Category: <span>Toilet training</span>

Why does my chihuahua come back in and pee?

March 11, 2022May 9, 2022
by Louise Kirby

It is a standing, but unfunny joke, that chihuahuas will go out and then come in and pee in the house. It is something that I get messages about a lot. It can be a relationship breaker for some chihuahua owners.

In the week I had a message from Jon who was clearly frustrated by his chihuahua’s lack of toilet training. The issue seemed to be exactly this, his chihuahua would go out and then come in and pee in the house. He was clearly at the end of his patience and considering neutering his dog to try and solve it.

So, why does my chihuahua come back in and pee?

First, we need to understand the difference between peeing and marking. Peeing is a full on empty of the bladder and marking are the little squirts that mainly, but not only, male dogs do up furniture and items left on the floor. Marking is often an excitement behaviour and understanding your dog’s emotional bucket will certainly help you manage this better. Follow the links to read more about these issues.

Once you have established that your chihuahua is really coming back in to empty their bladder you need to consider the next issue. Communication.

Communication.

So, we know as humans that when the door is open that this is an opportunity to go out and pee. It makes perfect sense to us. But the fact that your chihuahua will come back in and pee in the house is telling us that somewhere we haven’t communicated this to our dogs.

Humans are very good at putting their own narrative on a dog’s behaviour. Especially if the behaviour they are presenting is challenging. Owners really start to believe they are doing it on purpose, but I can promise, your chihuahua does not do things to spite you.

Are you confusing your chihuahua?

So, the door is open, your chihuahua hops outside has a sniff about then comes back in the house and does the deed on the rug. What’s happening?

What do you do when your chihuahua pees in the house? Do you make loud noises of consternation?

“Oh, bad puppy, do your wee in the garden!”

Then think about what you did when they peed outside when you were training them? Conventional training would have advised a high excitement congratulations party and treat your chi.

“Oh, you’re a good pup, good dog, super dog!”

But the confusion may happen because the noise could be startling and similar. You are making the same noise to, and they may be worried they are doing the wrong thing.

What to do when your chihuahua comes back in and pees

So, your first action point is to go out with your chihuahua and stay with them so you can quietly mark the correct behaviour. No party or whooping, just a quiet cue of your choice and mark instantly with high value food. (Food from their daily food allowance is always best.) It also gives you the opportunity to check they have gone to the toilet.

If they play a lot in the garden, then try and build value in peeing in one place. If they associate the garden with lots of high excitement, they may lose focus once they are out there.

Have you really spent the time in toilet training your chihuahua? It might be time to go back to toilet training 101 and rebuild the connexion.

Clean up any areas where they are peeing. Get rid of the smell so they don’t think this is a toilet area.

Is it raining?

Some chihuahuas don’t care about the rain and some hate it. But what confuses owners is why they stand there for 5 minutes getting wet while they consider their options then turn around and come in. We know they could have just done a quick pee, and all done.

I can only theorize; they are checking scents and they don’t feel safe. Doing a pee or poop does leave them in a vulnerable situation. Small breed dogs are programmed to worry about threats from above. You will just need to go out with your dog, take an umbrella or have a garden umbrella up. Another good idea is to take your chi to a different location. I take Minnie out the front of the house and for some reason she is happier to pee there when its raining.

If you have dealt with this issue, please leave a comment and tell us how you did it.

Behaviour

How to toilet train your chihuahua

February 8, 2021September 5, 2022
by Louise Kirby

Chihuahuas are notoriously hard to toilet train. We get more questions about this than almost anything else apart from barking! There are a couple of issues that can make it difficult to toilet train your chihuahua: Their reluctance to get cold or wet and the fact they can be a little stubborn. But like any dog with the right encouragement they can be reliable. We often have five chihuahuas in the house and rarely get peeing indoors.

Modern training methods has moved away from the ‘rub their nose in it’ aggressive style to a more reward based positive reinforcement. Your chihuahua will generally want to please you and once they understand that peeing outdoors or in the designated place is what you want, they will try to get it right. But it can seem to take a long time for chihuahuas to pick this up.

It’s also worth noting that it can be 12 weeks before a puppy even has the ability to control its toileting. So, trying too hard to get a very young puppy to be clean is setting yourself up for stress. It’s also recommended that small dogs like chihuahuas stay with their mum until this age, anyway, so don’t rush your chihuahua puppy home too early. If the breeder insists you take the puppy before this time take a good look at who you are buying your puppy from.

