Dolittle Chihuahua Puppies AKC and CKC Top Quality Registered Chihuahuas located in the out skirts of Vancouver WA

Dee's Chihuahua Puppy' Care Page       

What does a Chihuahua puppy need most?

                         "Food Water and a Owner with a Loving Heart!" 

Feeding tips and more information to help your new puppy adjust.

The most important rule is always have dry food & water available for your puppy at all times! 

GRAB A FREE E-BOOK GIFT at the bottom of this page once your done here

Due to their small size Chihuahuas must replenish their energy more frequently than larger puppies. The only way to do this is by supplying plenty of nourishment in the form of food and water. You must remember that puppies only eat very small amounts of food at a time but they use large amounts of energy.

When you get your puppy home you don't want to switch its food right away, If you are going to make a change, do it gradually by slowly adding more of the
new food to the old food each day until they are totally switched over to the new food.

The next most important rule I feel is to have a baby or puppy playpen or other type of small enclosed area to keep your puppy confined in whenever you are not playing with them. This must be a small area with enough room for their bed and easy access to food and water and a place for a potty pad or news paper, This is where they can rest, eat in peace and potty when needed. This area should be no larger than 4 ft x 4 ft if at all possible you can use a 3 ft x 3 ft baby playpen or a puppy pen. Some people even use their bathroom and use a childs gate across the door so you can leave the door open to hear your puppy. Never give your your Chihuahua puppy the run of the whole house until they are at least 5 or 6 months old. With such a large space to run around in, it is easy for them to tire and lose track of where their food is and most important their potty pads. And this could result in hypoglycemia or even death for your puppy if they cant find their food and water. For the first few weeks do not let your baby Chi out to play for longer than a one hour period at a time, Just play with them for a short time, then give them a small dose of Nutri-Cal or Karo Syrup and then place them back in their playpen so they can potty, eat drink and rest for a while. Remember that they are very small babies and tire easily. Please be careful not to over-tire your puppy especially in the first few weeks. A puppy will play until it drops. It may play so much that it is too tired to even eat or drink water. It is up to you as the owner to be responsible and see that your Chihuahua puppy gets enough rest. Most very small puppies need as much as 20 out of 24 hours rest. Be especially aware of the amount of time children play with the puppy, you don't want your puppy getting really sick. These are just like human babies and must be treated as such. To learn more about hypoglycemia in puppies and other health issues please visit my Chihuahua information page.

 More Chihuahua FEEDING TIPS 

WEANING and growing pups: Start puppies on a complete formula brand dry dog food as early as they begin to nibble at solid foods, generally at 3 to 4 weeks of age. When the puppies are very young you can also mix a bit of warm water to a quality can food and rice together with their dry food as a puppy mush, once or twice a day you can mix 1/16th to 1/8 can of quality can dog food with a small amount of their dry food and give it to them, and as they grow, slowly switch over from the can and dry food, to just dry food and water only. Feed the puppies up to 5 months of age) all of the dry dog food and water they will consume at intervals throughout the day, and if you still wish to you can also mix a tiny bit of can food in for a small treat 2x daily at breakfast and dinner.

FEEDING TIPS: When switching to a new brand of dog food, it's a good idea to allow seven days for the transition. Gradually add more of the new brand dog food and less of the previous food to your pet's dish each day until the changeover is complete.

How much should your Chihuahua be eating of dry dog food daily? 

ADULT DOGS: Some adult dogs can be fed once daily. However, when high activity or other factors create a higher feed intake, Twice-a-day feeding is what I recommend. Dogs should be maintained in good body condition and not allowed to become to overweight. The food intake required to maintain good body condition will vary, depending on age, activity and environment. Consequently, the amount of food required for each Chuhuahua dog will vary and should be adjusted accordingly.

Don't forget that adult Chihuahuas have a tendency of becoming obese. To maintain proper Chihuahua care, keep your dog on a healthy food, decrease treats if over weight, take your dog for walks, and provide regular weigh-ins to ensure correct weight is being maintained. Obesity is a major cause of coronary heart disease and more, If your Chihuahua is allowed to live with excess weight, its health or lifespan could be dramatically reduced! A Chihuahua's is known to be the longest living dog when its over all health is monitored by its owner and given the care it needs to live that long life.

 How Much WATER? Provide adequate fresh water at all times in a clean container, for your dogs daily. 
 

