Chihuahua puppy - any training tips?

[Ananke99]

I'm the new (and happy) owner of an 8 week old chihuahua pup.

He seems to be settling in nicely, but was wondering if anyone had any good tips for toilet training him? I've got some puppy pads down & its 50/50 at the moment of whether he goes on them or the floor. Is it best to just keep persevering with them, or would I be better scrapping that and just taking him outside regularly to see if he will go? Was worried he would get too chilly in the evenings!

He has a crate to sleep in and so far has kept that clean. I find it tricky to see the signs when he's ready to go, probably as he's so small he doesn't really need to squat down much!

Do you have the pup now? It's usually the norm to keep them until 12 weeks. Was there any kind of issue or has the breeder just let them go at 8 weeks?

I'd scrap the puppy pads. All they do is add an extra step to house training as once they're reliably going on the pads you then have to teach them it's actually not ok to go inside at all. You're better off starting as you mean to go on. Initially just take him outside at regular intervals, plus whenever he wakes up/eats/finishes playing/etc.

Obviously with such a tiny puppy you'll need to make sure he keeps warm. They can struggle to maintain their body heat, especially when they're that young. You might want to look into something like a suitable heat pad for his crate at night.

Sorry he's 9 weeks (hit the wrong key) and yes, he came to me a little earlier than originally planned. He's been vet checked though and is all healthy.

Right, so I'll scrap the pads and just take him outside regularly then.

Yes he has a heat pad in his crate, and spends lots of his time snuggled in a blanket on my lap - when not running around chasing his toys!

By the time he's squatting he's already about to wee.

If you notice him circling with his nose to the floor or looking for a quiet corner chances are he's in urgent need of taking outside, but those signs might not happen for several weeks yet as he's still so young.

At the moment all you can do is what TrionicLettuce says, just keep taking him outside.