The Chin is a smart little dog and a fast learner. The downside to this is they are just as quick to pick up bad habits as they are the good bearing in mind they are known to be a little wilful at times. Their training has to start as soon as puppies arrive in their new home when they need to be taught the basics and boundaries. Their training also has to consistent and always fair throughout a dog’s life so they understand what their owner expects of them. Chins are never happier than when they are given something to do which is why they are so amenable to learning new things. However, they can be a little hard to housetrain which typically takes more time and a lot of patience and understanding than in other small breeds.
The key to successfully training a Chin is to make their training as interesting as possible and to avoid too much repetition. It's also a good idea to keep training sessions that much shorter which helps dogs stay more focussed on what it’s being asked of them, bearing in mind that the more intelligent a dog is, the faster they get bored. They do not answer well to harsh correction or any sort of heavy handed training methods, but they do respond extremely well to positive reinforcement which always brings the best out of these intelligent and quick witted dogs, especially when there are high value rewards involved.
