Sole surviving puppy care

by Natalie
(Mt. Prospect, IL)

Hello!

My 4 1/2lb purebred Chihuahua had her 2nd (first to me, as I just purchased her during her first week of pregnancy) litter of 4 pups. Sadly, 2 died at birth and one at 11 days. I hand fed this one every 1 1/2 to 2 hours and eventually even tube fed her, but she just didn't thrive and eventually just faded away.

Anyway, I have one surviving pup. Mom has taken great care of this one and she just opened her eyes at 3 weeks. She is 23 days old now and the sweetest thing.

My question concerns socialization. Everywhere I go on-line, I read that she needs her littermates to gain socialization and the ability to relate to other dogs. How do I help her? I am not another pup that will roughhouse and nip her in the tail. I won't fight with her for top dog status or to gain control of a favorite toy. She seems so alone and I don't know what to do to help her become a well balanced little girl.

We have both mom and dad in the house. I bought them sight unseen together, as they have been together since they were pups and were about to be split apart. They are both 3 years old and have had one litter together with another breeder (I am not a breeder - just a chi lover). I also have another chi, which started this love and she's 9lbs (I know - a bit big) but is also pure. And then we have a 95lb Weimaraner, who thinks he's a chi. My mom won't let any of the other dogs near the puppy. She turns from a well-mannered, sweet little doll baby to Cujo.

It's scary. So I can't let them interact with the puppy.

So, how do I get this little girl socialized?

Thanks for any help!




Hi Natalie
I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you've had with this litter, tiny dogs can have problems whelping and taking care of such tiny pups is a challenge. I'm so glad that the little girl you have has thrived.

She's still very young, and very tiny, so it's natural for her momma to be very protective of her. It is important for a puppy to interact with other dogs in order for her to learn proper canine behavior etc., but luckily for this little girl you do have several other dogs!

Tiny breeds like Chihuahuas should stay with their momma for around 10 weeks, so there's plenty of time for her to get exposure to the other dogs. I'd start when she's around 6 weeks old and is a bit stronger, you may want to keep the Weimaraner out of it though, as even in play he could hurt her quite badly.

Older dogs are generally very tolerant of young puppies, and aren't litter mates, but they will help your little girl to learn what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. And they won't hesitate to put her in her place if she oversteps. She'll also learn about sharing.

Socializing small breed pups with people and places before they've been fully vaccinated is easier that it is with large breeds. That's because they're so portable! Once she's had her first set of puppy shots you can put her in a carrier and take her out and about with you. Just don't let her come in contact with any other unvaccinated dogs or any areas where they may have been.

It sounds as though you're doing a great job so far, keep up the good work. Best of luck. You may find these pages helpful....

Puppy Development


Chihuahua Puppy Care