In-built behaviour

Your chihuahua will search for a surface that they are used to going on, if that’s a hard floor then this is what they will look for. Although in my experience they do prefer an absorbent surface.

If you get your chihuahua as a puppy, the chances are that they will be used to pee pads. Even better if the breeder has been taking them out on the grass as most of the work will have been done for you.

Your chihuahua will need to wee about 3-4 times during the day and can be expected to hold their poo & wee for an hour for every month old they are to the maximum of 8 hours. But I feel expecting your dog not to go to the toilet for this long is unreasonable (unless it is overnight) and could lead to bladder problems.

Be zen

First, it is vital that you never shout, display anger or upset when your chihuahua has an accident in the house. Going to the toilet is natural to your dog and if you start shouting or making him anxious about it you could end up with him eating his faeces to hide it.

If your chihuahua does have an accident and looks contrite, it’s not because they have any notion of doing wrong, but he is watching and picking up on your body language. If you appear angry or stressed this will frighten your dog. Scientists have discovered that dogs have developed additional eyebrow muscles that allow them to make ‘puppy dog eyes’ at humans, and they use this to appease us.

If an accident occurs, then ignore it and clean it up calmly. If he comes in from the garden and pees in the house, then he simply has not understood what’s required of him or does not feel safe outside.

Tips to successful toilet training

It is not enough to just open the door and expect your puppy to go out and do his business. Also, young pups need to be supervised. It’s not uncommon for puppies to eat their poop, this is a habit that you want to discourage from the off. If you see this happening then have a handful of your puppy’s food allowance with you and throw it in the opposite direction, when he runs off to enjoy his alfresco dinner clean up the poop quickly and quietly.

Quiet spot

Find a safe quiet spot where your chihuahua will feel safe. Conventional wisdom suggest that when you get a result (your pup peeing) then you should make a song and dance. But doing this will up your pups arousal and turn the whole going out for a wee into a game. Definitely reward your chihuahua, make sure it’s high value food and not just one measly piece. But offer it calmly and feed to the mouth. While you are waiting for her to pee stand calmly. She is not out there to play.

Once your chi is regularly peeing outdoors, as you feed the reward start to pair it to a cue, we use “wee wee garden” this then tell our dogs wherever we are, what they are going outdoors to do and what I expect from them.

Timing is everything

Toilet training your chihuahua needs to start with maintaining a regular schedule of toilet breaks. If your chi is a puppy then every hour to start with. This means going out at regular intervals so your chihuahua knows he will have access to the outdoors. As I tended to get engrossed in writing I sometimes would miss the signs, so I put an alert on my phone. (We need to develop a chi-wee app. 🙂

The change in culture to remote working should help with toilet training and in general be better for your pup. If you ever get back to the office arrange a trustworthy person to come in and let them out for a pee. But, no dogs should be left for more than 4 hours and chihuahuas find this especially stressful. Toilet training your chihuahua will be more difficult if you are not home and able to work with her.

Peeing in the rain

It can be hard to get your pups to go out if it’s raining. One way to do this is have a sheltered spot that you’ve cultivated from the beginning and got your pup used to. We have a tray of turf in a sheltered section of the garden. We’ve had some success with this but the best way seems to be taking them somewhere different. I put there harness on and take them out to the front of the house. They will instantly be more interested and want to mark their territory.

Maintaining calm

Chihuahua are excitable dogs and can go from zero to one hundred in a heartbeat. Maintaining calm and keeping your chihuahua relaxed will have an impact on how much they pee in the house. If your chihuahua is in a constant state of high arousal then they are more likely to excitement wee or mark. Keeping your chihuahua calm and not letting them rehearse behaviours like barking out the window or chasing the cat will impact on their ability to think and learn. Less excitement means less marking, especially from the boys.

To help with this I give my chihuahua half a teaspoon of Calm K9 supplement. It contains, among other helpful ingredients L-Tryptophan, a natural amino acid found in many proteins involved in the production of the hormone serotonin. A-OK9 also supports the gut and I have noticed a reduction of anal gland issues in Mika and Minnie. I don’t often recommend products but have been impressed with this one and have become a calm supplement partner.

Rescue chihuahua

If you have rescued your chihuahua you might not know what her background is, or what her expectations are. Under these circumstances it is important to start with a schedule and keep to it calmly. She is already going to be stressed without more upset over toilet accidents.

Learn to read the signs

Chihuahuas, like all dogs will display certain behaviours when they need to go to the toilet. Walking around in circles, sniffing the ground or staring at you. Being able to read her body language will help you toilet train your chihuahua. There is a definite toilet etiquette that all dogs follow.

