Care of your new puppy

 Thank you to whoever wrote this valuable information. I’d like to share it with everyone . 

There are several initial concepts I want every chihuahua owner to know before bringing a puppy home. They aren’t complicated, but will help explain some of the dog behaviours. 

✨ Puppy area - minimize initial stress by setting up the area the for the first week the same way as it was at a breeder’s home. It gives feeling of safety and the puppy knows where to find a bed and a potty area. It will let puppy to focus on exploring the new home and connecting with owners. Once settled, the set up can be removed or rearranged to your preference. 

✨ Hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar can affect pups under 8 months old. A puppy may have pale gums, be wobbly, vomit or be unusually disengaged. In severe cases it may be weak, unable to stand up, unconscious or have seizure episodes. Puppies need to be monitored - once they are actively playing they forget of bodily functions until it is too late. 

▪️Pause a game/walk or other activity every 15 mins for a young pup and every 30 mins for an older pup to relax. 

▪️Have a puppy in a crate/playpen with no distractions for 10-15 mins. Offer food and water.

▪️If you suspect hypoglycaemia - feed some food as soon as possible or give a little bit of Nutri-Cal. Go to a vet if concerned. 

Note: emotional overwhelming and stress can trigger low blood sugar, not only physical exercise. 

✨ Potty breaks - even if a puppy is reliably potty trained, if it’s engaged in a game, you may see it potty right where it is, as the initial body signals were missed. No reason to scold the puppy - at this period of life it is the owner’s fault as we are the ones to set our puppies for success. Puppies tend to potty about 20 mins after being fed - walk them after feeding and do several breaks in between an activity (including sleeping on the couch - yes, they will be so cozy with you they’ll forget to go pee and do it on the couch which will frustrate you).

✨ No Stairs Rule - for correct bone development it is highly suggested not to allow the puppy to use stairs of any kind up until at least 6 months old. To avoid back issues in your puppy when it gets older put gates for the first 6 months to 1 year. As tough as it sounds now, the dog that lives to 15 years old will have a solid bone structure thanks to your responsible approach early on in its life.