To the new owners of a male chihuahua puppy
Just as in humans, there is a difference between male and female Chihuahua puppies. As the new owner of a male Chihuahua puppy, you’re likely to find life fun and possibly a bit frustrating at times. Little boy Chihuahuas can be very strong willed, but they’re also loving and adorable. This combination makes them completely irresistible.
We won’t lie. House training a male Chihuahua can sometimes be challenging. It can take lots of patience and attention. It may take a while for him to get it down, but be consistent with him and he’ll figure it out. This comes mainly from their instinctual drive to “mark their territory” which is part of a pack mentality. This instinct can often be difficult to break them of, but can be prevented by neutering early. Still, if you miss this window for neutering, traditional training methods may not always do the trick to stop instinctual behavior. In many cases, it is necessary to assert yourself as the dominant pack member (in his eyes) to stop his marking behavior.
Basic obedience commands such as “sit,” “stay,” and “come” make this behavior modification much easier. Your goal is to let him know that everything good he has comes from you. When it’s feeding time, while holding his food bowl in your hand, give him the “sit” and then the “stay” command and wait till he obeys before putting his food down for him. Any time you give him a treat, give him an obedience command first and wait till he obeys before giving the treat. At other times, work with him on staying in a room when you leave it. Give him the “sit” and “stay” command, and teach him to remain in the position until you allow him to come, by giving the “come” command. These methods go a long way in asserting your dominance over him. Once that is done, he is much less likely to “mark” things. Also along that line, one nearly sure-fire method of preventing him from marking is to have him neutered before he begins to hike his leg. Speak with your vet about having your male Chihuahua neutered as soon as you bring him home. Some vets will do it very early, and some prefer to wait a little while, till your puppy is a bit bigger. Please note though, this methods works most of the time, but no one thing works with every puppy. If it doesn’t work on your little guy, don’t get discouraged. Just try something else.
You can expect your new little boy Chihuahua to mature and develop about the same as most other dogs you may have owned. He’ll begin teething around 3-4 months of age. This “chewing” stage is often stronger in males than in females, and it can last anywhere from 2-6 months or so. So be sure you have plenty of chew toys and treats on hand for him. Don’t worry if you don’t ever see any of his baby teeth. Often times, he’ll swallow them unknowingly when they come out during feeding time.
He will begin his “puberty” phase around 6-9 months of age. His testicles will descend if they have not already (many male’s testicles descend very early, sometimes even within weeks after birth). It is this phase that usually begins the “marking” situation. This is the age where he may begin to “practice” with his stuffed animal toys. It is our recommendation that you do not allow him to do this as it will be very difficult to break him of this habit later, and the habit itself may possibly spill over onto other things, such as humans.You can expect him to be fully grown by about 1 year of age, but often a male Chihuahua does not fully mature, either physically or mentally till almost 2 years of age.
Male Chihuahuas are known for their fierce loyalty to their loving caretakers. Your little boy Chihuahua will protect you and your family with his life if necessary. While all Chihuahuas can and will attach strongly to anyone who cares for them, often males will form stronger bonds with their female caretakers. As a female caretaker of a male Chihuahua, it’s important not to allow him to believe that he is dominant over you. This could result in the marking behavior discussed above, even to the point of marking you as “his girl.”
Male Chihuahuas are great lap dogs, in many cases more calm and loving than females. Your new little boy Chihuahua is special and unique.
He may be a little stubborn at times and he will definitely have personality all his own. We’re sure you’ve already fallen madly in love with your little guy. We hope you have a great time watching him grow and develop. With lots of love and care, he’ll become a wonderful family member very quickly.
We won’t lie. House training a male Chihuahua can sometimes be challenging. It can take lots of patience and attention. It may take a while for him to get it down, but be consistent with him and he’ll figure it out. This comes mainly from their instinctual drive to “mark their territory” which is part of a pack mentality. This instinct can often be difficult to break them of, but can be prevented by neutering early. Still, if you miss this window for neutering, traditional training methods may not always do the trick to stop instinctual behavior. In many cases, it is necessary to assert yourself as the dominant pack member (in his eyes) to stop his marking behavior.
Basic obedience commands such as “sit,” “stay,” and “come” make this behavior modification much easier. Your goal is to let him know that everything good he has comes from you. When it’s feeding time, while holding his food bowl in your hand, give him the “sit” and then the “stay” command and wait till he obeys before putting his food down for him. Any time you give him a treat, give him an obedience command first and wait till he obeys before giving the treat. At other times, work with him on staying in a room when you leave it. Give him the “sit” and “stay” command, and teach him to remain in the position until you allow him to come, by giving the “come” command. These methods go a long way in asserting your dominance over him. Once that is done, he is much less likely to “mark” things. Also along that line, one nearly sure-fire method of preventing him from marking is to have him neutered before he begins to hike his leg. Speak with your vet about having your male Chihuahua neutered as soon as you bring him home. Some vets will do it very early, and some prefer to wait a little while, till your puppy is a bit bigger. Please note though, this methods works most of the time, but no one thing works with every puppy. If it doesn’t work on your little guy, don’t get discouraged. Just try something else.
You can expect your new little boy Chihuahua to mature and develop about the same as most other dogs you may have owned. He’ll begin teething around 3-4 months of age. This “chewing” stage is often stronger in males than in females, and it can last anywhere from 2-6 months or so. So be sure you have plenty of chew toys and treats on hand for him. Don’t worry if you don’t ever see any of his baby teeth. Often times, he’ll swallow them unknowingly when they come out during feeding time.
He will begin his “puberty” phase around 6-9 months of age. His testicles will descend if they have not already (many male’s testicles descend very early, sometimes even within weeks after birth). It is this phase that usually begins the “marking” situation. This is the age where he may begin to “practice” with his stuffed animal toys. It is our recommendation that you do not allow him to do this as it will be very difficult to break him of this habit later, and the habit itself may possibly spill over onto other things, such as humans.You can expect him to be fully grown by about 1 year of age, but often a male Chihuahua does not fully mature, either physically or mentally till almost 2 years of age.
Male Chihuahuas are known for their fierce loyalty to their loving caretakers. Your little boy Chihuahua will protect you and your family with his life if necessary. While all Chihuahuas can and will attach strongly to anyone who cares for them, often males will form stronger bonds with their female caretakers. As a female caretaker of a male Chihuahua, it’s important not to allow him to believe that he is dominant over you. This could result in the marking behavior discussed above, even to the point of marking you as “his girl.”
Male Chihuahuas are great lap dogs, in many cases more calm and loving than females. Your new little boy Chihuahua is special and unique.
He may be a little stubborn at times and he will definitely have personality all his own. We’re sure you’ve already fallen madly in love with your little guy. We hope you have a great time watching him grow and develop. With lots of love and care, he’ll become a wonderful family member very quickly.