What you need for your new puppy
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Puppies are litter box trained starting from 4 weeks old (pine pellets & shallow litter pan.) They also have no problem on puppy pads. They are easily trained to go potty outside once crate training is introduced. I usually start crate training once a puppy reaches 4 to 5 months old.
FOR PUPPIES
For those who are new to having a Chihuahua puppy, I came up with a list of some recommendations of what to get when you are bringing a puppy home.
Dry Food: Currently I am feeding varieties of food throughout the week and some of them are dry food. I use Rawabble Freeze Dried Dog Food and Royal Canin Mother and Baby Dog Kibble. I also cook my own dog food a few days a week as well.
Wet Food: I use Royal Canin Starter Mother and Baby Dog wet cans. I will let each individual owner know if your puppy(s) need these cans at the time of the departure.
Litter & Litter Box - I start litter box training puppies around 4 weeks old after they are on solid food. It is more cost effective and low maintenance as they grow up compared to only using puppy pads. I use Pine Pellets from Tractor Supply and either a rabbit dropping pan, shallow cat litter pan, or dog litter pan.
Playpen - Chihuahua puppies are VERY SMALL, so be careful! You may need a small playpen to keep the puppy in. In addition, in order to continue potty training, you need a pen so that the puppy will know where to go. Puppies will have a lot of accidents if they are given too big of a space. I also recommend putting them in their crate (below) at night. This will help them to be potty trained faster. They will learn to hold their pee inside the crate, so you can take them outside first thing in the morning. If you are not home, keep the puppy inside of the playpen or crate for their safety. You can also train them to eat inside of the crate.
Crate - Enclosed Dog Crate/Carrier, crate bumper bed: As I mentioned above, I highly recommend getting a crate. (The smallest size is fine for Chihuahuas.) I also highly recommend Mutts and Mittens’s bumper bed! Chihuahuas love to rest their head on bumper to sleep, they are easy to clean, and they fit nicely in most crates.
Dog Bed - Anything that is comfortable!
Bully Stick/Pig ear/dental stick - A healthy option for them to chew - a lot of good deals on Amazon. AVOID “Greenies”!!! They are toxic to dogs!
Puppy pad -(for potty training)- I use both fabric reusable pads as well as disposable ones. For fabric, I like the one that I linked - you can try various sizes, but I prefer the larger size since I have a lot of Chihuahuas. For disposable, I like ones from Costco or Target as they are durable and priced at a great value.
Dog Diaper - For girls (buy SSS size) and for boys (buy extra small size) or Cloth Diapers (buy XS or XSS) with a pad (buy petite)
Chihuahuas have a tendency to pee when they visit someone else’s house due to excitement! If you have a diaper on them, you can take them to your friends or family’s house without worrying about their potty issues. I highly recommend bringing your chihuahuas to meet many people so that they can be socialized and not be afraid of strangers or people other than family while they are young. I have tried many different diapers over the years and I have a few recommendations. I prefer to use cloth diapers with a pad as this is a very secure and more economical option.
Nail Clipper - I trim the fur on their paws and clip their nails often. Since chihuahuas tend to stay indoors, their nails grow too long if they are not regularly trimmed. You can take them to a groomer, or you can do it yourself at home (more affordable). If you do their nails from a young age, it is often easier to get them to cooperate as they grow (though a lot of them still wiggle or try to get away to get their nails trimmed). I have a recommended nail clipper on this section’s title link.
Shampoo and Conditioner - you can use anything you like, but I use Chris Christensen Spectrum One Shampoo and you can dilute this up to 8x so this last a long time for a pet home. I also use Artero Leave in Protein Vital Conditioner or Chris Christenten Spectrum One Conditioner. These are the brands that most professional groomers use. They smell so good and make their fur feel nicer compared to cheaper ones.
Dog hair Clipper - Often, longcoat Chihuahuas grow excess of hair on the back of their paws, and they can lose the ability to grip the floor with their pads if the hair becomes overgrown. It is important to shave them and keep up on it if you are not taking them to the groomer often. Wahl Professional Animal Clipper is easy to use and doesn’t scare them.
Recommended items for the future/emergency
You don’t need these items immediately, but you may need to try some of the products in the future when your dog gets older!
I very highly recommend Amber Naturalz products, especially: Kochi Free, PaxAid, Vibactra Plus, and Life Cell Support (for liver). If your puppy or adult dogs came down with any GI issues including any parasites, I highly recommend Kochi Free. It removes parasites… even those which are resistant to the chemical dewormers. It also helps to have health gut flora. Vibactra Plus helps with immune systems.