[lfutch]

I just got my chi, Lucy, and she is only 5 weeks old! I know that is way to young to be away from her mother, but if I didn't take her the lady I got her from would have given her to someone else, since she was free. Any advice is definately appreciated!

*What and how often should I feed her? Should I free feed or put her on a schedule?
*How long should I wait to take her with me places?
*When should I start socializing her with other dogs? Or puppy classes?(I've been told that she shouldn't be around other dogs until she has some of her shots)

 

[Gadget's Mom]

First of all I would like to say conrgrts on getting your new furbaby... She is beautiful.

IT is ok that you got your pup at 5 weeks... they just do better when left with their moms longer.

I got Gadget at 3 weeks.

b]*What and how often should I feed her? Should I free feed or put her on a schedule?[/b] What was he eating @ the breeders house? if he wasn't eating puppy food yet and just nursing then I would go to the store and get the puppy formula. it comes in both powder and cans. Then I would mix it with some canned puppy food. and give try that.. I know Gadget didn't like the hard dry food... when I finally got him to eat it I had to put it through the food processor and then wet it with hot formula... then I went to mixing it with hot water then I also left dry food in his bowl for him to eat when ever if he would eat it... I fed Gadget every couple hours for the first 2 or 3 weeks... by the time he was 6 weeks he was eating 4 meals aday plus all the dry food he wanted...

*How long should I wait to take her with me places? I take Gadget everywhere I go and I have been doing that since the day I brought him home.. The 2 things you DON'T want to do is put her on the ground outside or put her on the floor where there are any other dogs(like pet stores, peoples houses that have pets..)

*When should I start socializing her with other dogs? Or puppy classes?(I've been told that she shouldn't be around other dogs until she has some of her shotsshe needs to get all of her baby shots before you can do either of these... usually they are done with the whole series of shots by the time pups are 20 weeks old... Gadget goes in for his last shots on the 26th of this month... and then he will be ground bound.

The other thing you might want to start doing around 8 weeks is harness and leash train and start teaching her things like sit come so on and so on...
hope this helped you

 

[lfutch]

Thank you so much Gadget's Mom, this helps so much

 

[jlcase]

Great advice Dori!
I started Charlie in a puppy socialization class when he was 14 weeks old, all of the dogs in the class were under 16 weeks at the start and had to have their first two sets of shots and bordetella before the class started. I think it was really good for him if you are interested in classes like that check out trainers in your area. Your puppy is really cute, enjoy this time!! They grow up too fast!

 

[Gadget's Mom]

I thought about training classes to for solulizing Gadget but I think he is doing good with us training him... I so far like his everything... I mean he has only 2 bad habits..

1. chewing on my chin... he likes to do this cute little bark(his mommy play with me bark) but he will bark and then chew on my chin... it is cute but man my chin can't take it any more.. I am trying to break him from the chewing part but not the cute little bark..

2. he started pooing all over the house(just in the past few days) he wil pee in the correct places al the time, but he only poos on the pads when I catch him starting in another place and move him to the pads..


he is really a good behaving pup...

To get his sociolizing with my neighbors dogs after his last set of shots this month..

for the people sociolizing I have sociolized him with people since I got him @ 3 weeks and I have held him since he ws 24 hours old. he was well sociolized when my neighbor had him, when he was with his mommy...

They sure do grow up fast... Gadget was so tiny when I got him and now he is getting so big...

 

[lfutch]

Lucy is doing very good. I've been feeding her about every 3-4 hours. I'm suprised at how fast she is catching on with the paper training. I'm with her almost all the time, but she has gone to the paper on her own a few times I've had her for 2 days, but I feel like I am just keeping her for somebody else, I can't believe she's MINE Thanks for your help!