Pet Lovers

[doglover3]

I will be getting a chihuahua puppy in another week or two and have a question.

What and how much and how often do you feed these little dogs?

Are there any medical problems I should be aware of or anything you would like to share that would be of interest?

She will be 8 weeks old when we get her.

Are they easy or tough to housetrain, lol. I had dogs over the years that were do easy, less than 2 weeks, while others took over  a year. I do have patience so that isn't a problem, more patience with animals I think than people, lol.

This will be a female and I plan on having her spayed as soon as the vet says it is advisable, usually around 6 months I think.

I do have 2 other dogs, spayed female and a neutered male, both smaller dogs but not this small.

thanks a lot

[NickNack]

I've never had a chihuahua, but I'm sure you'll love her!  I would go by what her breeder says as far as how much and how often to feed her.  I've always fed my dogs twice a day.  I've always had small dogs, but not as small as a chihuahua.  You could also consult with your Vet.  

Have you decided on a name for her yet?

[sweetee2]

We have had ours for 2 years. Still poops everywhere pees on the kids beds. Barks the whole time outside when we leave. Bits my mom for no reason,  which make it hard because she watches the kids after school. So all I can say is good luck.

[pommom]

While there are some basic characteristics for certain breeds, I believe every dog has his/her own personality.

Case in point:  a friend of mine warned me that cocker spaniels are aggressive and destructive.  She had 2 and said it was a nightmare for years having them in the home.

My American Cocker Spaniel is one of the sweetest, the most mellow and affectionate much like the 3 dogs that have blessed my life.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, who meets her comments on how gentle and sweet is.

Enjoy your new family member and embrace her personality.

Keep us posted - with pics, of course!

[BornToShop]

You have no idea how much we love our girls: Carlita & Lolita.  We take them outside 3x"s a day.  rarely any accidents.  They are incredibly smart, will do what you want them to do!

[doxie1]

How exciting to be getting a puppy. Start training immediately. It is a huge benefit tto socialize as much as possible from 6 weeks to around 16 weeks. Introduce her to as many different people as possible. Go to the pet store and have her walk around and meet people. There is a great resource by Dunbar about socializing. This will help with the skittish and sometimes aggressive like behavior. They are super smart dogs and want to please. Somtimes people baby them so much they allow them to get away with things they would not allow a bigger dog to do. They are alert and do tend to bark but with consistent training you can get them to bark once and stop. Try to not let the dog attach to only one person. This is best done while they are puppies.

For housebreaking they can be stuborn. Pick which method you are going to use and be consistent. Some use paper, some use litter boxes and some take them outside. ZIt is good to pick one and stick with it. A friend use the litterboxes and I am amazed how well it works. Another takes them outside. With that being said you can not let them have free rein of the house while you are training because they will sneak to a carpeted area and do their thing. It is good if you have a cross pen to set it up on a hard floor that can be cleaned easily. It is good to teach them to entertain themselves so they do not feel like they have to be help all  the time.

Health- Use a harness instead of a collar to protect their trachea. They get cold outside in the winter so be sure to dry them off. Do not encourage jumping off the furniture because they can break their bones easier than a larger dog. 

I am amazed that these friends have little dogs that are well behaved and housebroken. They did put time in it though.

You are going to love this little girl. Enjoy the puppy breath.

doxie

[doxie1]

@BornToShop

Too too cute. I like the picture.

My friends are so smart they will go get a blanket for you ar do a dance routine. They are great.

doxie

[Gram W]

I have had dogs all my life.  I have had very small dogs but never chihuahua.  A friend had 2 who were adorable but.......IMO inspite of her love for them she lacked" parenting skills".  Most of the dogs problems were probably caused because they ran the house and she complained but allowed it. They barked at everything and anything.  When you were there you could not visit because of the noise and they both jumped onto you and the furniture.  Her friends, all had pets, tried to help show her how to discipline with love.  For her it was all a joke because " they are so cute".  We gave up.  I found with puppies and even starting with older dogs patience and consistency wins every time.  You are the head of your house and in essence their mother.  In spite of their small size they will need lots of exercise.  My husband and I turned simple mind challenging things into games. (Ex laid 5 toys in a row and ask them to fetch 1).  Every dog had a toy box.  They knew how to get the toys out but putting back took time and they learned to help.  You will be a great mother.  I hope you have time occasionally to tell us how they are doing.  At my age and mobility issues I no longer have a dog as I would not be able to exercise her.  My last dog, a beagle, died at 18.   Her "pick up tricks" turned into a blessing for my husband.  Once he was confined to a wheelchair she would pick up things he dropped and fetch simple light things for him while I was at work.  She was by his side from 6 weeks until he passed.  Her love and presence carried me past some very rough times.  Enjoy.  Will be watching for pictures.

[doglover3]

one of our 2 dogs is very possessive of his toys so will have to watch that.

I was going to use wee wee pads till I thought it over again and thought maybe my other  2 would start using them instead of going out like they now do.

We have a doggy door that goes right from the house into the back yard. We have a 5 foot high fence with a solid wood 5 foot high gate with 3 locks on it.  No one can get into  our yard but even so I keep an eye on them when they go out.

I now plan to take her out into the yard but will keep her on a long leash and of course I will be with her. I plan on a harness instead of a collar since I use to have a little rescue that had a collapsed  trachea  when we got her and the vet said to use a harness, not a collar on a small dog because of this.

I am looking forward to it but yes, did hear horror stories about chihuahua but still decided to get her. She is black with 2 white feet and a little tan, looks almost like  a MinPin (black one) which looks almost the coloring of a doberman which we had 3 in a row, mixed doberman/labs, great dogs.

The people we are getting her from are not breeders, got 2 rescues and before they could get them spayed/neutered they had 7 puppies. The male is now neutered and the female will be spayed when she is back to normal and all pups are gone. They really don't know much about the breed either, their first and they are grown.

I will take her for a checkup as soon as we get her as well as ask the vet about how many times a day to feed since some say up to 4 mini meals a day for them while others say 3 so, guess it is a learning curve once she is fully grown.

thanks so much ladies, looking forward to getting her, yappy and all, lol.

[ladyroxanne]

we just bought 2 chihuahua puppies.  they are now 11 weeks, but were 8 when they came here.

we have 2 females and they are darling.  very affectionate and very bright.  i started potty training immediately and took them out every 2 to 3 hours.  they were doing very well, but all of a sudden they are going everywhere.  they still go outside, but still have slip ups.  they are still so young and i've been told that all of suddent their training will kick in.  several people have told me this.

as far as feeding.....i give them a bowl of food that lasts them 24 hours.  chihuahuas eat a little at a time.  also, they should be able to eat because they can get hypoglycemia very easily.  if they finish their bowl of food, which they rarely do, i wait until the time is up to re-feed them. 

@doglover3 

our vet told us to feed 3 times a day because he didn't want them pudgey, but my way is working very well.  they are thriving and not getting fat.  of course they are gaining because they are growing.

congratulations on your new puppy!  you are going to love your new addition to your family.  they are so much fun and we are thrilled.