While the rest of your family is quiet and ready for bed, your Chihuahua puppy is still zooming around the house. Chihuahuas are notoriously hyper, and an excitable puppy can be tough to put to sleep. A calm, consistent routine will get your hyper Chihuahua puppy ready for bed.
Step 1
Stay calm at all times. Chihuahuas are very sensitive and will pick up on your energy if you are nervous or excited. Turn the lights down, put on a quiet television or radio program and relax to help calm your puppy down.
Step 2
Ignore a hyper puppy. Your Chihuahua puppy may run, jump and bark to get your attention, and if you give in, you inadvertently reward the negative behavior. Look away from the puppy, don’t speak to him and wait until he is calm before acknowledging him.
Step 3
Play with the puppy before bedtime. Hyperactivity is often a sign of excess energy, and a thorough play session will burn off energy and leave you with a calm, tired puppy. Take the dog on a long walk, throw his toys for him and encourage him to play for at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Step 4
Crate the puppy at bedtime. Set up the crate in your bedroom and put your puppy’s bed inside the crate. Tell the puppy “bed,” and place him inside the crate. Lie on your bed, turn off the lights and stay quiet while the puppy gets used to the crate. Chihuahuas are vocal dogs and he may whine or bark to get your attention. Ignore him and he will eventually calm down.
References
Warnings
- Never use a crate as punishment. Your dog’s crate is his sanctuary and should only be used to contain him overnight or in your absence.
Writer Bio
Louise Lawson has been a published author and editor for more than 10 years. Lawson specializes in pet and food-related articles, utilizing her 15 years as a sous chef and as a dog breeder, handler and trainer to produce pieces for online and print publications.