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When a bitch is unable to rear her family a foster-mother should be obtained if possible. Failing this, the litter must be raised by hand. It is an arduous and exhausting business, but there is no reason why such methods should not succeed if the owner is willing to sacrifice time and sleep. More than one champion has been reared by hand.

An especially rich full-cream baby milk food should be used (a good one is “Humanised Trufood”). This, during feeding, should be kept standing in a basin of hot water to maintain blood heat. It should be mixed to the consistency of condensed milk and then slightly thinned to resemble very rich, creamy cow’s milk. Add medicinal glucose (one salt spoonful per puppy for small breeds) and give a teaspoonful or more of the mixture to each puppy, using an old-fashioned medicine dropper with a rubber bulb.

It is best to feed each puppy on a covered hot water-bottle; they like to push at it with their feet while drinking. Open the puppy’s mouth, put the dropper in and feed slowly, allowing time for the little thing to swallow and breathe. He may protest at first but will quickly learn to enjoy it. Be careful not to give too much. The puppies should be fed every two hours during the day and every three hours at night. After ten days the night feeds are cut down to one at midnight, one at 4 a.m., and one at 8 a.m. After a fortnight there is no need to feed at night at all. Crooke’s halibut emulsion {not the halibut oil)the emulsion is specially prepared for infants and can be mixed with milk) is excellent and should be added to the feeds from two drops twice daily for each puppy.

The puppies must be kept very warm and if the dam is able to keep them clean so much the better, otherwise the abdomen should be gently rubbed in a circular action until the bowels have acted, and the puppies kept clean with cottonwool dipped in a mild antiseptic and carefully dried with dry cottonwool. A dusting with boracic powder on abdomen and rear completes the process. At three weeks scraped raw meat can be given, as with the normally reared puppy.

Hand-reared puppies usually thrive if kept very warm and fed regularly and punctually. Keep all utensils, medicine dropper and similar articles scrupulously clean, just as you would do for a human baby.

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Bringing a new puppy into the home as a new member of the family is an experience that everyone should have. Kids absolutely adore puppies, all of your neighbors have puppies, and now it’s time for you to take part of this joy and fill your house with puppy love!

But before you bring home your first dog, there are five key items that you must consider before making this large commitment to raising another life in the house, even if it is just a dog:

Puppies Need Plenty Of Your Time Invested
Puppies are like raising toddlers - they need constant supervision and require plenty of time to be devoted to training and housebreaking. And even when your puppy becomes familiar with basic training principles, he will still need additional supervision well into his adult years.

Entertainment is another factor to consider. Keep in mind that if you and your family are gone most of the day, at work or for any other reason, buying two dogs may help keep the animals entertained by each other.

If You Have Children, They Too Will Need To Be Trained To Handle The New Puppy
As mentioned above, puppies need an abundance of your time for training and care. If you have children in the house then you must factor in their need to be taught how to handle the puppy, what not to do in terms of improper guidance, and safety tips when playing with the dog.

Puppy classes are an ideal choice to make for both you and your children. There is nothing better than hiring a professional dog trainer to help guide you and your children with proper puppy care.

Puppies Are Expensive
Perhaps the term “expensive” is a bit over the top, but for many families that are on a budget, raising a new puppy can take quite a bit from the old bank account. You will need to buy toys, treats, bones, registrations, training aids, food, and of course, veterinarian visits which consists of checkups and shots.

Puppies Do Not Stay Small Forever
Although this tip is obvious, you would be amazed at how many people gave up their dog because it grew too big, too fast. For some reason, we like to bring home a new puppy and forget completely that it may grow into a very large pet, depending upon the breed. Make sure that you do your due diligence and find out how big your new dog will grow when he becomes an adult.

Most Dogs Are Not For Lazy People
With the exception of a variety of toy breeds and miniatures, the vast majority of dogs will need plenty of daily exercise. These little guys need plenty of room to run around and play. They also need people to play with and toys to keep them entertained. This means you! If by any chance you prefer to live a sedentary lifestyle and cannot offer your time and energy to daily exercise, consider purchasing a breed that does not need much activity.

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Small in stature, Chihuahuas are relatively fragile dogs. It is thus, important for owners of Chihuahuas to be equipped with proper knowledge and tips for caring for their Chihuahua pups. Care for Chihuahua pups covers many aspects and includes socialization, safety, nutrition and health. Responsible Chihuahua owners make a checklist on these aspects in order to ensure the overall well being of their Chihuahua pups.

As lively animals, Chihuahuas tend to come into constant contact with their owners, family members as well as other pets that its owner might have. It is necessary for Chihuahua owners to start socialization with their Chihuahua pups before they turn full grown. This is to ensure less aggressive behavior in the future when the Chihuahua pup turns into a full grown Chihuahua. Chihuahua owners should spend time familiarizing their Chihuahua pups to the surroundings and their living environments by letting the pup roam freely around the house and facilitating interaction with the family as well as other pets in the house. This would allow the Chihuahua puppy to adapt easily into its new living environment, preventing aggressive behavior in future.

Safety issues are a necessary area for Chihuahua owners to look into. Appliances around the home such as electrical outlets, cables and vases can present potential dangers to Chihuahua pups. Electrical outlets should be switched off and covered with plastic guards when not in use to prevent Chihuahua puppies from licking these dangerous areas. Cables should be shortened if possible, and kept when not in use to prevent the Chihuahua puppy from tripping over them. This is to prevent objects such as radios from crashing onto the puppy should it trip over such wires. In general, unstable objects should not be placed around the house to prevent death and injuries.

Chihuahua puppies should be given adequate nutrition with two meals a day. Dried dog food is preferable as it prefers tartar and plaque from accumulating in the young puppys teeth. Plenty of water should be given to ensure sufficient hydration and unfinished food should be disposed off after each meal to prefer the growth of bacteria and germs which might potentially cause illness to the Chihuahua pup. Sufficient nutrition is necessary in order to prevent illnesses and ensure healthy gum, skin and coat. Never ever feed your Chihuahua puppy with chocolate. Chocolates are harmful to Chihuahuas in any amount and may prove fatal if given in large amounts. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting and excessive thirst. Do not hesitate to bring your Chihuahua puppy to the vet if such symptoms are observed.

Chihuahua owners who have a personal preference to feed their Chihuahua puppies with home cooked food should keep in mind that all food has to be cooked and should consist of a meat protein, carbohydrates and a vegetable. All food should be fully cooked and cooled before feeding. Popular meat choices include beef, lamb, chicken and pork while vegetables include carrot and peas. Grain choices vary according to culture. Popular choices include potatoes or rice.

Chihuahua puppies should be taken to regular visits to the vet. This is to ensure that the puppies are in good health, receiving adequate nutrition as well as for vaccination against illnesses such as Parvo. Relatively inexperienced Chihuahua owners should also get advice from the vet with regards to their Chihuahua pups well being. Regular walks are also necessary to ensure healthy development of the puppys limbs as well as to prevent obesity.

Raising a Chihuahua requires effort and commitment. While not an easy task, the process of doing so would definitely result in wonderful memories in time to come.

Clarence Clark is an avid Chihuahua dog lover providing valuable advice at http://www.chihuahuatime.com for fellow chihuahua dog lovers. Where he shares chihuahua info and training tips with Chihuahua lovers worldwide. Click Here to gain FREE access to this Chihuahua networking website