Chihuahuas are mild-tempered dogs who generally do not mind being in enclosed areas such as crates, which makes crate-training easy. Crate-training eliminates anxiety and tension in dogs when they must be locked up a crate in times such as road trips. Poor training techniques can make the dog feel as though the crate is a bad place used for punishment. However, when properly trained, your Chihuahua will view its crate as its own safe home and even sleep in it throughout the day.
Instructions
Place the crate in the center of the room with the door open. If the Chihuahua can explore the crate at his own pace, he will not view it as a scary place.
Place one or two dog treats in the crate and wait for the dog to go inside. Say the word "crate" when she steps inside to help her learn what it means. Once she learns the word, she will go straight to the crate when you tell her to.
Close the crate for 30 seconds. Open the door and give the dog a small treat for a reward.
Repeat the process, but leave the door closed for an entire minute the second time, 5 minutes the third time, 10 minutes the fourth time and 30 minutes the fifth time. Once you reach the 30-minute point, you can increase the time limits by 30 minutes.
Leave the dog in the crate even if he whimpers or cries. If you let him out when he cries, it will slow the training process immensely.