You can also be certain that he will need to toilet after:

Sleeping
Excitement
Eating or drinking

Pee pad & litter trays

It is possible to toilet train your chihuahua to use a pee pad or a litter tray. If you live in an apartment, then this might work for you. Make sure it is in the same place all the time, if you move it about, she will find it confusing.

About the author

Louise Kirby

My name is Louise Kirby and I’m a freelance writer and certified Pro Dog Trainer. I adore and train all breeds but have a special interest in chihuahuas and their rehabilitation. Chihuahuas are awesome little dogs, spunky, full of joy, loyal and tenacious. But some present with behaviours that make them a challenge to manage. I’m on a mission to restore the relationship between owners and their dogs. To help you get back the dog you always dreamed of. That’s why dog training is a happiness project!

Get help with chihuahua behaviour

Join the happiness project now!

Your chihuahua transformation starts with a free discovery chat to see how I can best help you. Please get in touch I look forward to hearing from you. Together we can get back the dog you always wanted.

Shop

Buy CALM K9 here

Behaviour

How to stop your male chihuahua marking in the…

May 30, 2019August 14, 2022
by Louise Kirby

Is your chihuahua marking in the house? Young male dogs will love to mark their territory. But it’s not the only reason a dog marks in the house and believe it or not marking is not confined to intact males. Females and neutered males can also mark.

But, it’s unbelievably annoying and will need patience and some detective work to get to the bottom of why your chihuahua is marking.

What chihuahua marking is and isn’t!

It’s important to know the difference between chihuahua marking and full on urinating. It should be easy to see as a full bladder empty will leave a puddle. Marking is just a squirt and usually up something vertical. You will see the tell-tale yellow drips that are surprisingly hard to clean off.

Firstly, if your chihuahua is emptying his bladder in the house and he has previously been fully potty trained he might be ill and need to see the vet. Rule this out first before you take any further action.

But if he is still a young dog you may just have more work to do and need to go back to basic potty training. You can read more about potty training here.

Why Castration may not be the answer

Some owners will jump straight to castration as a cure for a chihuahua marking indoors. But this is a very drastic action to take and may not cure it. It would also need to be done at a very young age before the need to mark becomes instinct.

However, castration should only be done for medical reasons, not behaviour and not on a dog under one as he needs the testosterone for his development. Castration can also make a dog fearful as the testosterone gives him his confidence. As chihuahuas are prone to fear biting and reactive barking, taking away the testosterone you could end up with a fearful reactive dog who marks because of stress.

Why do they do it?

So, once you have established that your chihuahua is marking and not urinating what can you do? There are three main reasons why your dog may mark in the house and out on walks;

Marking territory

Any dog will want to mark his territory but unlike us they can’t put up fences, so they leave a chemical message instead. Other dogs will sniff and get the message of who lives here. It is likely that your chihuahua’s territory extends further than your drive.

They will also over-mark other animal smells as well as other dogs. Chihuahuas are small and will often go to some lengths to get their mark higher than other dogs, so they look larger.

Pee-mail

This is the same as your business card. Your chihuahua marking is leaving his details in a communal space for other dogs to ‘read’. From this information another dog can tell the gender, sexual status and rank. Females in heat may mark to leave messages for male dogs about her sexual availability.

A dog’s primary sense is smell and his nose is a marvellous thing. It is important for your dog’s mental health that he gets the opportunity to have a good sniff while out on a walk. You can find out more about how amazing their noses are here.

Anxiety or stress

A dog or bitch may mark if they are feeling stress or anxiety. While there are medications, such as this CBD for pets, which can help a dog relax, certain situations can increase a dog’s anxiety. If a new person or pet is introduced into the household, your chihuahua marks to cover-up the unfamiliar smells that are bothering them. Once it smells right again, they will start to relax.

An example of this may be peeing on a new pet’s bed, peeing on a new partners bed, up a visitor’s suitcases or on a new baby’s blanket. It can be hard to spot the signs your chihuahua is stressed, read this article about stress.

How to stop your chihuahua marking

Clean all the areas he has marked with an enzyme based cleaner. Avoid anything that has ammonia in it as this is similar in smell to urine. Use a black light to see any urine spots.
Make sure your dog is getting plenty of potty breaks and is on a regular schedule for outside breaks. If necessary, go back to toilet training day one.
Also make sure your chihuahua is getting enough stimulation. Young males are full of energy. Go out for regular walks if your chihuahua can cope and does not bark at other dogs. Make sure your dog is ’employed’ try scatter feeding and maybe introduce a canine sport, like scenting or agility.
Is your chihuahua marking because of stress or anxiety over a new person in the house? This might manifest itself as your chihuahua peeing on this person’s bed or belongings.

