New Puppies-help please
 

I am well into my 60s and have never had a puppy. All of my dogs have been older rescue dogs. We now have 2 eight week old Chihuahua puppies. Technically, not rescued but we got them from an ad on line, from a guy who got 3 of them from "an old man who couldn't take care of them, but thought maybe they had some shots". When we went to see them, I fell in love. I had to put my Chi down 2 years ago after 9 years and still miss him. I didn't have the heart to break up sisters, someone had already taken the third one or we probably would have all three. We got them last Thursday, Friday they went to the vet for shots and de-flea-ing. They were loaded with fleas. Now what to do with them? They are pretty good at night in fact slept until 4:15 this morning, so no complaints there. We're trying to housebreak them to go outside. Not working well! We live in the country so worry about hawks swooping down on them. I tried putting them on leashes, but they hate them and I think even though we have the lightest leashes we could find, they are just too heavy. Naturally they go in opposite directions when they're free How long does it take to housebreak and suggestions on anything else would be more than welcome. also, what do you do about them crying to be held? Holding is wonderful, I love it, but can't do it the whole time they are awake!

They are cuties! As to leashes...I would suggest a harness-style vs collar for them as they are so small. And probably a small, thin, cloth or rope type leash as opposed to a chain-style leash. You could also get a leash connector thing. Attaches to a single leash at one end and then has two leads for the 2 dogs. Helps control the this way - that way bit. They probably just are not used to collars/leash at this point.

Housebreaking...we've always gone outside with them for the duration until the finally get the message as to what 'outside' is for! Basically after each meal, as soon as they are finished eating, take them out for walks until they have both finished all their potty needs. Give small treats each time to reinforce the 'good girl' message. Any time they start to 'circle' or start looking intently inside, scoop them up and run them outside. Might be easiest to leave the harness on them full time for the moment and the leash available outside so you can get them out the door quickly for those type trips. Complete housebreaking usually takes a few weeks of tremendous diligence.

You've only had them for a few days and it sounds like they've had quite a bit of trauma already in their short lives. Once they get comfortable with you the constant need to be held will abate. Give them a soft, safe place to be when you're not in a position to hold them. Tell them 'good girl' when you put them them. They'll get the message sooner or later.

I'd also recommend a crate for those times when you are not home to help with the housebreaking. Obviously does not need to be large for those tiny girls. We've always given ours a treat when they go in their crates so they know it's a good thing. Soft bedding - just old towels will do. This way, if there are accidents...easy clean up.

I get what you mean about the big birds! When we got out latest dog he was 8 wks and 15 lbs. Certainly much larger than yours but I was still worried about the turkey buzzards swooping down on him. And we had coyotes in the 'way back' at that point as well. Wouldn't let him out of the fenced yard even at that point. He's now 2.5 yrs old and 150 lbs. Not worried about the buzzards with him now!

Just remember that you are dealing with tiny babies. Little tummies; little bladders. They'll sleep alot. Each time they wake up....out the door!

Good luck. You (and they) will get there!

my chorkie is 9 # and I still worry about big birds....the crate idea is the best. we started her right off sleeping at night in one and she never had an accident. the bit about when they wake up, out the door LOL one thing I noticed too was the nervous pacing, "I have to poop" LOL it just takes time.

Thanks for the advice. We do have a crate of sorts. It's just one of those plastic cubes from Walmart. By day it's on it's side so they can crawl in and out and by night we put it upright and cover it with my 25" square ruler with a couple weights on top. They do go into it on their own often. The harness is a great idea and I didn't even know they made a leash for two. We have no Pet-Smarts or anything similar here, but I'm sure I can find one on line. The little girls only weigh 1.7 and 1.9 pounds. We also have a lot of coyotes and foxes so they won't ever be outside alone. thanks again.

Just want to say congratulations on your new family!

They are so cute!

yep, I say harness with leash too. as they grow you will have to buy larger ones. my cats (two of them) go outside wearing a harness and leash. puppies chew electrical cords, shoes, etc. YOu will have to baby proof your home as much as possible. and outside too if puppies are left out without you. my neighbor has a puppy and he's a minx! good luck

You might want to look at buying a dog play pen for when they go outside to potty.
This is the type that I am talking about -
http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Trex-Premi...217781-3550230
- this is just panels that connect together to make a small fenced in yard.
At 24" tall, you will never have to have anything higher with them being so little.

