. She's been trying to potty train Frankie for almost nine months now. Mom also read that the chiweenie is particularly tough to potty train. To make matters even more interesting, we're in the middle of a few storms over here in Cali. So, one plus one equals: wee pads! Duh!

Really now, does this face look like it can be trained?

Currently, I'm enjoying the newfound peace in the house, while wrinkling my tiny nose thanks to the smell of piss, but that should only last 'till the end of the rain season. 

Twink!

Dog Obedience Training and How to Potty Train a Puppy

An Unconventional Long Weekend

Mom was indeed gone all weekend to attend some USC event. She left Saturday night and didn't come home 'till yesterday. I had a great time because I do love our sitter even though she takes us for walks instead of hikes. The weather was cold and Frankie, the chiweenie, and I, the tea cup chihuahua, didn't want to go out often, which meant that Frankie had a "few" accidents. Anybody that knows how to potty train a puppy, please speak up. We stayed inside, bundled up and visited with our sitter who gave us nice treats and let all of us sleep with her at night. Meanwhile, our mother was out of control. I asked her to post my blog several times, but she was too excited about her firstborn and some USC athletic event he was participating in and ignored me. I can't quite blame her, being so happy for her son, but how could she forget I'm not tall enough to get up on our computer desk? She didn't even bother setting up my ramp.

Then, when she finally got back from the USC water polo finals, she had to take care of her daughter who got very ill during their trip. I missed my mom and couldn't wait for her to pay attention to me, but my human sister was so sick, I just had to be understanding. She's better already; she's recovering.

Finally, I figured it was my turn and got real excited. I started hopping around Mom trying to catch her attention, but she was in a rush again. She had to take Frankie to dog obedience training. What on earth does Mom think? Does she think that Frankie's some kind of genius who will learn a bunch of commands? I doubt that, but I'll keep you updated on my sissy's progress. OMD! This should be fun.

Frankie after dog obedience training

After class, at last, I got my mom back. It was sweet. She apologized for not paying more attention to me and after spending quality time together and a lovely meal of kibble mixed with my favorite chicken soup, she set me up at the computer. I guess we'll figure out how to potty train a puppy soon. If we're lucky, the dog obedience training will make our chiweenie more disciplined on all respects.

Aaaaah...life is good.

Twink!

Frankie | A Chiweenie Small Dog Rescue

She's my new baby sissy. She joined the family only a few short months ago, in February. She was a huge surprise to me! After my recovery, I longed for somebody my size to play with and then, one day, ta-da! Mom comes home with THIS!

Isn't she adorable? BTW Frankie's possibly a Chiweenie, a Chihuahua/Weiner dog (Dachshund). Mom though it'd be funny to name her after a hot dog.  She was even smaller than I am--I am a tea cup Chihuahua. Mom warned me: "Twinkie, Frankie's going to grow. She's a baby now, but just wait. She won't stay like this forever." Who cares? I had a sister my size. Don't get me wrong, I love Linguini, the Dalmatian and German Shorthaired Pointer mix, but she's too laid back. She's ten years old. She doesn't want to play hard with me all day long like the Chiweenie does. So, I welcomed Frankie properly, ha ha!

Here's the story from what I heard from my mom. She was at a horse show (I will share horse show pictures later), watching my human sister compete, standing by a lady who was holding Frankie in her arms. "Oh, how adorable," Mom said and asked permission to snap photos. Glowing with excitement, she snapped the shots and was about to leave when the lady holding Frankie asked, "Could you hold her for me?" Mom gratefully obliged. She took Frankie in her arms. The lady wasted no time, "She's yours!" she exclaimed. "Huh?" Mom was shocked. Frankie was just out of the pound and she needed a home. The lady who was holding her, took her from the pound only to find her a home. "She's yours, if you want her," the lady said more hesitantly. Mom thought for a minute, especially about me. Frankie would find a home--she was too cute. It's easy to find homes for healthy pups. She felt bad. She prefers the "challenging" adoptions, duh, the ones most people avoid. Mom thought about me again, and the fact that I would most likely benefit from a play companion. "She's got a home then," she finally said, and Frankie came home!

Frankie, the Chiweenie, is not completely potty trained yet. I will share potty training tips soon. Every now and then we'll hear mom's exasperated voice: "Oh, no, Frankie. Not again." It's only been seven months though and my mom's patient. She too has fallen for my lovable sister. She's beautiful too. I love brindle coloring, don't you? I'm not jealous though, 'cause I know I'm the charming one. Frankie's the clown of the family. Every day she has a new "do". We never know which directions her ears will be pointing at.

Frankie's my sister, my friend, my Chiweenie, my hiking companion, my mischief buddy. I love Frankie with all my heart, even though she's already gotten waaaay bigger than me. As to how to potty train a puppy . . . I'll share my info if you share yours. 

Twink!