Conditions of detention and rules of care for Chihuahuas

The desire to have a puppy of an exotic or dwarf breed always requires from a novice breeder a special attention to the performance of their duties. Care and maintenance of chihuahuas is completely different from the maintenance of large and medium sized dogs. In addition, this breed has a long-haired and short-haired variety. Accordingly, you will have to learn how to care for your puppy's hair at home, to study the basic needs for daily hygiene.

It is important to remember that Chihuahuas belong to the smallest members of the canine family. Initially, this breed was bred in warm countries, which affected the metabolism and some features of the external appearance. Animals have almost no undercoat, no significant fat reserves.

Representatives of the breed need protection from cold weather, drafts. In addition, many Chihuahuas have a soft spring font overgrown 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 suggests that even long-haired individuals are heat-loving, they are dangerous to any drafts. Accordingly, the first thing to start with is choosing a place to sleep for a pet, protected from any sources of discomfort. In addition, within the reach of a curious puppy should not be wiring, household chemicals, means for plant nutrition.

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

• Mattress or couch with a base in the form of a basket, box, house. The litter should be fairly soft, easy to clean, from 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: dual versions lead to the fact that the remnants of food simply pollute the drink, and the animal refuses it. Materials should choose safe, durable, convenient for cleaning and disinfection. The best solution would be metal or ceramic dishes with sides of medium height.

• Restroom. Chihuahuas are pretty easy to get used to walking in a tray, and in winter they often prefer this type of hygiene items to free range. Absorbing diapers can also be used to teach your puppy.

• Toys To protect furniture and interior items from damage, the puppy should offer alternative training options. In spite of their tiny size, Chihuahua breed pets enjoy chewing the strands, braids in the form of braids. For everyday games, and more simple soft toys, as well as rubber balls. All of them must be safe, designed specifically for dogs.

• For long-haired animals it is recommended to purchase comb with safety rare teeth. Use a brush of medium hardness to care for your short-haired pet.

• Towel and shampoo for swimming. It is better to choose it in view of the pedigree affiliation of the pet.

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

• Carrying, allowing 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 the preparation of natural food, if in the nursery the puppy received just such a diet.

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

When drafting a diet for a chihuahua, it is very important to ensure the replenishment of energy consumption, because this breed has an accelerated metabolism, and the calories are burned much faster.

Feeding with natural products is also acceptable. They must be of high quality, safe and fresh.

The optimal is the presence in the diet of beef or chicken meat, dairy products. Vegetables and fruits are given to dogs: seasonal, sanitized and culinary, or fresh. A small amount of cereals, greens. One day per week it is allowed to replace the meat menu with seafood: fish, squid.

The finished feed must meet the age category of the animal. Puppies give special enriched food. Adult and older dogs should receive a separate diet.

Chihuahua owners are concerned about animal hygiene. Pet requires attention, including to the state of his health. The main features of the care of the eyes and other areas of the body in longhair and short-haired varieties practically do not differ. Only the frequency and intensity of exposure varies.

When caring for a puppy at home, it is very important to instill in him toilet habits in a timely manner. It is necessary to stock up on absorbent diapers, tray, spray or other means, destroying odors in the apartment. The chihuahua is a pretty intelligent dog, but even it needs to correctly explain the procedure. If in the kennel puppies have already been introduced to the tray - no problems will arise. With the early weaning of babies from the mother - in a month and a half - the owner will have to cultivate good habits.

The first days in the puppy's house are taken to the tray after each feeding or awakening. It is better to place the tray as close as possible to the sleeping place and then gradually move it back where it is planned to be placed on a permanent basis.

Even smooth-haired Chihuahua breed dogs necessarily need to be thoroughly cleaned. It is made using a special brush with bristles of medium hardness. Hygiene is carried out twice a week. Long-haired animals are daily brushed with a metal comb with rounded tips of the teeth. You do not need to cut Chihuahua, the breed also does not shed, which saves the owners from problems with the cleaning of wool. Carelessly sticking hairs can be cut with scissors.

Newborn puppies are born with contiguous eyelids and do not immediately open their eyes. At the stage of disclosure, the organs of vision of animals need careful monitoring, delicate treatment with cleaning compositions.But even in older puppies, and in adult dogs, the eyeball remains markedly more prominent than in other breeds. When wetted during blinking, a tear fluid is released to avoid excessive dryness.

Tearing is normal for Chihuahua. But you need to regularly inspect the animal to make sure the transparency and purity of the discharge.