They will quickly learn that when they are outside in 'their' yard, they are supposed to potty.
When they are older, you can have them out with you in the yard, when they know to come and other commands. Then you will have better control of them. With the fenced in playpen, you won't have to worry so much about the wildlife in the area. We lived on the outskirts of the Great Dismal Swamp, and when we had our French Bulldog, we had to worry about bobcats, bear, hawks and eagles. Even full grown and 17lbs., there was still the dangers to deal with.

You should probably get them a small crate to be their 'den'. Dogs deal with things better when they have a safe place to go to when things (noise, activity, etc.) gets too be too much and they retreat to their bed. If you get a place carrier with the door on it, leave the door open during the day and then tell them to go to bed at night and close the door.

Rest assured, if you start working on a routine with them, they will quickly learn. When I foster pups, they are supervised and go out at least every 2 hours, if not more. You may want to start with newspapers on a tile floor for accidents. But the sooner you set a routine, the better.

Good luck. And know that for every ounce of love, and second of time you invest in them, will be returned 10 fold. Just love them, which I know they will.

Just put up a small fence inside your bigger yard. Don't just put them out, take them out. That way you will be able to protect them if need be. I have been taking my small dogs out for about 18-20 years ( a couple different sets). Praise them when they potty. If you are in the house, you won't know if they pottied or not.
They are absolutely darling.

I love people who are able to train their dogs to use a certain area of yard, rather than the whole yard. makes it much easier to keep it tidy. Good luck!!

I trained my puppys to news paper. Every time I go to bathroom it goes to. I set it down on the paper.I don't want going out all hours of the night.This has always worked for me.And everyone has newsparers. Hope this works.

They are ADORABLE! So tiny and cute!

Training your puppies will be time consuming for a while.We got a new sheltie in May (born in Feb).She was 7 weeks when we brought her home.I have a small area with a vinyl floor.I put puppy pads down in this area at night.Also had her crate there.That is the safe house and I recommend crate training. A crate for each. I put her to bed about 10p.m.and got up to take her out about 4 a.m. for the first week then as she got older it was later in the a.m.I also covered the front of the crate with a bath towel at night.
I took her out after she ate but also about every 45 min. all day. Lots of praise and if you say the same word each time the go out they learn to pee when you say the word. I say GO, hurry up. I trained my last sheltie to pee on command too.Good when you travel.
She was mostly trained after about 3 weeks. After a couple of accidents and her knowing how unhappy that made me she was house trained. I did not allow her the run of the house until she was trained.She was either with me or in her pen area.
She is 7 months and knows to tell me when she wants out. You have double the trouble. It will be hard to know who did an accident. This was a long post but training can get frustrating. Hang in there and before you know it they will be trained. It just takes time and lots of attention for the first few months.
I am 67.Good luck.Puppies grow up so fast. Our girl is a joy.

Good Luck with your new babies! Chihuahua's are so cute...and they know it...My Tinkerbelle has us wrapped right around her little paw.
I started her out with a cat harness and lease...they are lighter weight than anything for a dog. We alway take her outside. We have hawks around here as well as crows and other wild things...I figure that they won't bother her if they see a human with the dog. We also praise for a job well done.
I have a piddle pad under my dining room table for emergency use.
As far as holding them...I sew almost all the time...so didn't have the time to hold our baby dog as long as she would like...so I made her a pouch that I would wear around my neck....she was against my heart and would sleep in there forever. You may have a smallish shopping bag that will go over your head that they will love. Put a small towel in there, too.

I would do the fenced in area, and connect it to your house around a small dog door - fenced all sides, including the top, and bury blocks underneath the fenced sides (to prevent any digging out or something digging in). That way you can train them to go outside as they need to, and they can enjoy the outdoors a bit, too. No birds, no foxes/raccoons, etc can get to them. If that won't work due to your house set up, then second best is a fenced in/roofed raised 'playpen'. We did that for our yorkies years ago when we lived in an area with cougars, hawks, eagles, etc. They could go outside to do their business, to look around, etc., and we knew they were safe. We unhooked latches once a week, and moved it away from the house and their dog door to scrub and sanitize their pen. Worked great. Left it with the house when we sold it (scrubbed & sanitized, of course), and the new owners put their cat's litter box out there, and so the cat could be outside to watch everything going on.

