Ok I realize the can-o-worms this might open....

We adopted an 8 week old puppy 3 days ago. I have always had American Eskimos but never anyone so tiny.

We named her Zara.

Advice... Please any will do we are trying to learn.


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What advice would you like,I'm sure we can help

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Hi, I'm a new chi owner too

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Welcome to the forum! Anything in particular you were wondering about? Caring for small dogs is a little different from larger breeds, but a lot is the same!

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Welcome to the forum!

Don't be shy, ask away! What are you curious about; nutrition, training, grooming, exercise?

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I got her a leash and collar but herd that is bad

I put her on a twice a day feeding but hear that is also bad

We take her on walks and people got mad because she had no doggie jacket or booties

We use positive training and she is doing well but is not found of outside when it gets dark

She is quiet most of the time, whimpers in her crate at night but we don't give in and uhm...

An I really doing so many things wrong?



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At 8 weeks she should be fed 4-5 times a day, with food left down over night in her pen. (I use a puppy playpen with pee pads down, H20, food and a few chewy toys.) She can't get in trouble there.

A collar is OK for wearing around, but most of us use a harness when walking outside. Unless she has had some puppy 'shots' she probably shouldn't be let down on ground, unless its your yard.

Just remember that she is very much a tiny baby, and she should be treated as one for at least another month. No bladder or bowel control at this age---so again a place for her to 'go' during the night; otherwise you are gonna be up 2-4x a night!

Actually we make sure she gets the oportunity to use the bathroom every 2 to 3 hours around the clock, it works out well for us since there are three of us in the house and one works mornings, one works swing, and one works graveyard. Since we have had her she has had 2 accidents, one was in her crate the first night, and one was on my son while he was trying to take her outside yesterday.

We can't really put food out at all times, my other dog will eat it before she gets a chance, so every 2 to 3 hours, we offer food to her inside her crate and after 5 minutes remove her. Hopefully that is an acceptable compramise.

I will confine walks to the back yard at least untill we get shots, that way the leash will not be needed, and we have time to find a harness small enough, or give her some time to get a little bigger. i looked at a few harnesses yesterday but even the ones for kittens were too big. Same thing with jackets, and boots. They just don't make them small enough for her.

While we have several toys for her, such as a little kong, and a few squeeky things, we have found Zara is partial to socks, and empty paper tubes. It is the cutest thing watching her trip up as she is dragging a sock 3 times her size around the house.