Chihuahua Weight Chart

This is a good guide to use to chart the growth of your puppy. I use this to chart my puppies growth.

"A puppy gives each yawn vocal accompaniment to make sure it's seen"
- JW Hackett

Babies Babies Babies......Look How Small!

Tiny little Baby ....one of our beautiful little babies
(we have available babies on the Nursery and Available puppy page)....
check them OUT!
Use the PUPPY WEIGHT CHART as a guide for charting your puppies Growth......Remember it's a guide and genetics play a roll in the size of your puppy, all our ADULTS our small in size.

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Bathing Your Chihuahua

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Chihuahuas and weight gain

When feeding your pup even as cute as they are ......try not to over feed and give your little bundle to many treats no matter how tempting those big eyes are. It causes knee and joint problems - diabetes - heart attack among other health related issues.
The first step to determining if your Chihuahua needs to lose weight is to do a physical check on them. Tell-tale signs include not being able to feel your Chihuahua's ribs easily when you run your hands over his sides from the front to the back leg as well as not being able to feel the tail bones of your Chihuahua. If this is the case, it is time to bring the weight of your chubby Chihuahua down to normal. Consult your veterinarian to determine a
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
as well as a healthy weight that your Chihuahua should slim down to eventually.

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CHIHUAHUA
 puppy development