Such cutie pies! They will learn fast if you are disciplined with a schedule for a solid week. It takes sacrifice but worth it .I took my dog (13 month old rescue Golden 2 years ago), on a strict schedule.
As soon as I was awake, out he went.
Then I got my coffee He had to wait. Then I fed him, watered him, and waited 20 minutes. Out again, led him to where I wanted him to do his biz. If he only peed, I took him out 20 mins later. Repeated until I realized his bowels took 80 minutes to work. LOL and TMI? then every day after that, same routine. Morning pee, food, wait 70 minutes, put him out under the trees in the far corner, witnessed his biz, rewarded him with playing tennis ball with him. Funny thing is he's more likely to "go" when he's got a tennis ball in his mouth. It's like taking a book to the bathroom. LOL. Your little gals will eventually get the hang of it, but you really have to commit to training and clear your schedule for the time being .

Those are the cutest little girls!!! When we got my jack Russell, I hung a bell from a door knob on her way outside. Every time I took her out, I'd ring that bell. It didn't take her long to learn that when she rang that bell, she was let outside to do her business. First time I ever tried that trick and if I ever get another puppy, I'll do it again. Good luck with training.

When your doggy goes 'poop' if you move it to the area where you would like him to always go and leave it there for a while he will start going there all the time.

l would use a cat harness for very small dogs.
I still use a heating pad under their beds, in the winter.
If your bare feet get cold on your floor, how would like to live that way, with no way to get warm?
I got a used play pen and put 2 zippers in the sides for the 2 blind pups I raised.

They make lofty pads for indoors.My vet said put them closer and closer to the door you want themto go out to go to the bathroom.Also there is a spraay to get them to go where you want to and where you don't. This was very successful when we trained our dog
They are very cute.Give them a nice foxy box or dog bed where they can snuggle when you cant. Congratulations.

They make potty pads for indoors.My vet said put them closer and closer to the door you want them to go out to go to the bathroom.Also there is a spray to get them to go where you want to and where you don't. This was very successful when we trained our dog
They are very cute.Give them a nice foxy box or dog bed where they can snuggle when you cant. Congratulations.

Thanks everyone for the advice. The girls slept until after 5 this morning so that parts going well. The housebreaking is an ongoing battle. I've never seen dogs tinkle as much as these little gals! We go outside and make it most of the time. It's just when they are awake I have to watch them constantly. If they're moving they're looking for a place to tinkle. I have the pee pads but getting them to stay on them long enough to go is the challenge. Once I let them out of the crate in the morning, it's chaos. These tiny dogs can really move fast. I love them already so it's just a case of keeping the carpet cleaner and air deodorizer handy. All of the floors are hardwood except for an area under the pool table that is carpet tiles and naturally the carpet is where they want to go. Luckily when we put down the carpet we had a lot of tiles left over. We'll probably be using them when the housebreaking is over. I do know it's tough to crawl under the pool table because they go right to the center. Cleaning up piddle or worse with puppies attacking your feet while you're lying on the floor is a bit tricky. I love the idea of a pouch for carrying them. I was going to look for either an apron or just the top to a set of scrubs to carry them in. I know when I had my other Chihuahua and had to board him at the vets the girls there carried him in their pockets. Thanks again. I'm hoping this won't take forever. hubby had to leave for a 60 day work assignment and I'm hoping that by the time he gets back the girls will be perfectly behaved. Dream on right?

Evy, put a clear shower curtain or clear plastic by the yard under the pool table. This way you will only have to clean that up while you are fighting the battle.
Tink is ready to come and help if you need her...I can pack her bag really quick. She doesn't eat much...and she loves puppies. (that's her highness in my avatar)

When I got my mini-schnauzer I bought a 4'x6' piece of plywood and covered it with 12" square linoleum tiles. I had a small black wire dog crate and put it on the fake floor. The crate had two doors, one leading out onto the fake floor and the other exit to the kitchen floor.

Next I attached one of end of the wire playpen to the crate and tacked it down to the plywood floor with white _^_ hooks used to support wire shelves. Then I attached the other end of the playpen to the other side of the crate but enclosing one of the doors leading to the fake floor area. This way she could get up and walk around from her 'bed' and play with toys in her inside playyard. She never soiled in her bed in the crate and had a little playground in the house that didn't ruin my real floor. **Just to be safe, I also laid on top my real floor and under the plywood, a plastic shower curtain to protect my good floor from scratches from the plywood.**

If she had an accident on the fake floor-no problem, just wipe it up and take her outside and let her run in the fenced yard. She learned quickly that her bed and inside playyard were not the 'potty'. I scheduled a vacation week off work and dedicated it to housetraining her. I would take her outside about as often as I'd change a new baby's diapers....about 10 times a day and always gave her a piece of boiled chicken as a treat for going potty outside!! The crate/playpen area kept her safe and out of trouble while in the house while she was in learning mode for her potty training. It took about 2 weeks to get her housebroken. She goes to the door now whenever she needs to go outside to potty.