To help your chihuahua get over this your new incomer needs to spend some time making friends with your chihuahua. They need to bond with your chi and become a provider in your chihuahuas eyes, by walking, feeding grooming and playing with them.

Also wash the place where he has marked with an enzyme based cleaner, and if it’s a bed spend some time with your chihuahua on the bed playing so it changes significance.

A new baby could be a major stress for any dog, make sure lots of good things happen for your chihuahua around the baby. Wash any blankets that have been targeted and follow the advice from number 4.
If you have visitors or workman in the house, lift anything that might be a target. If this is just a temporary situation then just keep your chihuahua out the way.
Don’t bring other unknown dogs into the house without prior meetings on neutral territory and don’t allow you dog to watch other dogs out of the window. Barking out the window riles your dog up and causes stress and anxiety.
Take care when introducing new animals into the home. Take time to introduce them to each other calmly. It may take a few days for things to settle down.
Supervise your chihuahua and if you see him about to cock his leg then issue an interrupter noise. (not anything adversis like a horn or pot of coins.) Take him straight outside reward with food when he pees outside.
To stop your chihuahua marking when you can’t see him, reduce his access around the house. Do this with stair gates or if necessary, tether him to you with one of those training collars for dogs. This way you will remember to take him out for potty breaks and your dog will learn what to do and what not to do in and around the house.
Calm everything down. If your chi is anxious and overwrought he is likely to mark. Make sure he has passive calming activities like long term chews, lick matt (see below). Make sure he has a rest during the day. Active rest is as important as stimulation. Use a covered crate if he is happy in a crate, or a gate area so he can’t zoom off at the slightest call-to-action.
Constant to-doing. What I mean by this is the constant charging around the house at the slightest noise. This running around sticking their nose into everything is exhausting and over stimulating. A dog that is tired and stressed will lift their leg and mark as part of the running around excitement process. Putting in a protocol of calmness will have a massive impact on how much your dog will mark in the house.
Stop them rehearsing over excitement behaviours, like barking out the window, running a fence, chasing the cat which will also increase stress and anxiety. When Prince gets himself in a tizzy over something one of the first this he will do is lift his leg, so reducing the opportunities for this will make a big difference all round.

Try this: I use this on my dog and it helps with calming them down, puts them in a better headspace for learning and it has a happy affect on their poop. (I’m convinced it’s helping reduce the issues with anal glands.)

Shop

Dealing with chihuahua marking can be a real frustration, but if you can find the trigger you have a chance of sorting out the reason they’re doing it.

Louise Kirby

Behaviour

Oh No! Please help my chihuahua eats poop?

February 5, 2018April 2, 2021
by Louise Kirby

My chihuahuas eats poop. Yuck!

It is a worry when you find your chihuahua eats poop. How could such a cute dog doe something so disgusting?

Minnie loves cat poop and considers the cat an interactive treat dispenser. Cat pooh is especially delicious for a dog and can be hard to resist. But they will also eat their own poop and other dogs.

But there is nothing more disgusting than seeing cat poop crumbs around your chihuahua’s muzzle especially if he’s a kisser!

Natural behaviour

The behaviour of eating faeces is called coprophagia. It is a natural behaviour for dogs even though it’s absolutely disgusting to people. It’s not just cat faeces, other dogs, their own, horse, fox and rabbit all feature on the menu.

Even though it is natural, it is not something that should be encouraged or tolerated. Clostridia, Salmonella, Campylobacter along with parasites can be passed to your dog and make him very ill. Fox poop can contain lungworm larvae. Read: The facts about lungworm.

First you need to get to the bottom (no pun intended) of why your chihuahua eats poop and change the behaviour. Although it can be a difficult habit to break.

Some dogs will eat other dog and animal pooh, and sometimes their own. There are a range of different reasons why your dog may feel inclined to tuck into faeces.

Why does he do it?

According to Dogs Naturally Magazine there could be medical reasons that make dogs eat poop:

A lack of the required digestive enzymes could be a factor. This is a diet-based problem and one that could be coming from feeding kibble and other processed food. Dogs need to get additional enzymes from their food to help them absorb nutrients, if these are missing from their diet they will try and find them elsewhere.

