When people decide that they have a place in their heart (and home) for a tea cup chihuahua (or teacup chihuahuas!), the first thing that most people do is hop on the internet and look for a good local breeder that they can go and visit.

If a local breeder has some adorable teacup chihuahuas, the decision to purchase is made pretty quickly. In all honestly, who cannot help but love an adorable tea cup chihuahua pup?

Unfortunately, there are a number of owners that do not do their homework before purchasing a tea cup chihuahua. If the owner and the tea cup chihuahua are not a good fit, the tea cup could find herself being sold to new owners, or find that her new home is an animal shelter.

If you have made the decision that teacup chihuahuas are for you, why not also check with your local animal shelters? With teacup chihuahuas being so popular, some undoubtedly end up in a shelter once the novelty has worn off. Teacup chihuahuas you may find in an animal shelter need just as much love as one you buy from a breeder!

With this in mind, perhaps you have rescued a tea cup chihuahua (or even a “standard” chihuahua) from a pet shelter? Maybe the chihuahua was found wandering the streets cold and hungry or was rescued from an unsuitable environment?

If you have rescued a chihuahua and you have a story to tell, would you be interested in sharing your story and perhaps seeing it in print?

If so, I may just be able to assist you! Kyla Duffy over at www.happytailsbooks.com would be interested in hearing your story. Kyla is currently putting together a book based on stories from rescued chihuahua owners. I understand that a significant portion of the proceeds will be going to assist with dog rescue efforts. Sounds like a win/win to me!

If you are interested in submitting your story, you can share your “tail” here – http://happytailsbooks.com/submit.htm

When toilet training teacup chihuahuas, the most important thing to do is to establish a schedule. A good rule to follow is that a tea cup chihuahua pup can hold on for an hour per month of age. That means that a three month old puppy can normally wait up to three hours to relieve itself. Try not to give your tea cup chihuahua puppy water two hours before it’s bedtime or you can usually expect puddles in the morning! 

You should try and take teacup chihuahuas outside every two hours to be on the safe side and feed him on a schedule throughout the day so that he can be taken outside afterwards. Young puppies may need to go out at night also unless they can hold on until morning.

If your tea cup chihuahua pup wakes up after a nap, take him out then too. If they are four months old they can usually hold it. Make sure you take your chihuahua to the same spot each time. If you have any paper that your pup has soiled, place it in the same spot so that the scent will mark the area. It is important to use the same words to tell your tea cup chihuahua puppy to defacate or urinate as he will begin to recognise these words and know exactly what to do.

When your teacup chihuahuas have done their duty, please use plenty of praise immediately after. If praise is given before, your puppy will associate the praise with simply reaching his potty place rather than completing the task. It is possible to use treats as an alternative to praise but praise really works best for your dog.

If you are outside and playing with your teacup chihuahuas, before you both go inside, take the pup to her potty spot and see if she wishes to use it. The more opportunities your puppy gets to go to her spot, the more she will use it and it will gradually become a habit for her.

Once you have got your schedule in place, it still pays to be vigilant. If your chihuahua begins to sniff the floor or walk around in circles, take her outside quickly to avoid an accident. Try not to leave your puppy on her own for too long, this will upset your schedule and also upset your puppy. She may become lonely and bored so she will become destructive and any damage caused is not really her fault.

This brings me to crating. If leaving your teacup chihuahuas pup for a while, either choose to leave them in a room with a paper covered floor, or a crate with the same. Make sure that your crate is large enough for your puppy to turn around in. Leave a radio on and give her some chew toys to play with, or ask a neighbor to pop in and check on her perhaps taking her for a walk. Please also be aware that using paper can delay full potty training. If a tea cup chihuahua uses paper first rather than going directly outside, it simply prolongs the experience.

Accidents can sometimes occur and if you catch your tea cup chihuahua pup mid-accident, call his name to stop him and pick him up quickly, taking him outside to his place. Never hit, shout or scold your puppy as this detrimental to the whole process and your dog’s personality. If you yell at your puppy, he will not understand why and begin to fear you.

In conclusion, most teacup chihuahuas can be trained by six months but it usually takes a year to become totally accident free.

Enjoy your tea cup chihuahua, be patient with him and you will be successful.

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This may be a statement of the obvious, but teacup chihuahuas are not the biggest breed of dog around! The breed standard for the chihuahua specifies not specify  a height, but they are generally in the range of 6 – 9 inches. To add to this, the breed standard specifies a weight no greater than 6 pounds. Of couple, teacup chihuahuas weight significantly less than this.

In addition, the “molera” (soft spot at the top of tea cup chihuahua’s heads) do not seal completely. This often makes me think that there may be a market for tea cup chihuahua crash helmets!

These factors mean that your tea cup chihuahua is vulnerable to injury if not treated correctly.

So, what should you do?

Before purchasing teacup chihuahuas, I would endeavour to “tea cup chihuahua proof” your home. Look around the environment in which your tea cup chihuahua will be spending most of her time. Are there any large, heavy pieces of furniture which could topple and injure your pup?

You could also consider protecting your tea cup chihuahua by wrapping the furniture legs in bubble wrap to around 12 inches or so, just in case!

Given their tiny size, teacup chihuahuas may not be suitable for a household that have young, high energy children. It’s also suggested that you keep your teacup chihuahuas in a more quiet environment, especially when you first bring your new BFF home.

Consider how you would cope with a situation in which your pup manages to escape. I have heard it suggested that you tattoo a telephone number or something similiar to help you get your tea cup chihuahua back. Personally, I think there are far better, less barbaric options available.

A much better idea is to get your tea cup chihuahua microchipped. Your local vet will be able to tell you more about this, but essentially a small device is injected just under the skin. This device will hold all of the owner’s information, such as your name and current address. Should the worst ever happen and your pup be found, the rescuers will be able to scan her and return to you as soon as possible. Just remember to update your address if you move!

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