I have heard it said that a Chihuahua is a very difficult dog to train, and this puts a lot of people off of them. But this just is not true. They are great dogs for doing tricks with, they are intelligent, and most importantly, they are highly trainable.
And how do you train them? With consistency and treats. Yes that’s right, when they do something good, or something that you have asked them to do, reward them. Give them a treat, and they will soon learn that that behaviour brings goodies.
However, if they get negative results, they are not likely to try something a second time. This is why it is essential that you understand that discipline should not be used when it comes to training your Chihuahua. It simply is not effective at all.
Treats and praise should be used when the dog has done what you’ve wanted him to do ” whether he had your help or not. Simply show the dog what you want done, and give him a treat immediately following this. Then, give the command and see if he will do it on his own. If he doesn’t, don’t give him the treat. After several attempts to get him to do the trick or obey the command without your help, try again and help him, and give him the treat.
And another thing to think about is how you plan to give your commands. Will it be by voice, hand signals, or Clicker? Unless you are going to show your dog, I would suggest using verbal commands.
And your training sessions should last no more than fifteen minutes at a time, but you can do them two or three times a day if you have the time.
And never forget that your Chihuahua is perfectly capable of learning any command that you want it to learn, it just may take time, so patience is a virtue here.
Remember that these are highly intelligent dogs and the secret to your success in training is to praise them reward them and give them regular treats. At first you will need to spend time on your training, but it will be time well spent.
