Chihuahua conditions and care

The desire to have a puppy of exotic or dwarf breed always requires a novice breeder to be especially attentive to the performance of their duties. Care and maintenance of a chihuahua is fundamentally different from keeping dogs of large and medium size. In addition, this breed has long-haired and short-haired varieties. Accordingly, you will have to learn how to care for the puppy's hair at home, to study the basic needs for everyday hygiene.

It is important to remember that chihuahua is one of the smallest members of the canine family. Initially, this breed was bred in warm regions, which affected the metabolism and some features of the appearance. Animals have practically no undercoat, no significant fat reserves.

Representatives of the breed need protection from the cold, drafts. In addition, many chihuahuas have an overgrown soft fontanel on their heads, they are distinguished by the general fragility of bones - any injuries are dangerous for them, and the owner has to take this into account when choosing games and entertainment for the pet.

Buying a little chihuahua is an important event that you definitely need to prepare for. The description of the breed indicates that even long-haired individuals are thermophilic, any drafts are dangerous to them. Accordingly, the first thing you will have to start with is choosing a place to sleep your pet, protected from any sources of discomfort. In addition, in the reach zone of a curious puppy there should not be electrical wiring, household chemicals, means for feeding plants.

Buying a "dowry" for a pet is also a very responsible matter. A puppy and then an adult dog will need many items.

• Mattress or bed with the base in the form of a basket, box, house. The litter should be fairly soft, easy to clean, made of hypoallergenic materials. When choosing accessories, it is very important to remember that in the future they will be used by an adult pet.

• Bowls. It is better to buy separate options for water and food: the dual versions lead to the fact that the remnants of food simply pollute the drink, and the animal refuses it. Materials should be selected safe, durable, convenient for cleaning and disinfection. The best solution would be metal or ceramic dishes with sides of medium height.

• Restroom. Chihuahuas quite easily get used to walking in the tray, and in winter they often prefer this type of hygiene items to free-range. Absorbing diapers can also be used to train your puppy.

• Toys To protect furniture and home decoration from damage, the puppy should offer alternative training options. Despite their tiny size, the Chihuahua breed is happy to gnaw veins, braids in the form of braids. For everyday games, simpler soft toys, as well as rubber balls, are suitable. All of them must be safe, designed specifically for dogs.

• For long-haired animals it is recommended to get a comb with safety rare teeth. The use of a medium-hard brush will help to care for a short-haired pet.

• Towel and shampoo for bathing. It is better to choose it taking into account the breed of the pet.

• Toothbrush and special paste. It is recommended that you first consult your veterinarian or breeder.

• Carryingallowing you to move freely with your pet. It is useful for visits to the veterinarian, important trips.

• Feed, recommended by the breeder, or ingredients for cooking natural food, if the puppy received just such a diet in the nursery.

• Aviary or playpen, allowing to protect the animal from dangers during the absence of owners. Usually only puppies need it.

When compiling a diet for a chihuahua, it is very important to replenish energy costs, because this breed has an accelerated metabolism and calories burn up much faster.

Natural food is also acceptable. They must be of high quality, safe and fresh.

The optimum is the presence in the diet of beef or chicken meat, dairy products. They give dogs fruits and vegetables: seasonal, sanitized and culinary or fresh. Allowed a small amount of cereals, herbs. One day a week, it is allowed to replace the meat menu with seafood: fish, squid.

Ready food should correspond to the age category of the animal. Puppies are given special enriched nutrition. Adults and older dogs should receive a separate diet.

Chihuahua owners are concerned about animal hygiene. The pet needs attention, including the state of his health. The main features of the care of the eyes and other parts of the body in the long-haired and short-haired varieties are practically the same. Only the frequency and intensity of exposure varies.

When caring for a puppy at home, it is very important to instill in him toilet skills. It is worth stocking up with absorbent diapers, a tray, spray or other means that destroy unpleasant odors in the apartment. Chihuahua - a pretty smart dog, but even she needs to correctly explain the procedure. If puppies have already been introduced to the tray in the kennel, there will be no problems. With the early weaning of babies from the mother - in a month and a half - the owner will have to cultivate useful habits.

The first days in a puppy's house are carried in a tray after each feeding or waking. It is better to put the tray as close to the bedroom as possible and then gradually move it back to where it is planned to be placed on an ongoing basis.

Even smooth-haired chihuahua dogs must be thoroughly cleaned. It is made using a special brush with medium hard bristles. A hygiene procedure is performed twice a week. Long-haired animals are combed daily with a metal comb with rounded ends of the teeth. It is not necessary to cut a Chihuahua, the breed also does not shed, which saves the owners from problems with cleaning the wool. Carefully sticking out hairs can be cut with scissors.

Newborn puppies are born with adjacent eyelids and do not immediately open their eyes. At the stage of disclosure, the organs of vision of animals need careful control, delicate treatment with cleansing compounds. But in older puppies and in adult dogs, the eyeball remains noticeably more convex than in other breeds. When wetted during blinking, a tear fluid is released, which avoids excessive dryness.

Tearing is normal for a chihuahua. But you need to regularly inspect the animal to ensure transparency and purity of secretions.

To avoid the formation of lacrimal grooves, it is necessary to regularly conduct sanitary-hygienic treatment. It is performed with a cotton pad dipped in a weak warm infusion of chamomile or sleeping tea. The crust, wet track and eyelid itself are wiped, thoroughly cleaned.

The teeth of puppies and adult Chihuahuas require regular toothpaste at least 1-2 times a week. There are special brushes for dogs on sale that allow you to effectively remove plaque and dirt. In the process of cleaning you need to act on the surface of the enamel gently, avoiding the gum area. In the formation of tartar, professional removal is recommended.

