The Chihuahua "off" command!

The "off" command

Jumping behavior may have been cute when your puppy was younger but
it may not be as appealing in your 11 month old pup. Luckily, it's an
easy problem to control. Use the command word "off" as in "get off of
me, please." Don't use "down" as in "lie down". Using the same
command word for two different behaviors is confusing to your puppy.
The "off" command means your puppy should put his four feet on the
floor. If your puppy jumps up on you every time you enter the house
try to develop the desired behavior rather than eliminating the
unwanted behavior. For example: If you can train your pup to sit when
you come home, then the jumping problem is solved. Keep a favorite
treat outside your door. When you enter and your pup jumps tell
him "off" and then "sit". Guide your puppy into the sit position by
slowly raising the treat back and just above his head. When he sits,
give him a treat or toss a toy a short distance. Read More...

Grown up or not?

Your puppy is almost a year old. Does this mean he is all grown up?
Not necessarily. Puppies mature at different times depending on their
breed. For example, toy breeds are often physically mature at one
year of age, whereas a large breed, like a Great Dane or a Saint
Bernard, may still be very much "in process". Puppies are said to
grow from the outside in. This means that the body parts on the
outside - paws, tail and ears — grow to their adult size first, and
then, eventually, the rest of your puppy catches up. To get a rough
estimate of what your puppy will weigh as an adult take his weight at
four and a half months of age and double it. This will give you a
general idea of your puppy's potential size as an adult. However,
breeds that are the extremes in size, either giant or toy, may be
exceptions to this general rule. Read More...

Bursts of energy

Once or twice a day, most puppies kick up their heels and go a little
gleefully wild. This is especially true of older puppies who will
soon be leaving puppyhood behind. One label for this extra energy
burst is a FRAP, Frenetic Random Activity Period. FRAPs most often
happen in the early morning and early evening. Racing around the
house, rolling on the rugs and careening off of furniture are all
normal parts of the canine FRAP. Sometimes you may need to tone your
puppy's behavior down a bit for the sake of your house or puppy's
safety. A simple solution is letting your puppy run around inside a
fenced yard. If you don't have a fenced yard, close off the rooms
inside your home you want your puppy to stay out of and let him rip.
It's a good idea to keep large breed pups off of slippery surfaces as
sliding around can hurt your puppy. Avoid encouraging your puppy's
behavior by laughing at his antics.