"The love and care you put into your pet will show in his personality and his health"
This information is very helpful and in no way am I taking responsibility for anyone else's actions regarding the information on this web site.  I am not a Veterinarian, nor do I portray myself to be one, any medical questions please call your Vet first and foremost.Stages of Canine DevelopmentDrs. Scott and Fuller were the first to document critical periods in the development of the canine in 1953.  Their efforts, recognizing critical developmental periods, the importance of socialization, the use of the puppy aptitude test and an effective breeding program, resulted in the remarkable success rate of over 9O percent in producing guide dogs for the blind.  Clarence Pfaffenbeiger, Dr. Michael Fox and Joachim and Wendy Volhard have further documented and supported the results of Scott and Fuller.Critical periods in a dog's life begin at birth, peak between six and eight weeks, and extend to maturity.  It has been proven that environment and socialization make lasting impressions on the developing dog.Breeders have an important responsibility to provide socialization and richness of experience for puppies in their care, this is especially important from the fourth to eighth weeks of puppyhood. Pfaffenberger in his book "The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior" states that from "three weeks of age, when the learning stage began, to 16 weeks of age, the character of a dog is formed. No matter how good his inherited character traits, if they are not given a chance of expression during this period he will never be as good a dog as he could have been."The following article, "The critical Period in the Life of a Puppy," is based on the research of Dr. J. Paul Scott, Animal Behaviour Division of the Rosco B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory, U.S.A.After studying hundreds of puppies as they grew up with their mothers and litter mates, it was found that the social development of puppies can be divided into defined periods, based on the beginning and ending of certain important social relationships inherent in all breeds.FIRST PERIOD (0 - 3 weeks)The puppy is on its mother, or substitute mother, for the first 21 days of it's life.  Some of us have worried because a mother will scarcely leave her litter during this first five or six days after the puppies come, even to eat or to relieve herself.  This is because the puppy is so completely dependent upon her and its litter mates for warmth, that it is necessary for it to snuggle up to its mother and brother and sisters.  A temperature of 85 F - 90 F (29.4 c - 32.2 c) is about right for the first week of a puppy's life.It has been noticed that the puppies just seem to sleep and eat, and the mother constantly massages them with her tongue.  This licking is necessary, not only to keep them clean, but to cause elimination, for the puppies at birth and for many days afterwards are not able to eliminate on their own.  Nursing puppies eat a little and then rest against their mother's warm breast and she massages them. This is repeated many times a day.The first 21 days of a puppies life is very crucial as the time of survival. Warmth, food, massage, and sleep are the things a puppy needs for this period.  There is a slight variation in the length of the first period, but with all puppies of all breeds it is complete by the 21st day and then there is a sharp break. A PUPPY UNDER 21 DAYS OF AGE CANNOT LEARN OR BE TRAINED!SECOND CRITICAL PERIOD (4 weeks - 7 weeks)Beginning on the 21st day, the puppy can see quite well, and can hear and smell.  From now on, environment plays its part in the development of the dog.  Suddenly the big world about him is opened up to his attention and he needs his momma very much.  He can be handled, however, and socialization can start so that he will start to form attachments to human beings.  For the next four weeks, his brain and nervous system are developing, and at the end of seven weeks of age puppies have the capacity of an adult dog, but of course, not the experience.During this period (4 weeks - 7 weeks) the puppies socialize with their mother and litter mates and thus form their attachments to other dogs.  This is the normal thing for them to do and plays a very important part in the well-rounded development of a dog.  If they are taken from their mother and litter mates before the end of the seven weeks, they miss some of their canine socialization and show less interest in dog activities than if they are left the full seven weeks.  Experience has shown that the puppy who does not complete his seven weeks of canine socialization is often the same dog that, when grown, picks fights with all the strange dogs he meets, is terrified of other dogs, or is difficult to mate.During this four-week period, from 21 days to seven weeks of age, playing and even play fighting begins.  In some of the litters this becomes quite serious fighting, and order of dominance has begun.It is believed that the ideal time for the puppy to go to a new owner is at approximately nine weeks of age, which is also a good time for weaning.  The two things are probably best accomplished at the same time.Experiments have shown that you cannot really teach a puppy until it is about 21 days old, and that it is probably best to leave it with its mother and litter mates until it is 8-10 weeks of age.  The question arises 'When is the best time to teach a puppy."  The answer is, of course, as soon as it can learn, which is during the second critical period (21- 49 days of age).THIRD CRITICAL PERIOD..... (7 weeks - 12 weeks)During the third critical period, from the 49th day to the 84th day (7 - 12 weeks), the puppies should get as wide a variety of experiences and instructions as their puppy minds and emotions are capable of absorbing. Experience has indicated that it is detrimental to give puppies longer training periods than daily 15 minute sessions at this age.  The advice is that a puppy should have the benefit of its trainer's wholehearted and undivided attention to make it feel important.Evidence points to the fact that puppies have a short period early in life when social relationships are established with members of their kind and after which it becomes increasingly difficult or impossible to establish them.  The same applies to their relationships with human companions. The period in which puppies can best be socialized and begin their training is in the period of 5 weeks to 12 weeks of age.FOURTH CRITICAL PERIOD...... (12 weeks - 16 weeks)This fourth critical period is from 12 - 16 weeks of age.  This is the age of cutting.  At last the puppy, if allowed any freedom, cuts it's mother's apron strings and declares its independence.  It wanders away from the nest alone or with a companion.  It gets into mischief, it cuts its teeth both literally and figuratively.  It will make up, however, for anything lost through neglect in earlier training.  This is the time when man and dog decide who is boss. Serious training can and should be started: a transition from play training to disciplined behavior.A puppy who has had no socialization before it is 16 weeks of age has little chance of becoming the type of dog that anyone of us would want as a companion.  Playing with the litter has some socializing effect, but it misses the important things:  the development of the individual dog as a companion.  There is no training that develops a puppy to his highest potential faster than the simple expedient of taking him entirely away from the other dogs and having a pleasant session of just getting acquainted.There is no point in making it hard for a puppy to learn either how to obey, or to pay attention.  The more ideal the surroundings, the better the results will be.  The puppy must come to feel that he is an important individual before the maximum results can be accomplished.Understanding the critical periods in a puppy's life gives the dog breeder, as well as the individual dog buyer, an excellent tool with which to sharpen the character traits of individual puppies so that they may attain the highest potential in adaptability to the life they are to lead, and to excel.THE TIME IS SHORT... from 21 days to 112 days in all...  (13 weeks altogether)...  and once it has passed, it can never be retrieved.  The implications of what this short time means in the development of a dog are so great that it is extremely important for puppy raisers to employ this time wisely.  It can never be made up at an older age.
 References:   Clarice Rutherford & David H. Neil. MRCVS. "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With." Loveland, CO: Alpine Publications, 1981.Clarence Pfaffenberger. "The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior." NY, NY: Howell, 1979.Wendy Volhard & Gail Fisher. 'Seminar: "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Puppies and Dogs."




