Hi all,

Im new here and am having a long haired chihuahua on the 28th of this month, just wondering if anyone could give me any advice on puppys, wheres best to keep them, I have a cat who sleep downstair, any advice or tips welcome

thanks

clare

My personal preference would be to get a crate bed for your pup. you can keep the crate next to your bed. this is a great benefit in 4 ways

1. pup doesnt cry so much and you get a better nights sleep. if you eventually want your pup to sleep elsewhere you can gradually move the crate further away, out of the room, etc.

2. pup has a place of safety where she is comfy (especially useful for a tiny breed)they see a crate as their den, their special bed.

3. pups dont like to soil or wee in their beds, so if in the crate they wont do either(provided crate not too big). just take the pup out for pee breaks part way thru the night initially, they will soon be house trained as they get used to holding it in.

4. with a tiny breed the crate can double as a carrier to go to vet etc.

hope this helps!

Thankyou very much, is it safe to take th pup out in the car to friends houses, shopping etc as long as it is in a carry bag and not walking without having completed its innoculations

Anyone out there owns chihuahua and can give me some tips on care etc

i echo pinklilies thoughts on buying a crate. in my case, though she isn't a chihuahua, i bought a vari-kennel [plastic carrier with mesh door] for my pup. so she's 'covered' and not so exposed as in a crate, yet there are many vents for her to see out.
she loves it. she also gets given her treats in it, has always been clean in it and it's her safe place as she chooses to sleep in it with the door open in the day.
it also prevents any damage or chewing of your things when you have to leave puppy, and is a huge help towards house training. i don't leave her for longer than 2 hours in it during the day with the door shut though.

i used to take my pup out in the car to peoples houses, shopping, and for walks to socialise her with people and get her used to traffic etc whilst feeling safe with me holding her - before all her vaccinations were done. i would pop her carrier in the boot and get her used to having naps in the car too. she is now well socialised, and unafraid of traffic and likes to sleep in the car after her walks, though i leave the carrier at home now.

good luck.

Hi Clare,
I agree with the crate - Diesel our 14wk old Dane puppy adores his crate.
He wanders off during the day or whenever he's tired for a nap :) I must admit I was a bit dubious when a crate was first mentioned, never having used one for Baille, our retriever (I didn't know about CD then ;) ) but it's the best thing I've done, he loves it and I'm safe in the knowledge that he's not eating my house when I can't be there to supervise him. Oh and I only ever close the door when I'm going out or at bedtime, Diesel seems to know the difference then :)
Hope that helps a little,
Sharon
X

Same here!! I'd never heard of crates when I got my Golden. When I got Libby I also got a crate, and it was money well spent, it was her den, and I knew she was safe when I had to pop out . It resides in the garage now, ready for the next pup (hope hubby's not reading this) sometime in the future :D

liberty :)

Thankyou all so much, you have given me some great advice.

thanks

Don't forget a GOOD (well organised, sympathetic to puppies needs) puppy training class for support and education for you, your family and your puppy.