Welcome!!
I love when potential owners start by researching before they get a pup. I think this really helps to having a happy ending.
>> Lucky for me, my co worker is selling his puppy (12 wk old male chihuahua) due to his wife's pregnancy.
>>
This always makes me nervous... Where is the breeder? Good breeders require a buyer to sign a contract that if the buyer can't keep the dog it must go back to the breeder. A good breeder is the best person to place that pup with a new home. Good breeders know the questions to ask to make sure a home is the right home, a match of the home and it's residents to the puppy's personality and needs. Good breeders also provide the mentoring that is needed for the new owners. Every dog has it's unique training issues and that breeder is a new owners best resource as they have the experience with that specific lineage of the breed. This holds true for ANY breed of dog. IMHO it's even more important in breeds that have health issues, like Chihuahuas.
>>1) He has documentation of "CKC certified purebred", but is this desired?
>>
If this is the Canadian Kennel Club then I say yes. In my opinion this is one of the areas to help identify a good breeder. In my check list a good breeder uses AKC here in the US. However, if the dog was imported from Canada they could be CKC.
>>2) 12 wk old puppy not potty trained, I guess I'll have to potty train him using the method many of you suggested (cage in a cage). But how can I let him know that the smaller cage with the bedding is where he goes?
>>
SO sorry if I gave this impression! A crate within a crate is not what I consider a good potty training method. This is a means to accommodate the fact that we have to work to be able to earn a living and need to provide an alternative for the pup as we can’t be there. Potty training is a different subject. For some great potty training advice see Kathy's web site (click here), it's free and she has good advice. The big keys for potty training are diligence and consistency, while being positive.
For someone to have to use a containment area while they are at work they are going to need to be 100% diligent about monitoring their puppy all the time when they are home to properly potty train it. With a toy breed this is even more important. (To be openly honest, most Chi's I know are not 100% potty trained - more like 90% potty trained. And it's not the dogs’ fault; it's usually because the owner wasn't 100% diligent in training the dog.)
>>3) Is it a prblem if I leave him alone for 8 hours in the daytime? I will come home to eat lunch for 1.5 hrs 3 days in the weekday, and the other two, I have to stay in the company.
>>
I think 8 hrs with no one for a pup is too extreme. Again this is my opinion. We take two weeks when the pup comes home to get them used to the home, bond, and slowly work up to a work schedule. I take one week off work; my other half takes the other (or we work at home). We then take the next month where one of us takes and early lunch and the other takes a late lunch, both running home at lunch to spend about 25 minutes with our pup. Actually, we do this until the pup is ready to be left alone for four hours - which is roughly around 4 months of age. A rough formula is 1 hour for every month - within reason, about 6 hrs (it varies some depending on the specific dog).
If you can't figure out a way for you to get home a great option is a pet sitter. We don't need a pet sitter often but I'm so grateful when we do need her.
By the time the dog is an adult this is where the crate in a crate option can help. Give the dog everything it needs inside a limited area.
Have you thought about rescue? Adopting a young adult that needs someone to love can be a great solution for this situation.
>>4) In terms of up to date vac shots, how do I get him up to date?
>>
Typically your pups breeder will have already given the first round of puppy vacianations. BTW - some top notch Chi breeders won't place their puppies in a home until it is 12 weeks old, and during that time they also give all the puppy vacinations.
As to beyond that, that's a great topic to discuss with your pups breeder. I also recommend talking with a good veterinarian - one who's honest and upfront about some of the vaccination debate going on.
>>5) I think he'll have to stay on "baby food" for at least a year, as recommended. Is the baby food readily avalible at PetCo etc.?
>>
That store is not one that I personally feel carries the best foods. However, my family has had great results with Avoderm Small Bites for the Chihuahuas (which is available at that store). Your breeder is the best person though to let you know what food(s) work best with their specific line of dogs. One key for pups is to feed multiple small meals a day. Usually your pup’s breeder will tell you how many meals a day they are feeding. With these little toy pups it’s important to make sure they don’t get low blood sugar by going too long between meals. This is one of the key things that the time we take off work to welcome home our new family member is so important for figuring out.
To research good, quality dog foods I find the Whole Dog Journal to be a great resource (www.whole-dog-journal.com/).
>>6) Any tip on how to make him feel at home while I'm home? Should I spend a majority of my freetime with him, or give him more personal space/time to get acqauinted with me/my apt?
>>
This depends on the specific dog. You will want to spend time with the pup and use your instincts to know when enough is enough. The first while is very important for bonding and gaining trust. Figure out gun games that work for you and your pup to be able to have fun and key into each other.
>>Any general advice is also welcomed. Again, thank you all for helping out clueless people like me!
You’re doing great! I love to see someone asking all these questions and taking this seriously!
.
-----
tabitha
Kayo, Kahla, and Dante'
is typically not a registry I would get a dog from. They typically are the registry used by puppy mills and back yard breeders. Your puppy may not be a purebred and/or it is certainly not bred to the chihuahua standard.