"Suddenly thumping the floor------a happy moment in my dog's dream"
- JW Hackett
         

EXERCISE

Moderate exercise needed for good health.
Because of size... chihuahuas can get enough just playing around the home. This is what makes them such great pets....especially for people who work and are tired and want to stay home ....
But don't get me wrong they love the parks and walks and adventure like any other dog. I'm just saying they make great pets for seniors....people with limited abilities,and great family pets.....or professional people,
and let's not forget therapy dogs also. The chihuahua is a most loving and loyal friend to have and you will have them for many years.
due to long life in the breed.

Puppy Behavior Tips!

CHEWING
Dogs like to chew for lots reasons. Puppies explore their world with their mouths. Anything will go in and they will eat it. The day they start teething, chewing helps the pain and discomfort and it will help puppy teeth work their way through. The adults chew for pleasure, they do it because they are bored,and most of all because it feels really good. Chewing is natural behavior expect it to happen. You can teach your dog to chew only on the things you have permitted him too.
Make sure the items are approved for dog use only. Make sure  the items you give your pet to chew will be tough so it can't be eaten to fast. Rawhide products like-----hoofs-flips-chips-cow-pigs-ears. Plastic or latex toy's can be chewed up fast, all the raw hide products  as far as nutrition has nothing at all. Look out for squeaky toys that have squeakers they can chew it out and choke your puppy. Most dogs are fine with  rolled rawhide bones (knotted bones-retriever rolls-rawhide rolled into rolls without knots).Depending how aggressively your dog chews. Any thing that is yours in a NO-----like your old shoes-socks-old stuffed animals. Your puppy or dog will not know the difference $$$$$$$ your best shoes (ect.). Keep a basket or box with your pets toys in it ....so they know it belongs to them, your kids toys are not safe due to buttons materials (ect.) Pressed rawhide bones are compressed under high pressure. These are good but never leave a pet unattended, Rope and fleece toys are for cleaning teeth. Have a variety of toys to choose from and switch them around and change them so its always new and exciting.
if your pet chews on something it shouldn't ....loud and firmly say drop it!
playing and chewing with the correct things  can save a life. Puppies will chew on electrical cords, bottles of poison, plants, and objects around the home this can cause serious intestinal obstructions. Teach your pet what is good and bad. Keep poisons out of reach. Hide cords (look for a cord cover or baby proofing items) sold at your home improvement stores and stores that carry baby proofing products. You need to check to see if your plants are nontoxic. Most garden centers have lists of toxic plants. Just remember they are like having small children around.Other dangers--------- (objects like straight pins,sewing needles, rocks, nails, yarn,fishing line, coins,household cleansers,inside/outside plants,antifreeze, etc.) call your vet as soon as you can if your pet has gotten into something it could save its life.
 BITING! and puppy play
Puppy playing with your hands or feet - no matter how cute it seems teaches Puppy it is OK to bite, it is teaching a very bad habit! even though it seems so harmless and cute. Don't  let a puppy do something once if do not want him to repeat the behavior. It's really easier to prevent these habits from developing then trying to retrain a older puppy or dog. SO START YOUNG AND THEN THEY WILL BE WELL MANNERED ADULTS!

AGGRESSION SIGNS
*FOOD*FEAR*TERRITORY*DOMINANCE*SCARED *EXCITED

It is so important to socialize your pet when young, handle it's food, toy's, chew sticks, bones ect. There is alot of good information out there on how to over come these behaviors when you see them in your pet. It's really up to you, you are the one who writes the story of your pets life and the way it interacts with others.

My dog is fun.
He runs and plays.
I like it when he acts that way.
But when he's naughty.
 I must correct him.
 Or every one will just reject him.
 My dog is good it make me smile and that makes life all worth while.
He's my best friend until the end.
My buddy.
(c) MIK O.A.

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NAMING YOUR PUPPY

Nothing Like Puppy "Luv"