Tips for new Chihuahua owners

Hi New Chi owner, welcome. You will find a Chihuahua is an excellent choice, they are
small but pretty tough and smart if a little hard headed. I would read Chihuahuas for
Dummies and Google “Chihuahua” for lots of good info. 8 week old puppies are pretty
young so make sure they are warm enough and get enough rest. He will also need to
eat 4 or more times a day for a while say 2-3 months then you can start cutting the
number of feedings. You need to feed often because you have to keep a Chis blood
sugar up or they will start to fail. It looks like they are drunk or winding down, very
scary and could be fatal if not remedied. Buy a tube of Nutri-Cal to stimulate appetite
and to add additional calories and nutrients. After 9 months or so this is not so much
an issue, mine at 2 years old had no more problems with it. You need to decide on a
potty training method and be positive and consistent, praise and reward them when
he goes where he should, ignore it when he doesn’t. Experts say when a dog piddles
on the carpet you should roll up a newspaper and hit yourself on the head while
repeating “I should have been watching”.

He also needs his own bed or spot he can retreat to when needed. Beyond that just
be careful where you put your feet, their little bones can break if you step on them.
Once older you will find they are pretty tough and loads of fun in fact I recommend
getting two, they are a genuine hoot together.

Please feed them the best food you can find, something with lots of meat in the
ingredient list. If you look at the contents you will see most foods have a lot of corn,
CORN is not good for Chis, too hard to digest. Acceptable brands include, Chicken Soup
for the Pet Lovers Soul, Bil-Jac, and Innova among others. Please keep your puppy
warm, put your face down near the floor to see how much colder it is there. He may
need additional bedding or a raised platform for sleeping. Many Chis in colder climes
like sweaters or even PJs

Chi’s are very social and will bond to you strongly, please don’t abuse them by locking
them up for long periods, Remember Love = Patience. Let us know how it goes and
take lots of pics. I have probably left out a lot but we will be here to help if you need
it. Scott