Chiweenie!

[babychickfarmer]

I just got a chiweenie two days ago. He is 6 weeks old and soooo cute. His name is Carhdy (Carhartt is his full name). He shakes a whole lot and I was wondering if its cause he's cold or if it's just cuz he misses his siblings and mom?? I don't really know anyhting about tiny puppys, the only dogs I have raised from puppys are pitbulls and they never shook. Any advice on what to do or what could be causing him to shake would be great. and one more question....whats the lowest temp. pups can be in?? Should they stay at a constant warm temperature??

 

[Wildsky]

Oh congrats, I DO however need a picture ...

A Chiweenie - I need to see one of those!

 

[fallenweeble]

hi there!
so, chi's and chi mixes tend to tremble when they are excited, nervous or otherwise stimulated. your new pup is probably a little nervous. this is normal. but a little sweater would probably be a good idea on a short-haired puppy during the winter time. i don't know the "lowest" temp but i assume you are keeping this tiny puppy indoors with you right? if you take him outside for long put a little coat on him or wrap him in a blankie - these guys are much more fragile than the big guys.
be sure to socialize him with new people (chi's can get WEIRD if they aren't socialized as pups) but be careful to vaccinate him and don't let him around other dogs or take him to places populated by lots of other dogs until he's had all of his shots (like petco, petsmart etc.).
good luck and post some pics soon!
f. weeble

 

[snugglepup]

Hey there,

I'm not sure what a chiweenie is? sound's like somebody's dachshund got into the chihuahua pen? LOL

I second what fw said. SOCIALIZE the heck out of that puppy. Take him everywhere. Make him walk on the ground. Remember he has (almost) all the same genes as a timberwolf. The shaking usually has nothing to do with being cold in chis. The more you socialize him, the better his quality of life will be. Treat him like a real dog. This means getting him in to puppy class ASAP. Even if you have trained dogs before. Rememember, even the best professional dog trainers in the world take their new puppies to puppy class. It is virtually impossible to reproduce at home the experiences your pup gets from a good puppy class.

Unfortunately, leaving his litter at 6 wks will put him at a disadvantage, but you can make up for it somewhat by getting him around puppies as frequently as possible... controlled, positive experiences. Nothing can replace the 24/7 contact with littermates and mom, but we can make up for a lot. As long as he is playing with VACCINATED, HEALTHY dogs and pups, he should be safe. But definitely steer clear of dogs whose vaccine history is unknown.

I usually tell my clients to commit to giving their pups at least 1 new experience every day until they are 16 wks old. Then 4/wk until they are 6 months. Then weekly for the rest of their dogs life. This means taking your dog out of the house, meeting a new person, walking on a new surface, encountering new animals, etc. It's not that hard if you put your mind to it, and truly makes a remarkable difference in your dog's quality of life.