 Here is a good food recipe that I use for all my puppies and dogs that are finicky eaters

 1-cup to 2-cups of cooked rice

1/2-cup of your puppies dry dog food mixed in 1-cup of hot water to expan to a mush

1/4 cup frozen veggies without corn,  'green beans,peas,carrots,

1- egg cooked scrambled

1/2 cup of chopped up meat or can dog food, 'The meat or dog food can be chicken, turkey, or beef, No Pork!

 1-cup of broth or warm water, you can use either, water chicken or beef broth

 Mix all above into a large bowl and place in the fridge and cover, this can last up to 5 days in fridge

I feed this rice mush above 2X a day to puppies and my adult dogs, this is besides their dry food and fresh water thats out all day and night. I HOPE YOUR PUPPY OR ADULT DOG ENJOYS THIS RECIPE !

What Not To Feed Your Dogs!

Most of the things below can make your dog sick or kill them!

Grapes/Raisins

Housebreaking your Chi'

All tiny breed dogs especially Chihuahuas and Yorkies have very tiny bladders & need to go more frequently. If you work or are gone for many hours, litter box training or puppy pad training works best especially for really tiny dogs such as Chihuahuas, Maltese, and Yorkshire Terriers and tiny Poodles. A litter box is more natural for females and neutered males who don't lift their legs.You can put potty pads or newspaper in the box and it's easy to change. There is another method that helps with male dogs and that is the male dog diaper, its not really a diaper, but a cloth type belt that fits around its lower back side in front of its back legs and raps around his (stomach/male area) and it can be fastened by Velcro or pined on top of his back, some people even place a panty liner inside the diaper to give it more padding. He wears this in the house and its taken off every few hours to let him potty outside or on the potty pad. These diapers can be bought on Ebay for very reasonable prices. If you let you tiny dog roam free around the house until it is trained it will use your house as a whole bathroom.  It is a fact that any tiny breed dogs can be difficult to housebreak, so stay on top of it at all times. You must confine your dog to a crate or some other way when your not playing with it until it is either outdoor trained or littler box trained. Either way they can still have a few accidents here and there or if the weather is not to their liking, (Like raining) they will go in the house that is why it is best if you are having problems to train both methods. Some go indoors only in the winter or if it is raining. If you live in a very cold climate sometimes impossible for them to go outside so this is the best solution but you will still probably have occasional accidents. Be patient. That is what you deal with when you are raising any new puppy or have very tiny breeds of dogs. But you love them anyway.

 Crate Training        
 

Training a puppy to be comfortable in a crate is a popular way to provide safe confinement during housetraining. The majority of puppies will rapidly accept crate confinement when you make the introduction fun. Since it is important to associate favorable things with the area where your puppy is confined, it is a good idea to play with him there, or simply spend some time reading or watching television nearby as he relaxes with a favorite chew toy. If he is only in the area when you leave, it becomes a social isolation area that he eventually may resist entering. A good time to start crate training is at dinner time. Feed your puppy his dinner, one piece at a time, by tossing pieces of kibble into the crate for him to chase and eat. This way, you can make a game out of training. When you pick up his toys, store them in the crate so he will enter on his own to play. You may even want to occasionally hide a biscuit in the crate as a nice surprise. You should not use the crate for periods that exceed the length of time the pet can actually control the urge to urinate or defecate. If you are gone for long periods each day, you will need to provide a larger confinement area. You may want to consider using an exercise pen or small room. Provide an area large enough so that if your puppy has to eliminate when you are gone, he can do it in a space that is separate from his sleeping area. A 15- to 30-square foot area is adequate for most puppies. If he chooses a specific place to eliminate, cover it with paper to make clean up easier. 
 
 

CHEWING: If a dog is chewing on a forbidden object correct him with a stern NO while he is chewing. Immediately give him an acceptable object to chew and praise him when he does so. Remember, puppies have to chew so make sure the dog knows which things are acceptable. Don't confuse him with many chew toys, stick with one or two and never use old shoes or socks unless it is okay for him to chew new ones. Chewing may be out of boredom or anxiety. Correct these problems and you end the behavior.