Try changing your dog onto a fresh raw or home cooked diet and add a probiotic paste to their food.

Other reasons that could be compelling your chi to seek out faeces are:

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)

Pancreas is not producing the enzymes he needs.

Parasites

Internal parasites are absorbing the nutrients

Conditions causing increased appetite

Diabetes, thyroid problems, and some medications that make your dog hungry.

Underfeeding

You may not be feeding enough, and he is hungry.

Behavioural

It might not be a medical thing, don’t rush to the vets demanding expensive, invasive tests unless your dog is losing weight and not thriving. There could be some behavioural reasons for his poop habit.

Keeping the den clean

Mother dogs will eat their puppies poop to keep the den clean. Your puppy may copy this behaviour, but it is likely he will grow out of it.

Attention

Eating poop is a good way of getting your attention, like children any attention is good. Chomping a lump of cat poop is a good way to start the game ‘chase the chihuahua’!

Boredom

If your dog is left for long periods eating poop might seem an interesting past-time.

Over crating

Dogs left in a crate for a long time will eat their faeces to keep it clean. You may find that dogs rescued from puppy mills have this habit as they spend all day and night in a cage. Read the Crate Debate

Fear

If you chastise your dog for an accident in the house, he may develop the habit of eating his poop because he is afraid of getting told off. Never comment, just clean it up without a fuss and make sure your dog can go outside for a toilet break. Read how to toilet train your chihuahua.

What to do if your chihuahua eats poop

It goes without saying that you need to keep your chi away from the litter tray. Put it up high where your dog can’t get it.
Clear up any accidents in the house and make sure you keep the garden area clear.
Have a look at diet. Are they getting everything they need.
If you are feeding kibble or processed dog foods, try changing the diet so your chihuahua is getting more variety.
Check that your dog does not have worms by checking his poo on a regular basis. You can send a sample and get a worm count done. Kits are available on-line. If he has worms, then use a chemical wormer from the vet to get him clear of adults then move onto a natural product that will kill larvae in the gut.
Have a look at your crating routine or the amount of time you are leaving your dog alone. Longer than 2 hours in a crate (unless overnight) or 4 hours in the house is too long on a regular basis. Try and arrange for someone to walk your dog and let them out.
Make sure your chi has plenty of exercise. Even chihuahuas need to get out for a run and do dog stuff.

Take away

Getting to the bottom of why your chihuahua eats poop is not straight forward and may take some time. Good diet, mental stimulation and exercise are the key things to take away.

If making changes to your dog’s diet, environment and exercise routine does not help and your dog is losing weight, then take him to the vet.

General

Toilet Training Trials: How To Toilet Train Your Chihuahua

April 12, 2017April 13, 2017
by Louise Kirby

Trials Of Chihuahua Toilet Training

Chihuahua toilet training can be difficult. Stephanie and new puppy Bryher tell us how they cracked it.

One of the most frustrating experience for any chi owner is chihuahua toilet training, and just when you sit back and rejoice in the fact that you have Doctor Dolittle skills in puppy training, you notice that wet patch behind the sofa that shows you that your job is not over.

So perhaps it was just one little accident that you can let slide. Unfortunately not, because as soon as chis realise they can sneak their toilet into the lovely warm home without having to brave the rain, wind and snow outside, it becomes a bad habit which is difficult to correct and requires another round of housebreaking.

Stubborn?

It is a known fact that chihuahua toilet training is difficult, they may blame their tiny bladders or the fact that puppies haven’t developed their tiny internal organs muscles to be strong enough for reliable control, but all chi owners will secretly believe it’s stubbornness. When a home is so warm and cosy, no chi in their right mind would want to brave the elements just to go to the toilet!

Starting Training Straightaway

When I first brought my baby girl, Bryher, home, all my dog owning friends told me to start potty training straightaway. In the first twelve months of a puppy’s life, their brains develop at an incredible pace, which makes it much easier to instal routines, consistency and rules that will stay with them throughout their adult life.

Armed with plenty of newspaper and the ultra-glamorous dog urine cleaner, I set to work. I started with reward-based training. I’d make sure I ignored of her persistent instructions to play, which is so difficult and when she went or at least sniffed properly, I’d make a big fuss and reward her with a foodie treat.

Dr Beckman’s carpet cleaner is one of the best for shifting pee stains. Available from all good supermarkets.