The ears of Chihuahua dogs need careful care. Veterinarians recommend a daily examination, allowing you to notice the slightest negative changes. The auricle is cleaned monthly or as dirt develops. You need to teach puppies to her since childhood. For processing, a special liquid is used, cotton pads.

And also used cotton swabs dipped in a cleaning composition. They are needed to remove sulfur from the ear canal. Only the visible part inside the ear is cleansed; it is not recommended to immerse the devices deeper. A cotton pad dipped in a cleaning solution treats the surface of the auricle. You should not neglect ear care: the peculiarities of their structure contribute to the rapid accumulation of dirt and dust.

With proper organization of the walking, the claws of a Chihuahua breed are grind naturally and do not require additional trimming. But if these measures are not enough, the owner will have to carry out hygiene procedures.Experienced breeders consider special guillotine-type wire cutters to be the most convenient and safe option. On light claws, the living part is different in color and therefore clearly visible. It is enough to insert the dead part inside the device and cut it at an angle of 45 ° a couple of millimeters below the location of the pulp.

On dark claws, the process of trimming an overgrown claw takes longer. No more than 2 mm is trimmed at a time. Shortening is performed in several stages, each time the edge is inspected. When a darkened area appears in the form of a dot in the center, it is worth stopping: further there is the pulp, affecting which, you can cause bleeding.

Bathing a chihuahua is a procedure that should not be carried out too often. The breed has a naturally cleansed coat, which, when degreased with shampoo, loses its properties. On average, bathing is necessary 2-3 times a year, not more often. The procedure is carried out in a warm bath (+ 35 + 40 °) with a special tool for shorthair dogs. Shampoo is applied exclusively to moistened hair, avoiding the area around the nose, eyes, ears.

The foam is washed off with warm running water. Then the animal is wrapped in a soft towel (it is better to preheat it). Until the pet has completely dried out, drafts should not be allowed on the cold floor. Lthe best solution is to stay on the owner’s lap. To speed up the process of drying the wool, you can resort to using a hairdryer.

From the very first day you are in a new home, a Chihuahua puppy must be accustomed to a specific set of basic commands.

• "A place!". It is pronounced every time the puppy is sent to sleep or just to relax in the corner reserved for him. Gradually, when the owner pronounces the command, the animal will start to go on a lounger or to the house itself.

• Nickname. Recognizing your name, especially if it was not customary to allocate puppies in the kennel, the baby will not begin immediately. To consolidate the skill, you should abandon any distortion of the name and affectionate nicknames. The faster the dog remembers the correct form of treatment, the better.

• "Fu!", "It is impossible!". Inhibit commands prevent accidental poisoning or contact with a source of danger. They should be learned before the animal first gets to the street.

• "To me!". One of the basic commands, allowing to ensure the obedience of the animal in any environment. Chihuahuas have high intelligence, and quite easily learn the basics of training.

In the process of training a puppy, it is very important to observe regularity and sequence of actions. Begin serious training is not earlier than two months of age.

Walking is an important component for the healthy growth and development of the dog. First you need to spend time outdoors, taking the pet on a leash attached to a harness or collar. After vaccination is complete, you can make regular walks by allowing the Chihuahua puppy to contact other animals. This will allow him to socialize, provide the necessary physical activity.

The process of accustoming to a toilet on the street will also be easier in the company of other dogs. Animals copy each other's behavior, mark the territory. Outdoor games will help to increase the chances of success: even the most patient pet in this case is unlikely to wait for returning home to fulfill its natural needs.

The frequency of walks for an adult dog should be optimal. It is enough just to spend time on the street for an hour a day in the morning and evening. During the period of accustoming to the toilet, walking is carried out on demand. When the temperature in the street drops to + 15 ° C, it is imperative to purchase clothing for the dog: 2 overalls (winter and demi-season), blankets, vests, shoes for protection against reagents.If the outside temperature drops to -20 °, it is better to leave the chihuahua at home, canceling the walk.

The first thing to take care of upon arrival of a new tenant in the house is the arrangement of his personal place, territory where the puppy can feel comfortable. Such a shelter should be located in the room, but not close to windows, radiators, drafts and walkways. It is desirable that the chihuahua dog can see the owner from his house or from the couch.

Funny moving puppies and adult animals of this breed need games and toys. They accept rubber and plush balls, hedgehogs and other entertainments very favorably. Balls need to choose a compact size, suitable for the jaws of the pet. And you can also buy all kinds of bones and dumbbells, convenient for throwing.

Toys from the veins are indispensable during the period of teeth change: they provide plaque removal, perform gum massage. Well-worn shoes or clothes are a bad toy for a dog. In this case, in the future it may be difficult for the animal to figure out which things can be nibbled and which ones not.

To maintain the health of a Chihuahua dog throughout its life, you need to carefully monitor the general condition of the body. They bathe both long-haired and short-haired pets not too often. Regular hygiene procedures in the form of cleaning your ears and teeth will help to avoid possible problems.

Chihuahuas are full-bodied dogs. For them, dieting, control of body weight and blood sugar are extremely important. Animals of this breed are predisposed to hypoglycemia, and if it is detected, the veterinarian will give strict recommendations on the regimen.

Another important point: Chihuahuas easily catch a cold, are cold, it is very important for them to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature. The pet will need a boot or clothing already when the indicators drop to + 15 ° C. To prevent more serious diseases, dogs must be vaccinated, they are regularly given anthelmintic drugs.

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