A video of a small dog alerting its owner that she needs to relieve herself outside has gone viral on Instagram. It shared the clip (credited to user @janelikesbeans) in a post on the @iloveechihuahua account. And it received over 73,000 likes at the time of writing. The video shows a Chihuahua running towards the bottom of a door, where she appears to tap a bell with her nose. As the bell rings, a voice in the clip says: “Good girl…do you want to go potty? Come one, let’s go potty.” The door is opened, and the dog is seen scooting down a little ramp before running off to the side.
It shared the post with a caption: “the little run and ramp [teary-eyed face emoji]. I [can’t]! so cute [red heart].”
An August 2019 study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that large dogs were “more likely to be fully house-trained” than small dogs. And “further research is warranted to understand why these differences are present.”
The study said clinicians often categorize small dogs as “more difficult to house-train.” However, “there have been no published studies to date to confirm the veracity of this assumption.”
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American Kennel Club
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Chihuahua—a national symbol of Mexico—is “a tiny dog with a huge personality.”
These “alert and amusing” little dogs are among the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage dating back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times.
The AKC says: “Even tiny dogs require training, and without it, this clever scamp will rule your household like a little Napoleon. Compact and confident, Chihuahuas are ideal city pets.”
Potty training is one of the most important aspects of owning a dog. Below are some tips to successfully house-train your pup, as outlined by Mary Burch, a certified applied animal behaviorist and the family dog director at the AKC and The Humane Society of the United States.
- Monitor your dog’s diet.
- Keep a consistent schedule, from trips outside to feeding and exercise.
- Choose a bathroom spot outdoors, and always take your puppy (on a leash) to that spot. Choose a specific word or phrase you can eventually use before they need to go to remind them what to do.
- Provide regular exercise, which helps with motility.
- Provide positive reinforcement to your puppy for “going” outside. Take your pup out for a long walk or playtime only after they’ve relieved themselves outdoors.