Unfortunately, training wasn’t that simple; there were still puddles and accidents in the house. As we all know chihuahuas want to please us, so not getting frustrated was difficult. It was hard to give a stern ‘No’ command when her innocent little face was staring up at me, which is why I can’t understand how people can give a physical punishment to their darlings, my Bryher would just be scared and pee on the floor even more.

Understanding Body Language

For bigger dogs, it is much easier to spot the tell-tale toilet signs, but unless I’m watching my chi like a hawk it is difficult, she can squat in seconds before I’ve even realised. For eight weeks, I’ve been told to watch her carefully to depict her toilet behaviours and understand timings, and it worked. I realised she was sniffing and going at the same spot she went on yesterday.

Clearly, my cleaning skills aren’t up to scratch as she could still smell the pee from yesterday and that was an indicator as to where to go. I found ‘Pee Posts’ and ‘Training Spray’ to put in the garden and from learning my error, tried to make sure she knew exactly where to go. I’d walk her up to the post, as a way of showing her, this was her toilet, and once she’d been, I gave her a treat. Now she can smell the place, and this reminds her that this is where she needs to go. Luckily for me, this is now in the garden and not the living room!

Pee Posts available from Pets at Home and all good pet shops.

Because accidents still happened at night, I popped a puppy training pad near the back door which she is now realising is the only place she can pee at night and this has worked really well. You can buy these from Amazon or any good pet shop, and if there is an accident they are really good for mopping up, and if you are quick they can pull the wet out from the carpet without staining. Once she is fully trained, we are definitely going to look into Rug Cleaning Kew to ensure the carpets get a good clean and there is no strong dog odor within them.

I’m hoping we have it nailed now; I know that she needs to go as soon as she wakes up and 20 minutes after food and even if she doesn’t show signs I pop her outside regularly as I’ve seen that exercise can induce toilet needs.

If that doesn’t work then my next tactic is crate training as no chi wants a toilet in their bedroom! I worry that a crate will feel like a prison for my little girl, but my chi friends have reassured me that it actually is a secure and safe place that they enjoy spending time there.

Can You Help?

If you have any toilet training tips to help my journey and let my pup and I master this once and for all, please let me know!

You may also like to read Peeing etiquette

Fun

Chi-Pee: Peeing Etiquette Explained

March 27, 2017September 21, 2021
by Louise Kirby

Five common dog toilet etiquettes explained

Ever wondered why it takes forever for your chihuahua to find a spot to pee, or why they give you that disconcerting stare when they poop?

1. Circling a spot

Do you notice your chi being overly fussy of where to go, or they perhaps seem to endlessly circle the vicinity before selecting a toilet spot? There is a simple reason for this and it is similar to the human mindset. As with humans, dogs need to choose a bathroom that is clean and comfortable. Circling the area helps the dogs to inspect their chosen toilet place, trampling grass to check for predators and making sure it is completely safe to go.

Like humans, dogs are vulnerable when going to the toilet and is not a time to be interrupted. Just like we check for locks, chis just want to be careful.

2. Indecision

Finding the right pee spot takes time, not just because of the safety reasons, but also to find the best place to mark their territory. Peeing is a scented message left for other dogs to point out that they have been there. It is important that information (pee) gets noticed in the dog world and is just like humans wanting to graffiti in noticeable areas. If you’re getting frustrated that your pup is taking ages to go, be patient, they just want to boost their social status.

3. Kicking up dirt

While it may get them covered in mud, resulting in a bath, or mess up your flower beds, kicking up dirt is just a way of your chi making a name for themselves. Dogs don’t just pee for health reasons, they want to mark their territory and tell the dog world ‘I own this place’.

When peeing is not enough scent, dogs like to scrape their feet across the ground as chis have scent glands on their feet. When they do this, they get double exposure, to show they have really made their mark.

4. The pee stare

Ever noticed that your chihuahua stares at you when they pee? Some owners think this is your pup asking for privacy, but it’s almost the opposite. They are asking you to keep an eye out for predators while they are at their most vulnerable.

It can be a bit disconcerting though, the look you get when they settle down for a poop!

5. Orientation

Perhaps an unusual practice that you may not have noticed, but because dogs are highly magneto-sensitive, they often choose their bathroom breaks so that they are aligned to face north or south. Researchers have conducted many studies and have found that many dogs will orientate themselves during toilet time.

Being your own personal compass is an impressive feature for any dog and often dogs will exhibit this remarkable behaviour when the earth’s magnetic field is calm.

Does your chi show any of these signs while peeing? Can you navigate yourself when your pup uses the bathroom? Or perhaps your pooch has their own quirks that we haven’t covered? Let us know!