Dear Ashlee,

Ordinarily the Chihuahua is easily trained to paper or a puppy litter box, which qualifies it as an excellent apartment dweller. When house training any puppy, it is important to remember that not all puppies are identical and sometimes one puppy will take longer to learn, and may make more mistakes than another. In other cases, puppies may appear to get their inside behaviour under control only to forget all of their manners when they reach adolescence.

I can relate to your frustration and concern because Ziggy was not fully potty trained until 9 months of age. It is important to consider that Lily may be struggling with general anxiety or separation anxiety, or perhaps even a medical condition. It is always a good idea to inform your vet in case there is a physiological reason behind Lily's behaviour. Either way, a puppy depends on the patience of their adopted human parents as they learn appropriate house behaviour. Remember to effectively clean up after any mistakes and always praise Lily for good toileting behaviour.

Sincerely Zena & Zippy