Dog Training Tips

Question: Free dog training tips?

(Posted by: Analicia C on 2007-05-01 15:15:24)

For a whole month now my little Chihuahua has been bitting up all my clothes. Me and my husband are on the verge of giving her away. She is almost a whole year old and I need big time help! Does anyone have any answers for my problem?

Posted by: sniffydogs on 2007-05-01, 15:19:07

Get a crate. If you can't properly train her call Chi Rescue.

Posted by: Bozema on 2007-05-01, 15:19:55

Crate train her for when you cannot supervise her. It works wonderfully well and dogs like their little dens. This site will tell you how.

Posted by: africadreamer06 on 2007-05-01, 15:20:57

Do you cage her while your away? That is an option. You can also put something bad tasting on some old clothes try to break th habit. Also make it so she can't get to your clothes.

Posted by: star_gazer_9999 on 2007-05-01, 15:26:12

Start crate training and put your clothes away. I had a dog once that loved underwear. It drove me CRAZY!!!! I simply learned to keep it where it was unreachable!

Posted by: rmfly on 2007-05-01, 15:28:38

Chihuahuas are an incredibly dominant breed. The little beggars can terrorize a household because nobody wants to be hard on them. Your baby is in serious need of some Basic Obedience training and instructions on who's the boss. Find a local, reputable training school and sign up, I know that you'll enjoy it. In the meantime find some old tea towels, tie them in knots and wet them down then put them in individual baggies and freeze them. When you catch her chewing the daylights out of you favorite jeans use a sharp, strong 'NO' and take her to the kitchen and give her one of the frozen tea towels. You may have to play with her a bit to entice her take it but they make an amazingly effective chew toy and nobody cares if the dog chews it to shreds. My Puppy Kindergarten students are told about this as a teething aid and they report back the pups keep using them into adulthood as a toy. You can also teach her to use ice cubes or bouillon cubes.

Posted by: Nick on 2007-05-01, 15:35:02

We had the same problem with our rug, and even though our dog was crate trained, we didn't want to keep her locked up while we were gone for 6-8 hours. The solution - bitter apple spray on the rug. After a few applications she got the idea.

Posted by: codasmomma428 on 2007-05-01, 16:46:08

If she is doing this when you are away- it's separation anxiety. It's a different approach. First off- put things of importance away or up where she cannot reach them. Secondly, if it's only your things- then it's probably happening when you aren't with her and she's left alone. My weim does that with me- that's because he has separation anxiety and I'm the one he's bonded with. It takes time and love- and you have to modify your own behavior (like putting your clothes away and not on the floor)- and maybe get her some kongs or other toys to play with instead. :)