Chihuahua puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Chihuahua puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A toy breed puppy at eight weeks is small enough to be genuinely fragile. It can be hurt by a jump off a sofa and by being stepped on, and toy breeds are prone to low blood sugar, so it needs frequent small meals rather than two big ones. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Patellar luxation
• Cardiac disease
• Eye disease

From Chihuahua breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/chihuahua/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Chihuahua puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Toy for a Chihuahua.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 1.8 to 2.7 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other toy breeds

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