Welcome Home

The first 48 hours set the tone for everything. Keep it calm, quiet, and boring-on-purpose: one warm corner as your puppy’s “base” — bed, water, a small bowl, a few familiar toys — and let them explore at their own pace. No welcome parties, no parade of neighbors. There’ll be time for all of that.

Feeding

Tiny dogs have tiny stomachs but very high metabolisms — Chihuahua puppies eat small meals frequently:

• 8 – 12 weeks: 4 small meals per day
• 3 – 6 months: 3 meals per day
• 6 months and older: 2 meals per day

We send your puppy home with the food they’re already eating. If you choose to switch brands later, do it slowly over 7 to 10 days to avoid upsetting their stomach. Always provide fresh water.

Watch for Hypoglycemia

Please read this one twice. Very young Chihuahuas can crash in blood sugar fast if they skip a meal — wobbliness, weakness, cold gums. The emergency fix is a small dab of honey or corn syrup on the gums, then call your vet immediately. It’s rare, it’s manageable, and now you know what to do. That’s the whole point of this page.

Potty Training

Consistency beats cleverness. Out (or to the pad) immediately after waking, after eating, after playing, and every 1–2 hours through the day. Reward the second they finish — a tiny treat, quiet praise. Accidents will happen; clean them with an enzyme cleaner and never scold. Most Chihuahuas are fully reliable between 4 and 7 months. You’ve got this.

Grooming

• Brushing: Once a week for smooth coats, two to three times weekly for long coats.
• Bathing: Every 4 to 6 weeks with a gentle puppy shampoo.
• Nails: Trim every 2 to 3 weeks. Tiny nails grow fast.
• Teeth: Brush daily if you can — Chihuahuas are prone to dental disease.
• Ears: Wipe with a damp cloth weekly

Exercise

Chihuahuas don’t need long hikes — but they do need daily activity. Two short walks of 10 to 20 minutes plus indoor play sessions are ideal for adults. For puppies under 4 months, keep walks gentle and let them set the pace. They tire quickly because their legs are tiny — that’s normal.

Warmth

With so little body mass, Chihuahuas chill easily. In cool weather they appreciate a sweater outdoors and a soft blanket indoors. A warm bed away from drafts is a real welfare issue, not a luxury.

Training

Chihuahuas are smart, eager to please — and bored in about four minutes. So train like it: sessions of 3–5 minutes, upbeat, treat-powered. Nail these five early and the rest gets easy:

• Name recognition
• Sit, come, gentle leash walking
• Crate as a safe space
• Calm handling of feet, ears, and mouth (for vet visits)
• Polite greetings — no jumping, no nipping

Socialization

Confident Chihuahuas are made, not born — and the window is the first 16 weeks. New people, new surfaces, new sounds, gentle dogs, vacuum cleaners, umbrellas: every calm, positive exposure now is one less thing they’ll bark at later. That “yappy” reputation? It’s just an under-socialized tiny dog. Yours won’t be one.

Vet Care

Your puppy arrives with a complete vet record and a guarantee — but book your own wellness visit within the first 7 days anyway, even if no shots are due. It introduces your puppy to their new doctor on a good day, and it activates your 72-hour guarantee. Two birds, one very cute appointment.