You may need to say your chihuahua’s name a couple of times if they aren’t used to the game yet. If your chihuahua doesn’t know the stay command, or isn’t good at it, you might need another person to hold him in one spot while you hide. Once your hidden, that person can let him go and he’ll come find you. Make sure you only hide in place where your chihuahua can get to or is allowed.
Such a game will require some training in order for your chihuahua to learn certain commands. For example, you may want to use the command “clean-up” to indicate your chihuahua needs to find all the toys and bring them to you. Another example is to teach your chihuahua a command, like “in the basket” to tell your chihuahua they need to place each toy in the toy box.
If you have more than one chihuahua, you might even be able to teach them to play tug-o-war with each other. Or they might just figure it out themselves when they both want to play with the same toy at the same time!
While in training, your chihuahua may not always bring the toy back to you when you throw it. If they don’t bring it back to you, and instead you have to go get it, remember not to say the command “fetch. "
It is best to make this playtime the same time every day. Your chihuahua will learn what time is playtime and will come to expect it. This playtime should be dedicated to your dog, which means you don’t get distracted by other activities you may also need to do. This might also be a great time every day to take your chihuahua outside, maybe into your backyard, where you can chase him or have him play fetch with plenty of room.
A 30 minute walk is likely long enough for your chihuahua. Unlike larger dogs, your chihuahua will not be able to go jogging or hiking with you. [9] X Research source You can, however, carry your chihuahua with you in a dog carrier that’s also a backpack or even a stroller.
Be careful where you let your chihuahua off their leash. Some cities and municipalities may have bylaws regarding where dogs can be allowed off-leash. Not to mention some open areas or even dog parks may have large, aggressive dogs also off-leash that may harass or injure your chihuahua. You may also want to consider doggy daycare for your chihuahua. Doggy daycares are great in that they keep your dog entertained all day while you’re at work. That means your dog isn’t getting into trouble in an empty house and he’s burning off energy before you get home. Some doggy daycares have large indoor and outdoor play areas where the dogs can run around and play with each other.
These toys are great for him to use when you aren’t able to play with him. The toys can keep him entertained so they hopefully don’t play with breakable household items instead!
It might take a couple tries for your chihuahua to get used to wearing a harness. If required, leave the harness on your chihuahua for slightly longer periods of time each day until he’s used to it. It’s also good to be careful about the size and weight of the leash you use with your chihuahua. Buy the lightest leash you can as the extra weight of a heavy leash can also cause your chihuahua trouble when you’re taking him for a walk.
Getting a second chihuahua isn’t an excuse for ignoring your dogs. You still need to make time in your schedule to play and walk both dogs on a regular basis.
If your chihuahua doesn’t like their sweater at first, only keep it on him for a short period of time. Over a few days or weeks, increase the amount of time they wear the sweater until they get used to it.
Dogs stairs come in all types, including set stairs that are carpeted and plastic stairs that fold up. You can even make your own stairs using wood or other materials, or just place boxes or bins in increasing height so they can use them to climb.
Doggy beds, in general, are also good because they can usually be cleaned a lot easier than your couch. Chihuahuas, even though they’re small, shed a lot.