BARKING: Barking is a dog's way of communicating. If he is alone for long stretches he will bark because he is bored and miserable. Solution: spend more time with him, give him more exercise. If he is barking from separation anxiety, gradually teach him it's okay to be alone by leaving for short periods and praising him when he behaves. If he is barking because he wants out of a crate and you let him out while he is barking, you have rewarded and reinforced the behavior. Never let a barking dog out of a crate. Correct him with a stern QUIET and wait until he has been quiet for a few seconds before letting him out. A squirt gun or bottle can be used as a last resort on incorrigible barking dogs, but ignoring them until they finally shut up and then praising them and letting them out is the most effective solution.

JUMPING: Trying to be quick enough to correct this problem is usually futile and frustrating. Simply teach the dog that the correct way to greet you is with a sit then with praise. If he/she is told to sit and responds, and isn't jumping he/she will learn this is the way, then you have found a good way to corect this problem.

A Secure Chihuahua

One of a Chihuahuas most noticed traits is its determination to burrow under blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. & most anything soft so that it can get warm. This is quite normal and common. Many owners will also notice that their Chihuahua will also sleep snuggled up against them to help keep them warm on the coldest nights. It's actually a mutual benefit if you are the one who will let a little dog sleep at the base of your bed or snuggled against your legs.  Most tiny dogs are nervous by nature, Nervousness can make the small dog shiver or appear to shake, as if it is cold. However, the Chihuahua is a very small dog, making it even more nervous than most, plus, because of its small size, it does get cold much faster. It likes to stay under some soft cover. By providing it with either a warm bed with a blanket, a sleeping bag made of fleece is a wonderful choice & it can be on the couch or bed with you so he/she can feel the security of being by your side. 
 

 Chihuahua Bathing and Grooming

Bathing your puppy every couple of weeks is permissible with a mild puppy shampoo, however it is very important not to be in a draft, and even more important to blow dry on the low setting thoroughly. Always read labels on all shampoos before using on a young puppy. If still in doubt, ask your veterinarian. Never stick q-tips too far into pups ears. Be careful not to clip nails too short. A good book on puppy care gives worlds of information and a book on your specific breed will lend important knowledge. Before wasting money on the improper grooming tools for your breed, a groomer will be happy to advise you of your breed's needs.

 WORMING AND SHOTS

2 WEEKS OF AGE:
Deworm

4 WEEKS OF AGE:
Deworm

6 WEEKS OF AGE:
Deworm

8 WEEKS Old:
Deworm
Adenovirus-Distemper-Parainfluenza-Parvo Vaccination

10 WEEKS Old:
Deworm

12 WEEKS Old:
Physical Exam and Stool Check for Parasites
Adenovirus-Distemper-Parainfluenza-Parvo Vaccination

16 WEEKS Old:
Adenovirus-Distemper-Parainfluenza-Parvo Vaccination
Start Oral Hygiene
Start Heart Worm Medication as well as Flea and Tick Prevention 

18-22 WEEKS Old:
Rabies Vaccination   < Be careful with this shot for tiny Chihuahuas under 2-1/2lbs!
Lymes Vaccination - optional
Kennel Cough Vaccination - optional

22-26 WEEKS Old:
Lymes Vaccination Booster- optional
Kennel Cough Vaccination Booster - optional
 

1 YEAR OLD AND EVERY ONE TO THREE YEARS THEREAFTER:
Physical Examination
Heartworm Check to Monitor Preventative
Check for Internal Parasites even if you worm yourself
Rabies Vaccination (we prefer every 3 years)
Booster Vaccination Adenovirus-Distemper-Parainfluenza-Parvo Vaccination  (we prefer every 3 years)
Dental Prophylaxis (Teeth Cleaning) May Be Needed

Dangers Outside
Like other small dogs, the Chihuahua faces a danger outdoors that does not threaten his canine cousins that weigh more than 15 pounds he is just the right size for a meal for a bird of prey or a coyote. Large hawks, eagles, and owls have been known to swoop down on pets and carry them away, and coyotes are becoming a more common danger in some city fringes and suburbs. Another danger is yard fencing for young Chihuahuas, Being so small Chihuahuas can walk right through many different types of  fencing, if you need to potty your puppy outside make sure you stand near by and watch him/her closely.

At Dee's Chi's, We will always have a limited amount of puppies yearly by choice as we are not wanting to produce a huge quantity of puppies, Only Quality! So if your looking for a well bred chi baby for companionship and in good health and you don't want to spend an arm and a leg,

Then You have come to the right place!

Dee's Chi's

Have a Blessed Day!