To avoid the formation of lacrimal grooves, you need to regularly carry out sanitary and hygienic processing. It is performed using a cotton pad dipped in a weak warm infusion of chamomile or sleeping tea. The crust, the wet path and the eyelid itself are cleaned and thoroughly cleaned.

Teeth of puppies and adult chihuahuas require regular toothpaste treatment at least 1-2 times a week. On sale there are special brushes for dogs, allowing you to effectively remove plaque and dirt. During the cleaning process, it is necessary to act on the enamel surface gently, avoiding the gum area. When tartar is formed, professional removal is recommended.

The ears of Chihuahua breed dogs need careful care. Veterinarians recommend a daily inspection, allowing you to notice the slightest negative changes. Cleaning the ear is carried out monthly or as the formation of pollution. To teach puppies to her need from childhood. A special liquid, cotton pads is used for processing.

And also used cotton swabs dipped in cleaning composition. They are needed to remove sulfur from the ear canal. Only the visible part inside the ear is cleaned, it is not recommended to immerse the device deeper. The wadded disk moistened in the clearing solution, the surface of an auricle is processed. You should not neglect the care of the ears: the features of their structure contribute to the rapid accumulation of dirt and dust.

With the proper organization of walking, the claws of the Chihuahua breed dogs grind off naturally and do not require additional trimming. But if these measures turn out to be insufficient, the owner will have to carry out hygiene procedures. Experienced breeders consider the special guillotine type cutting pliers to be the most convenient and safe option. On light claws, the living part is different in color and therefore well visible. It is enough to insert the dead part into 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 a regrown claw takes longer. No more than 2 mm is cut at a time. Shortening is done in several stages, each time the edge is inspected. When a darkened area appears in the form of a point in the center, it is worth stopping: the pulp is located further, affecting which, you can cause bleeding.

Chihuahua bathing is a procedure that should not be performed too often. The breed has a naturally cleaned coat, which loses its properties during shampooing. On average, swimming is necessary 2-3 times a year, no more. The procedure is carried out in a warm bath (+ 35 + 40 °) with a special tool for short-haired dogs. The shampoo is applied exclusively to the moistened coat, avoiding the area around the nose, eyes, and ears.

Wash off the foam with warm running water. Next, the animal is wrapped in a soft towel (it is better to preheat it). Until the pet is completely dry, it should not be allowed on the cold floor, drafts. LThe main solution will be to stay in the lap of the owner. To speed up the process of drying wool, you can resort to using a hair dryer.

From the very first day of your stay in the new house of the Chihuahua puppy, you must necessarily train to a certain set of basic commands.

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

• Nickname. Recognizing your name, especially if it was not customary in the kennel to single out puppies, the baby will not start right away. 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.

• “Ugh!”, “No!”. Command-prohibitions help prevent accidental poisoning or contact with a source of danger. To learn them should be before the animal first gets to the street.

• "To me!". One of the basic commands to ensure obedience to the animal in any setting. Chihuahuas have high intelligence, and quite easily assimilate the basics of dressage.

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

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

The process of training to commit toilet on the street will also be easier in the company of other dogs. Animals copy the behavior of each other, mark the territory. Playing in the open air will help to increase the chances of success: even the most patient pet in this case is unlikely to wait for a return home to cope with its natural needs.

The frequency of walking for an adult dog should be optimal. It is enough just to spend time on the street for an hour a day, morning and evening. In the period of toilet training, walking is done on request. When the temperature on the street drops to + 15 °, it is necessary to purchase clothes for the dog: 2 overalls (winter and demi-season), blankets, vests, shoes for protection against reagents. When the temperature on the street drops to -20 °, chihuahuas are best left at home, canceling the walk.

The first thing to take care of when a new tenant arrives at the house is to arrange his personal place, an area where the puppy can feel comfortable. Such a shelter should be located in the room, but not close to windows, heating devices, drafts and aisles. It is desirable that the Chihuahua dog could see the owner from his house or from the lounger.

Funny moving puppies and adult animals of this breed need games and toys. Rubber and plush balls, hedgehogs and other entertainment they take very favorably. Balls need to choose a compact size, suitable for pet herding. And also you can buy all sorts of bones and dumbbells, convenient for throwing.

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

In order to preserve the health of a Chihuahua breed dog throughout its entire life, it is necessary 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 the ears and teeth will help to avoid possible problems.

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

Another important point: chihuahuas easily catch cold, overcool, it is very important for them to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature.A little pot or clothes will be needed by a pet already when the figures drop to + 15 ° С. To prevent more serious diseases, dogs must be vaccinated; anthelmintics are regularly given.

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