Before bringing a new puppy home . . .
 
     Puppy Safety: You will need to make sure the area of your home, that your puppy will have access to, is safe from hazards. Your new puppy will be teething for a while. Your new puppy will investigate every square inch of your home. Look around your home from the perspective of being only six inches tall. Look under your furniture, at electrical cords, plants, etc. Make your home safe from toxic and electric dangers. If you don't know what to do about a situation, please call your breeder for consultation and trouble-shooting problems.
 
     Setting up for a new Puppy / Safe Confinement: A lot of people think about what they are going to do when their puppy arrives but, often they don't consider what they will do for the puppy when they are not holding him or her. Your puppy needs a safe environment when no one is there to supervise him or her. You can use a small room like a bathroom or laundry room but, my preferred choice is an exercise pen with everything they need properly placed in the pen. Whatever you chose, this space needs a warm bed, blankets, food, water, chewies, toys, and a place to eliminate. This encourages good behavior and will keep your puppy from starting bad habits when you are not there to correct him or her.
 
     Things you will need for your new puppy: Crate, pen, bed, toys, blankets, nail clippers, food, vitamins, food dish, water dish, harness, leash, tooth-brush, hair brush / comb, chewies, treats, and potty-pads.
 
     Now that your puppy is home . . .
 
     Food: You will receive enough food from me to mix with your puppy's new food for about 2 weeks. Please make sure you do this. A digestive system needs time to develop proper enzymes to utilize the nutrients available from the food you provide. It is very easy to spoil your puppy because you want them to feel loved. This tendency toward spoiling does not benefit your puppy. It causes stress on the immune system which can cause your puppy to be more susceptible to environmental factors such as internal parasites, external parasites, viruses, and colds.
 
     Treats vs. Chewies: Treats can be a factor in your puppy's health. Your puppy needs chewy treats for dental hygiene but, this should not be confused with treats that are quickly consumed like dog biscuits. Yes, crunchy dog biscuits do play a role in cleaning your dog's teeth and gums but, if they eat too many "goodies" it will interfere with consumption of food properly fortified with nutrition. People food can also upset the delicate balance of a dogs' digestive system. If you chose to share your food with your Chihuahua, please do so with care. Offer lean morsels of cooked meat not fatty scraps, offer fresh, frozen, or cooked vegetables, not potato chips or other types of junk food. Always remember, treats should not exceed 10% of your Chihuahua's diet. If your puppy eats 1 / 4 cup of dry dog food each day, that would be less than a tablespoon of treat foods. If you use a high quality dry dog food your puppy will have better health in general. I use one of two brands… Nutro Natural Choice with a variety of flavors and stages of development or Dick Van Patton's Natural Balance. Both of these brands score very well in the department of nutrition. They both use quality ingredients and minimal fillers. This equates to the dogs needing less bulk food to receive needed nutrients and less daily elimination… less mess to clean up, stating it plainly. Quality food does often cost more that store brands or what your vet might offer for sale in their office store but, if your dogs eats two thirds less than they would eat of the other brand, and receives better nutrition than from the other brand, this means you are saving money not only on the food but also on health issues that are caused by poor nutrition later in life.
 
     Water: Your puppy needs to have a clean water dish with fresh water put in it every day. Saliva drips off of your dog's tongue into the water bowl every time he or she drinks. This deposits bacteria and food particles in the water creating an environment perfect for disease. This one habit of cleaning your water bowl on a daily basis will do more to ensure your puppy's health than you could ever imagine.
 
     Grooming: You should comb or brush your puppy's coat, and brush their teeth about once a week. Grooming is a time of bonding and inspection. Grooming your puppy should be enjoyable for both you and your puppy. Take your time brushing or combing so as to not create pain or irritation of the skin. Soft strokes will get more accomplished than harsh brushing. Combing is not just to maintain the beauty of the coat. Combing cleans the skin and spreads the natural oils through the hair which will keep your puppy's skin healthy and the natural oils help to keep them warm. Brushing teeth is just as important for your dog as it is for yourself. Daily brushing would be ideal but, weekly brushing will prevent most dental hygiene problems from getting out of control, requiring expensive dental maintenance at your veterinarian's office.
 
     Nail Clipping: If you are not experienced at trimming a dog's nails, you should seek professional assistance and education from your breeder, a certified dog groom, or your veterinarian. Nail clipping should be done regularly. I use fingernail clippers and take the tips off as often as once a week and no less often than once a month. It is important to know, dogs' nail has a large vein which extends beyond the toe of the paw. They also have very sensitive nerves in the toe-nail. If you cut a toe-nail too deeply, your dog can bleed profusely. This will also cause them great pain which will affect how happy your dog is about accepting nail maintenance the next time you want to trim nails.
 
     Bathing: You should give them a bath about once a month. Bathing should be done with great care. Water should never be allowed to enter the inner ear of a Chihuahua. Use of cotton balls placed in the ears with a small amount of petroleum jelly will prevent water from entering the ear, seeping down the estuation tubes and throat into the lungs. Your puppy can actually drown if too much water enters the ears. Make sure you use a gentle soap to not strip your puppy of all of its natural oils. Completely dry your puppy before leaving them unsupervised. Your puppy uses a lot of energy to stay warm under normal circumstances, and this is multiplied ten-fold when they are wet. A cold puppy can easily go into shock or get sick.
 
     Shots, Worming, Veterinary Maintenance. . .
 
     For all puppies and dogs: Your puppy from Underfoot Kennels will come to you up to date on age appropriate shots and worming. It is up to you to consult with your veterinarian about what shots and worming are needed in your local area. If your puppy is young enough that the puppy shot schedule has not been completed, it is very important for your puppy's immune system that you schedule with your veterinarian to complete all needed puppy shots. Annual adult boosters are just as important for maintaining your adult Chihuahua's immune system. Please make and keep your appointments for all shot schedules your veterinarian recommends. Worm prevention is always better than curing when it comes to parasites. Monthly worming is a good practice. This is another topic to discuss with your veterinarian as parasite problems vary not only with the changing seasons but also with local infestations.