Chihuahua training
The chihuahua is naturally fairly strong-willed. Behavioral problems almost invariably arise from when an owner has been too lenient with the chihuahua puppy on account of it being small and cute. Training needs to start early, especially socialization in as many situations as possible so that the pet chihuahua naturally becomes a fairly rounded character. This will also provide opportunities to gauge the puppy’s aptitude for advanced training because being energetic, alert and intelligent, the chihuahua is sometimes best engaged by varied and more difficult tasks if the aptitude is there in the specific dog. Training needs to be assertive and with exercise, play and varied rewards in place it is usually possible to train the chihuahua relatively easily.
The best chihuahua training methods work with the little dog’s nature, especially its liking for attention and need to be engaged. Given the principle of starting young, its need for variety in order to engage it is going to be accentuated. However it will also be very receptive to rewards, so by breaking the reward pattern up and only ever rewarding it after it completes the right behavior rather then during it, while keeping training sessions when young short and snappy, the chihuahua will quickly show what it made of and react fairly positively throughout.
Also, it is worth remembering that if something isn’t working, persisting with it immediately or becoming stressed will prove counter-productive for both your stress levels and the dog, so it is actually worth letting it go for another day, but without any rewards or they will lose their value very quickly.
Another productive technique with the young chihuahua is not to overdo a successful session, or else the dog will both tire and become bored, again illustrating the focus on short and snappy. So a little planning with simple objectives initially, and some patience, will be effective. Done properly, most chihuahuas will soon indicate their readiness to move onto advanced training and if so, it is well worth considering with this breed to make the most of its capabilities and fun-loving nature.
For help with training your Chihuahua, click here.
