Taking Your puppy home
Important information that ALL ChiChiBabies New Owners should know
While your puppy is with us, he will learn many things. We begin the socialization process. We introduce the puppies to different environments. Our puppies have the benefit of being able to play with many different people while they are with us (supervised, of course) including children. They are also allowed to interact with the older puppies and many of the adult dogs....a very important part of socialization for puppies. Puppies have a safe environment in which to play, and they have many toys that they play with and love. Our babies are with their mothers full time until they are 5 weeks of age. They begin learning how to eat at different times, depending on how quickly they are progressing, but most begin between 3.5 and 4.5 weeks of age. At 5 weeks of age, the mothers are beginning to get serious about weaning, so puppies are gradually and gently weaned...a process which the mother began at about 3.5 weeks of age and which takes at least 2 weeks, often longer. By that time, they are usually eating very well on their own, but the puppies actually have access to Mom for short intervals every day for a while after they are weaned. When the weaning process is nearly complete, another step of socialization begins. All the puppies play together in their playpen. This helps each puppy to learn his role in the group...by now he knows very well his role within his own litter...but this experience gives them a larger group to interact with and helps to prevent them from being shy with other animals.
From the beginning, our puppies are puppy pad trained. It is good to note here that we do use washable puppy pads. For many puppies, training may be advanced, possibly even near completion, when you take them home, though please note, this is not always the case. But we have found that our pups do very well at training after you get them home and most even train to pads.When the puppies are a good bit older and have had their shots (just before they are ready to go home) whenever possible, we take them on outings with us. We strongly recommend that you continue to do this when you take your puppy home because it is very important to their socialization. We'll take a puppy or two to PetSmart with us when we go. Or maybe we'll go to the neighborhood park and let them play on a blanket. (We usually do not put them on the ground anywhere but in our yard until their vaccination series is complete.) We've even taken them into Wal-Mart with us. I don't know if we're supposed to or not, but we usually only get stopped when someone wants to "ooo" and "ahhh" at the puppy. This helps with their ability to travel and it also helps them to enjoy going to new places, which Chihuahuas often love very much. Before you come to get your puppy, or before your puppy's transport date, we will have worked hard to ensure that you are taking a healthy puppy home with you. Your puppy will be completely up to date on all shots appropriate for his age. He will have been wormed several times, beginning at 2 weeks of age and every two weeks after till 8 weeks of age. Your puppy will also have been vet checked. When you come to get your puppy, be prepared to take a little time to go over everything. Our pick ups usually take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours...depending on your questions and such. When you get here, we'll introduce you to your puppy and then begin the paperwork. We will go over your puppy's vaccination and deworming record, the NuVet information and answer any questions that you may have. For puppies that are being shipped, we will attach the puppy care kit to the top of his crate, and send written instructions for all the contracts in advance. In most cases, the contract is already completed and returned by the time your puppy goes home, but if that is not the case for you, we may send the contracts with the puppy (if you chose your puppy within a week of the date for him to go home). Please be sure that you check the top of the crate for all information that we included, and then read and follow any instructions provided to complete all the contract if necessary. Remember, we're always here if you need help with anything.
A word of warning: You MUST make sure that your puppy is eating properly the first week or so of his homecoming. Whether he is being picked up or transported, changing homes can be stressful for these little guys and as a result, they often lose their appetite for the first few days to a week of going to their new homes. This loss of appetite can result in hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar (contact us for more information on hypoglycemia.) It is very important that you monitor how much your puppy is eating during this transition time. If your puppy will not eat his regular food, give him anything that he will eat...canned dog food, canned chicken, hot dogs, baby food...whatever he'll eat will be fine during this time. Once he is accustomed to his new home, his appetite will pick up again and he'll go back to eating his regular food. If you cannot get him to eat at all, you'll need to get some honey. You'll put a little on your finger and rub it on his gums 3-5 times a day to help keep his blood sugar up until he is eating again. In addition to the Karyo syrup, you should also have a tube of Nutri-Cal handy. You can put some on your finger and scrape it off on the roof of his mouth to help keep his nutrients in. The Puppy Kit Includes: Puppy care guides (in addition to the ones offered online) and shot record in a convenient storage envelope 1 Blanket (for puppies being shipped, the blanket will accompany the puppy during shipping.) 1 sample bag of the food your puppy is eating (will be sent with puppy for pups that are shipping) Here is a list of the supplies that you will need when you bring your puppy home. 1 small or extra small plastic or wire crate (for puppies that are being shipped we will provide this) 1 extra small dog bed (you'll want to be sure it's machine washable in case your puppy has an accident) If you plan to pad train or train to go outside, you'll need a full supply of puppy pads OR litter box and litter made for dogs if you plan to litter train A few more blankets or towels in case your puppy has an accident. A collar or harness. Some people prefer both because a leash should NEVER be attached to a collar on a Chihuahua. It must always be attached to a harness. These are tricky for Chihuahua puppies because none of them fit well at first. I prefer mesh harnesses, and there are a variety of them on Amazon for tiny dogs. You will want the smallest one that you can find, and you still may need to use safety pins to take it up in places where it is too big.A 6-10' leash or show lead. Show leads work well because they are very light weight. You will want to stick with a thin leash that won't be too heavy for your puppy to drag around as he gets used to the leash at first. A package of bathing wipes. We do not recommend bathing too often and these wipes allow you to clean the puppies without irritating their skin. Plenty of toys, including very small rope toys, tiny stuffed animals (careful that they do not have any plastic eyes or noses that the pups can chew off and choke on), balls (especially the jingle balls for cats..the pups love them), and anything else you find that you think a very small puppy might enjoy. A tube of Nutri-Cal or Nutri-Stat OR you can go with honey. It works just as well and my pups like it better. This is to be given as a treat or in the event that your puppy becomes hypoglycemic in the first few days at home. 1 trustworthy Veterinarian...you'll need to have an appointment within 3 days of bringing your puppy home if at all possible. And of course, the most important supply of all...lots of love to give!