Congrats!!! they are adorable and I would taken them both also. Like you, I haven't had a puppy in many years, last two dogs were rescues, only took one day to show them where they go. Good Luck!!

Congrads on your new family additions. Potty training is time consuming, but it all works out in the end!

Those puppies are adorable. We have a Yorkie mix that we rescued. She was a year old when we got her. She is one feisty little girl. She got the hang of going outside just find, but would go at night on rugs. We got some puppy pads, and I one time put her pooh on it, and from then on she goes on it at night. They are all so worth it. They give back so much love to their family.

We trained our tiny Pom on Puppy pads. She never misses and it is easy to clean up. We don't have to go outside in the snow and rain either.

This entailed a week of us putting her on the pad and kept sayng "go pottie, go pottie". When she tried to get off the pad, we put her back on until she went, and then we praised her and made a big deal and let her go off and do what she wanted. Rinse, repeat. By the time the week ended, she was running to go to the pad when she had to go, we praised and sang the "good pottie song" and she was trained. Never had a problem since.

The fun thing about our little Pom is that everytime she was "good" on the pottie pad, we made a big deal about it and sang a silly song for her. Two years later, she still expects the "Good Pottie" song and will spin in circles and jump all around after she does it to make sure to get our attention and say "I did it!".

Always use the harness leash. Small dogs have a soft, flexible trachea, and because of that, pulling on a collar around the neck could crush their throats and cause problems. The bigger dogs, their trachea is harder cartlidge so not a problem.

Also, make sure you put a sweater on the lil pups when going outside in the winter. Because of their small size, they don't have enough body fat to keep themselves warm. So sweater on if going to be outside for a bit.

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One day I got a call from DH to check my e-mail. There was this photo of a fur baby named Brutus. He was 4.5 months old and only weighed about that much. After questioning who this baby belonged to hoping some one else, I truly realized DH adopted/rescued him. DH saw Brutus thrown from the back window of a car going down a heavily traveled (semis and dump trucks) industrial road. It was almost day's end. So after work, I headed over to pet smart an got housekeeping and supplies for our new addition. Collar and leash, couple chew toys, crate, food and water bowls. As soon as DH got home with the little guy (he was not allowed in the house yet) he was dressed with his collar and leash and immediately walked to his business part of the backyard. He had a lot of business to take care of and didn't seem to mind the leash. When we thought he was done we brought the 2 girls out for an introduction in the front yard. They are never allowed in the front off leash. So this is the neutral/ introductory area. They played an socialized for about 15- 20 minutes. We gradually took them to the backyard and they did well. Then we took them inside. Got him all settled and fed them all while they were in there kennels. He had a couple accidents but was immediately put on leash and taken outside. He thinks he's alpha male. We've had him since "08". Crate training is the best and easiest. Since he was still a pup he had plenty of chew toys. Couple years ago Brutus was frightened by a Turkey buzzard. I saw what happened. It came in the backyard (the other 2 were there also) and swooped down almost getting him but Bianca the largest actually fended the bird away from him. She almost got hold of the bird. He goes to the backyard to do his business still but if he sees a large bird he gets very close to the fence and so does the girls. Get them used to collar and leash. You can make it out of scrap material for pups like yours. Let them also get used to a leash by letting them drag it around the house.

Didn't read the replies but...I think crating works well for housebreaking. And when they go outside, praise them like they just split the atom. And give treats for going potty outside (and eventually don't give treats every time once they start being consistent). I would not recommend pee pads-I've read articles by experts that say they confuse more than anything. But I've never owned small breed dogs.

As for the leash-they will have to get used to them. A harness might be easier on little ones. Eventually they will quit fighting the leash.

Congrats on your new babies. I am on my second Chi and don't know what took me so long to get him. Just be patient and loving with them and praise them a lot when they do go outside to do their business. Never scold them or raise your voice to them. I personally would never let them outside by themselves when they are house broken because they would be a snack for a predator. My yard is fenced in, but I still take mine out on a leash even in the fenced yard because there are so many small holes that he could get out of.
Just keep on using the leashes and they will get use to them. Just like any baby, it takes time for them to adjust and also for them to get you trained. Sometimes I wonder who has who trained in my house. lol Good luck.

