mhouston222001 Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 I am picking up two male 6 week old chihuahuas from the breeder this weekend. I am very excited about having new puppies, but I'm worried about them being alone during the day. How can I ensure that they are getting enough nutrition while I'm gone? I know that chihuahuas are very fraigile and are at risk for blood sugar problems. Is there anything I can do that will encorage them to eat on their own. They should be weaned from their mother by the time I get them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Registered breeder? Should stay with mum till 8 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 At that age they should still be with their Breeder. I cannot understand any Breeder sending puppies of at that age let alone tiny Toys. If you are not in a postion to come home and feed them during the day, then you are endangering these pups. You cannot ensure that they will eat food that you leave down for them, at 6 weeks they may not have the dentition to deal with dry food sufficiently. Anything fresh you put down will spoil in the hot weather. Not a situation I would permit a toy baby to be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReXy Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 i am of the opinion of the previous 2... 6 weeks for a chi is very young to be left alone.. i recently got a cav x pup but waited till 7 weeks to pick him up even then i was a little concerned... but considering mum wouldnt have anything to do with them feed etc... i took the pup knowing i could be there for him 24/7 as i dont work and am able to feed him 4 .-5 times a day of when ever he requires feeding. not just for the feeding aspect but be there for him.i dont hink 6 week old pups should be left to entertain themselfs for long amounts of time my pup is now nearly 9 weeks old and he goes everywhere with me and is never left alone.. just my opinion.. and good luck with your pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 A registered breeder is bound by the governing body's code of Ethics, and registered breeders do not let thier pups go before 8 weeks. Most toy breeders I know, rarely let their little ones go until at least ten weeks. Aside from the ethics, the pup's six weeks vaccination has not had time to fully immunise the pups, placing them at risk. I'd be asking for the breeder to hold them until they are ten to twelve weeks of age. Being so young and tiny, and thier owner away at work, is asking for problems, and with the hot weather, dehydration is one of them. fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhouston222001 Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 My breeder is registered and has years of experience with chihuahuas. She also suggests that I wait until 8 weeks for their first immunizations. She says that they are too young to be vaccinated at 6 weeks, and if you vaccinate too early they can get very sick and die. I will be keeping the pups inside my house and they won't be around any other dogs or sick people. Am I still putting them at risk by waiting till 8 weeks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peibe Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Who are the breeders registered with? No ethical, moral registered breeder would allow Chi pups to go to any home before they are 8 weeks. I know of some that keep them until they are 12 weeks. I have heard of small breeds becoming sick when vaccinated young. Even it you keep the pups inside with you everywhere you walk you are picking up germs that you will then bring home on your shoes. Goodluck with your new babies though. I hope you are able to put pictures up when you bring them home. Love puppy pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florise Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 No registered and reputable breeder would let pups go before 8 weeks of age, and I suspect that good chi breeders would wait till they are at least 10-12 weeks. The accepted practice in this country is that pups are vaccinated at 6 weeks, although research does suggest 8 weeks may be a better age because of antibodies from Mum. The breeder should give the first vaccination and allow 2 weeks for the vacc to take effect before she allows them to leave her property. Anything less is irresponsible and dangerous to the pups. Are the pups registered and have pedigree papers? At what age are you actually getting them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 IMHO there is no way a reputable and ethical chi breeder would allow their pups to go under at least 8 wks. Ten to 12 wks is preferable for such a tiny breed. Your post also concerns me b/c you seem to be planning to leave them alone from the time they arrive. Correct me if I'm wrong here. But pups must be fed regularly and also allowed out to the toilet every couple of hours. I hope that you have *someone* responsible at home to care for them while you work? If not, perhaps you could consider grown dogs rather than tiny pups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ittybitty_ Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 mhouston222001, They call themselves a registered, reputable breeder?!?!?!? No registered, reputable breeder in their right mind would let any puppy leave its mother before 8 weeks of age, let alone a toy breed. Most Pom breeders dont let their puppies leave until 12-14 weeks.. 