[Topaz]

Okay, I've been reading a lot of posts and one of the main things I have read is that you need to walk your dog to the door, and the same door, when they are about to have an accident. My problem is that my dogs little legs don't allow her to go down stairs just yet, so I don't really have any choice but to carry her. I have a multi level house and so this particular technique is pretty much impossible at this young age and her body size.

Also, I have read that dogs shouldn't hold it much longer than a couple of hours based on their age. Is something wrong with me and my pup that she is able to go from 11:00 at night (bed time) to 5:00 in the morning? She has not had an accident in over 4 nights now. She also doesn't whine in the middle of the night to go out. When I get up at 5:00 she whines and I take her out to go potty. she goes in the same place normally, unless we are playing with her in our front yard, and then she will pee as we are playing.

Can anyone tell me if any of this is wrong?

Thanks.

[TooneyDogs]

You're OK. The every 2 hours is awake hours. Body functions shut down just like humans during sleep so, there is no need to get up in the middle of the night.
As for carrying her out, that's fine until she can manage the stairs on her own. Just be aware that she might get it into her head that potty means carrying her out so, you want to get her walking out on her own as soon as she is able.

[Mdawn]

Even though, I don't have a tiny dog...actually I have a giant one (English Mastiff )...I never used the same door all the time to take him out to potty during potty training and sometimes he didn't walk outside on his own...I carried him out if I caught him in the middle of a pee.

Also, my Mastiff NEVER had accidents at night even when he was 10 weeks old (when I brought him home). I woke up every couple hours through the night and took him out. While I was at work, he was able to hold it for considerably longer than 2 hours with never an accident as long as he was crated. However, even as a puppy he was big (32lb @ 10 weeks) so he had a larger bladder than a Chi.

So do whatever works. If this routine is working for your dog, then stick to it. Amend it if it starts to fail.

By the way...Welcome to Dog Forums!

[Dog5]

Wow...consider yourself lucky! With all of my Chihuahuas, when they were babies I can't tell you how many hours I spent outside in the middle of the night! Sometimes even now one of them will get up and want out. Chihuahuas, like other tiny breeds, can be more difficult to housebreak than others, so it sounds like you are off to a good start!

[Topaz]

Thank you, I do feel lucky with her so far. She has had accidents but she is great in her crate. Right now, she is only in her crate for a long time during the night. My teenage daughter is home with her all summer so hopefully we can get her mostly knowing what to do when she needs to go potty.

I wanted to ask anyone who may know, but I saw online a potty training guide called How to potty train fast track system by Trey Stevens. Has anyone bought this program and verified if it works?

I need all the advice I can get training her. Does anyone have advice on doggy doors?

also, I am very lucky because she does not cry at night going in her crate. She goes right to sleep.

[Dog5]

I don't know anything about that program, but this is how a trainer trained me to train my dogs :

1. While in training, keep her near you at all times so you can always catch her in the act.
2. When you catch her, tell her "no" and let her know you disapprove.
3. Take her outside with the "mistake", put it on the ground and praise her as if she did it outside.
4. Whenever she does it outside, praise her until you feel stupid!
5. Make SURE the clean the soiled area inside so it won't tempt her again.

Just my opinion, but with a tiny dog like a Chi I wouldn't use a doggy door - I just think they are too small and fragile to be allowed outdoors unsupervised. There could be a hawk or they could get into something...I just think dogs that tiny should always have their person with them.

Good luck - Chi's are just the best little dogs in the world, IMO! I'm always looking at rescues for my next one!

[Topaz]

Thank you for the info. I agree. I am glad to see that I have followed all 5 of your steps above. I will tell you my biggest fear is when the kids are in school that my chi will be in her crate for abou 7 hours, which is about the same amount of time, if not maybe an hour or two longer, that she is in her crate at night.

When I first brought her home, for about two weeks I put her in a doggy play pen with a bed, her crate with the door open and puppy training pads. I knew she could not hold it longer than a few hours and she was going to be left alone for about 7 hours When me or my daughter got home, she would be sleeping inside her crate and by the looks of the puppy pad she had gone to the bathroom once, maybe twice, during the day. However, we have since stopped this. I do put her play pen outside so when we are doing stuff, she is safe in her play pen - we are home with her and out with her, she is not left alone out there!

Any words regarding the play pens and if this is a bad idea and if it will confuse her or ruin any potty training we are doing with her?

(sorry this one was so long, I have so many questions).

[Dog5]

I would get her housetrained first by using the crate, and then I think the playpen would be fine, that way she can move around when you're gone a long time (provided she can't climb out of the pen!). I have an actual baby playpen for mine that I use sometimes when I'm cleaning or exercising and I can't watch them. Do you plan to always have her sleep in her crate at night? If not, after she's trained you could get her her own little bed or let her sleep in your bed. Mine all jump in my bed and snuggle under the covers.
She sounds like a very, very bright little girl - I imagine you are not going to have many problems!

[Topaz]

I wanted to be able to let her sleep in her own bed next to mine. I would love for her to just sleep with me but the husband isn't too sure about that! And no, she can't climb out or get stuck (at least not yet and it's been 4 weeks!). And I also keep her with me at all times, if I can't be with her, she is in her playpen or her crate if I have to leave the house and can't take her with me. I mostly take her with me. She has a dog stroller that I use when we go for walks at the park.

[Dog5]

Sounds like you've got a handle on it! They do really well in the bed at night, she'd probably just curl up next to you and sleep through. Is that her in your avatar? She's precious!