You may want to consider looking at cat leashes, etc. I had a 3 pound teacup poodle and used a cat collar and leash on her.

They also have litter for dogs that would work with such small pups, and them going out and wildlife. It is much like cat litter only made for dogs. They also have pads and the harnesses are a good idea, with a very fine leash. When they get older if you want to walk them, they have couplers, I used them on my two dobermans and it kept them from getting the leashes all tangled up. Tiny dogs are harder to house break so it will take more time and work than larger dogs, but keep working with them. [ATTACH=CONFIG]436549[/ATTACH]

I have had 2new puppies I n the ,last 2 years. The only problem I have had was climbing to get to me. I also trained them indoors on artificial cal grass tray which just needed cleaning in a morning. Now adays if I go outduringthedayleave it down but never used.
Enjoy your new babies. After 60 days away they may not let a man in . I li ve on my ow a dave to socialise the dogs with me in cthearea

My recommendation would be crate training. If kept in crates and taken out about every hour they will get the idea sooner. The crate is a safe place and they will soon go right to it when you bring them back in. Try Bing or Google "Crate training for puppies" and you will get some very good information

I just rescued a baby pug from the road. The mom and 2 babies were wondering around lost as a goose. By the time we turned the car around one of the babies had already gotten run over. We cought the other but the mom was too scared and wild. The vet said it is about 8 weeks old, weighs 2.2#'s.
The saleslady at Pets Mart suggested I get a "Farrett" harness and leash. Works Perfect!!! Very light weight. He doesn't even know its on.
No fussing for accidents and plenty of treats for good behavior. Thats the best thing I'm learning with my new addition.

We tried the leash for two when we had two small dogs and found that until they are trained to walk properly with you, they will tumble and romp over each other and get the leashes all tangles up. It's easier with two separate leashes, not too long.

The main thing with training is that vigilance and lots of praise works, but they're very young, so it won't be accomplished overnight. It might be more confusing for them to be together during the training episodes, at least until they know their names, so if you have someone there who can take one while you take the other, then the praise when one goes will not be heard by the other dog as just a random human noise. Always use their names when you praise them.

I don't like the idea of newspaper training because it doesn't teach them anything about going outside, and there's always the possibility, at least around our house, that someone will leave a paper on the floor that wasn't intended for that purpose. I think you're on the right track with crate training. My brother has two chihuahuas who consider their crates to be their sanctuaries. They go in voluntarily. They have a long ride between their home and their new grandson, and the little dogs are very good about riding in their crates, too.

If you haven't visited chihuahua sites online, that would be a good place to get helpful ideas and more information about what this breed is like to train. Here's one I just googled up (not an endorsement, since I've never seen it before): http://www.chihuahua-people.com/

One other thing, hydrogen peroxide is the best and cheapest thing to use to clean pet mistakes on carpet. Test first in a closet or other hidden spot, but it will probably be fine. It saved us a bundle when we had three elderly dogs who became incontinent near the end of their lives.

I have not had a chihuahua, but other people I've known who did always seemed to adore these little dogs. Yours are awfully cute.

They are precious. They are a handful at first but they learn quickly and thy do want to please. Just keep taking them outside and they will eventually get it. My little dachshund was a tiny thing and when I would take her outside for her potty training she would climb up on my feet and sit. She didn't like the grass at first. She finally got the hint. ha!!

I'd also suggest you invest in some "Bitter Apple" it is a spray and it goes on places your puppies like to chew and you don't want them to. I had one mini dachshund that chewed the corners off the baseboards, a cheval mirror, family Bible, and grandfather clock! This goes on for quite a while, so be aware. You could try a doggie door and a dog run with netting or some kind of protective cover from the birds. For me, the doggie door was the biggest part of housebreaking. They really like to keep their living area clean. I guess I am one that waits a bit after my dog eats, before I take them out. Walking usually encourages them to do their business.

We have a yorkie, we bought a roll of 2 foot woven wire and made a small pen around the back door, and made sure that we never put her out without being there, due to the Hawks. She is 3 1/2 now and we can leave her out, she now weighs 8 1/2 pounds. My husband got electric fence rods to use with the woven wire, it is really portable, he moves it when he mows and when we have been without a dog, the wire is rolled up. We have done this since 1984, and in 3 different houses. Love those little ones, talk to them softly, they will learn your voice and quiet down. Hugs.