10 weeks at the youngest. I wait until 8 weeks for their first immunizations. She says that they are too young to be vaccinated at 6 weeks, and if you vaccinate too early they can get very sick and die. Well she is risking their life as it is.. That is why you get the dead vaccine instead of the live vaccine. It wont kill them.. Might make them slightly off colour for the day, but It is safe. If you go through with getting these '6 week old chi's' then I hope you are going to go home to them 4-5 times a day & make sure they get their daily nutritional requirements. Puppies at this age cant just be left with a bowl of food & be expected to make it last all day.. They can over eat which can kill them. They can not realise there is food there even if you show them before you leave them.. Such young babies can only take in so much at a time.. You cant just leave them with a bowl of water un supervised all day either.. Ashlea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectraWoman Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 (edited) To reiterate, six weeks is too young for any dog, let alone tiny Chis. They should stay with their Mum for longer than that! In light of the advice given here, please re-consider your decision. Aside from the risks to the puppies' lives, another issue is potential behavioural problems. Puppies who have left too early can be quite mouthy. I adopted my boy at six weeks before I knew any better - and I learnt about the mouthiness the hard way. If you are adamant on collecting them on the weekend, they'll probably need around three-four meals a day. No free-feeding. Lots of water. Lots of newspaper or puppy pads [up to you] in a confined area like the laundry. Edited October 27, 2005 by ElectraWoman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 All I can say after reading everyone elses posts on this subject is to say that Roxiekda probably went into more detail than some of the others and everything said in her post should be re-read. Please re-think your choice of breeder, for both the pups sake and yours. What you are describing is heartbreak waiting to happen. And....please report the breeder to your state Chihuahua Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 I can understand you really really wants your pups and it's hard to wait, however I'd be questioning the breeders ethics and what else she has taken short cuts on. The smaller the breed generally the longer they should be with their Mum, that extra time spent with their mum is also beneficial on the socialisation front, bite inhibition and toileting. If you're interested I know of a 10 week old short haired chi in rescue. If you're away from home most of the day you may want to consider an adult chi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Doubtful your breeder is registered with the Canine Council as this is against the code of ethics for every single one. However whether they are or not there's one thing for sure and that is they are complete morons and if I were you Id find another breeder. One who doesnt allow their babies to go to new homes this early and one that vaccinates their pups and keeps them for at least 10 days after the vaccination before they go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Good heavens! My 13 week old pups still spend at least an hour a day playing with mum and getting chastised when necessary by her - they have lovely manners! Whether or not the pups have stopped nursing is irrelevant - they still need their mum! I am only just moving mine onto their new homes now that their 2nd needles have taken effect - I wanted to be as sure as possible of the show potential of the ones I am keeping as well as the show pup going to a new home. They are still being fed 4 times a day as they are growing so quickly - one boy is over 15kgs! There is no way I would leave them unattended or without some contact with mum now, let alone at 6 weeks! As for vaccinations - viruses can be airborne, carried in on shoes or clothing, or even inhaled, carried in your nostrils, and exhaled over the pups! They will be ok not having their needles till 8 weeks with mum, as they are not being stressed. Removing them and placing them in new surroundings will stress them and lower their immunity to the point where they will succumb much more easily to anything that is going around. If the breeder is not aware of all this, they should not be breeding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tianakaesha Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Is it possible that this person is from the states (Houston?)... Does their Kennel Club differ to the aussie one? IE: does NOT have rules as to when the pups are sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 It seems the OP has done a runner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozzie Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I think that maybe he wasn't willing to accept the fact that he should be waiting a little bit longer for his pups... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bald Vinnie Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I think they were just overwhelmed by the amount of responses they got telling them that they shouldn't have taken the puppies. Bit scary when about 20 people all shout the same thing at you. But I do agree, the poor puppies, I hope they are going to be ok without mum at that age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozzie Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 And without someone home with them all day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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