From the beginning, our puppies are puppy pad trained. It is good to note here that we do use washable puppy pads. For many puppies, training may be advanced, possibly even near completion, when you take them home, though please note, this is not always the case. But we have found that our pups do very well at training after you get them home and most even train to pads.When the puppies are a good bit older and have had their shots (just before they are ready to go home) whenever possible, we take them on outings with us. We strongly recommend that you continue to do this when you take your puppy home because it is very important to their socialization. We'll take a puppy or two to PetSmart with us when we go. Or maybe we'll go to the neighborhood park and let them play on a blanket. (We usually do not put them on the ground anywhere but in our yard until their vaccination series is complete.) We've even taken them into Wal-Mart with us. I don't know if we're supposed to or not, but we usually only get stopped when someone wants to "ooo" and "ahhh" at the puppy. This helps with their ability to travel and it also helps them to enjoy going to new places, which Chihuahuas often love very much. Before you come to get your puppy, or before your puppy's transport date, we will have worked hard to ensure that you are taking a healthy puppy home with you. Your puppy will be completely up to date on all shots appropriate for his age. He will have been wormed several times, beginning at 2 weeks of age and every two weeks after till 8 weeks of age. Your puppy will also have been vet checked. When you come to get your puppy, be prepared to take a little time to go over everything. Our pick ups usually take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours...depending on your questions and such. When you get here, we'll introduce you to your puppy and then begin the paperwork. We will go over your puppy's vaccination and deworming record, the NuVet information and answer any questions that you may have. For puppies that are being shipped, we will attach the puppy care kit to the top of his crate, and send written instructions for all the contracts in advance. In most cases, the contract is already completed and returned by the time your puppy goes home, but if that is not the case for you, we may send the contracts with the puppy (if you chose your puppy within a week of the date for him to go home). Please be sure that you check the top of the crate for all information that we included, and then read and follow any instructions provided to complete all the contract if necessary. Remember, we're always here if you need help with anything.
A word of warning: You MUST make sure that your puppy is eating properly the first week or so of his homecoming. Whether he is being picked up or transported, changing homes can be stressful for these little guys and as a result, they often lose their appetite for the first few days to a week of going to their new homes. This loss of appetite can result in hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar (contact us for more information on hypoglycemia.) It is very important that you monitor how much your puppy is eating during this transition time. If your puppy will not eat his regular food, give him anything that he will eat...canned dog food, canned chicken, hot dogs, baby food...whatever he'll eat will be fine during this time. Once he is accustomed to his new home, his appetite will pick up again and he'll go back to eating his regular food. If you cannot get him to eat at all, you'll need to get some honey. You'll put a little on your finger and rub it on his gums 3-5 times a day to help keep his blood sugar up until he is eating again. In addition to the Karyo syrup, you should also have a tube of Nutri-Cal handy. You can put some on your finger and scrape it off on the roof of his mouth to help keep his nutrients in. The Puppy Kit Includes: Puppy care guides (in addition to the ones offered online) and shot record in a convenient storage envelope 1 Blanket (for puppies being shipped, the blanket will accompany the puppy during shipping.) 1 sample bag of the food your puppy is eating (will be sent with puppy for pups that are shipping) Here is a list of the supplies that you will need when you bring your puppy home. 1 small or extra small plastic or wire crate (for puppies that are being shipped we will provide this) 1 extra small dog bed (you'll want to be sure it's machine washable in case your puppy has an accident) If you plan to pad train or train to go outside, you'll need a full supply of puppy pads OR litter box and litter made for dogs if you plan to litter train A few more blankets or towels in case your puppy has an accident. A collar or harness. Some people prefer both because a leash should NEVER be attached to a collar on a Chihuahua. It must always be attached to a harness. These are tricky for Chihuahua puppies because none of them fit well at first. I prefer mesh harnesses, and there are a variety of them on Amazon for tiny dogs. You will want the smallest one that you can find, and you still may need to use safety pins to take it up in places where it is too big.A 6-10' leash or show lead. Show leads work well because they are very light weight. You will want to stick with a thin leash that won't be too heavy for your puppy to drag around as he gets used to the leash at first. A package of bathing wipes. We do not recommend bathing too often and these wipes allow you to clean the puppies without irritating their skin. Plenty of toys, including very small rope toys, tiny stuffed animals (careful that they do not have any plastic eyes or noses that the pups can chew off and choke on), balls (especially the jingle balls for cats..the pups love them), and anything else you find that you think a very small puppy might enjoy. A tube of Nutri-Cal or Nutri-Stat OR you can go with honey. It works just as well and my pups like it better. This is to be given as a treat or in the event that your puppy becomes hypoglycemic in the first few days at home. 1 trustworthy Veterinarian...you'll need to have an appointment within 3 days of bringing your puppy home if at all possible. And of course, the most important supply of all...lots of love to give!